Sunday, December 23, 2012

Mixtape: Best of UK #1s 1982 - 2012

Yesterday I posted my favourite UK #1 hits between the years 1952 and 1981. Why? Because the UK #1 is now sixty years old. We've had sixty years of popular music, and the charting of the popularity of it. So I decided I wanted to celebrate the past sixty years of music by revealing my favourite #1 hits. Because sixty years is such a long time I've made two lists, and this is the second one.

This Mixtape celebrates my favourite #1 hits from 1982 to 2012. This list of songs isn't as good as the list I put up yesterday, in my opinion anyway, because my favourite songs from the past 30 years hardly chart, nevermind get to #1. But there are some great tracks here, I'm sure you'll appreciate.

Don't know much about Mixtapes? Here are the rules. 

A Mixtape is a playlist of a certain genre, band or era. The list is generally 80 minutes long, the same length of a blank CD, with further recommendations if some of the songs aren't to your taste. Remember kids, downloading is wrong! 

So here we go! Here's a list of my favourite #1 hits from 1982 to 2012, with the date it got to the #1 spot! Enjoy!

This Mixtape is now available to listen to fully on YouTube so subscribe to me if you want to listen to it properly. Enjoy!
  1. Eye of the Tiger - Survivor (04/09/1982)
  2. Let's Dance - David Bowie (09/04/1983)
  3. Stand By Me - Ben E. King (21/02/1987)
  4. Goody Two Shoes - Adam Ant (12/06/1982)
  5. Should I Stay or Should I Go? - The Clash (03/03/1991)
  6. House of Fun - Madness (29/05/1982)
  7. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen (15/12/1991)
  8. Dancing in the Street - Mick Jagger and David Bowie (07/09/1985)
  9. Your Woman - White Town (19/01/1997)
  10. Country House - Blur (20/08/1995)
  11. Brimful of Asha (Norman Cook Mix) - Cornershop (22/02/1998)
  12. Don't Speak - No Doubt (16/02/1997)
  13. The Importance of Being Idle - Oasis (28/08/2005)
  14. When the Sun Goes Down - Arctic Monkeys (22/01/2006)
  15. Paradise - Coldplay (01/01/2012)
  16. Deeper Underground - Jamiroquai (19/07/1998)
  17. Dare - Gorillaz (04/09/2005)
  18. Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) - The Offspring (24/01/1999)
  19. Rollin' - Limp Bizkit (21/01/2001)
  20. Killing in the Name - Rage Against the Machine (20/12/2009)
Don't like some of these? Give these five a try...
  1. The Drugs Don't Work - The Verve (07/09/1997)
  2. Stay - Shakespears Sister (16/02/1992)
  3. Bring Me to Life - Evanescence (08/06/2003)
  4. Ruby - Kaiser Chiefs (25/02/2007)
  5. Vertigo - U2 (14/11/2004)
So that's it! I hope you enjoyed both of these playlists, or Mixtapes as I call them. Sure, I complain about the lack of quality songs getting up the charts nowadays, but that's obviously my opinion, an unpopular one based on the fact that in the end, it's a popularity contest for musicians. But we have had some great songs get up to the top, and I used to really love listening to the chart show when I was younger, so this was a trip down memory lane in a certain way. I hope it was for you too.

This will be my last piece of work before Christmas. As you have probably noticed, I don't write much at the moment. I would like to see if I can address that properly in the New Year, but we'll see. Either way, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas if you celebrate it, and a Happy New Year. Take care!

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Saturday, December 22, 2012

Mixtape: Best of UK #1s 1952 - 1981

Last month was the sixty year anniversary of the first #1 hit single in this country. Our first ever #1 in this country went to Al Martino with "Here in My Heart". Since then we've had over 1000 songs get to the #1 spot, the spot all music artists aspire to get to in this country. It means that for at least one week, their song is the most popular and most requested. It's like being king for a week I suppose.

Now the problem with #1 hits for me is that it usually goes to pop stars. The word pop comes from popular obviously, so if, like me, you like your rock and metal, chances are it makes it THAT much harder for your favourite tracks to actually perform well in the charts, nevermind get the #1 spot. Over time for me, less of my favourite tracks are getting to the top, which is a damn shame. But that's life!

Either way, I want to celebrate the last sixty years in music, with my favourite #1 hits through the years. Because sixty years is such a long time, and there were so many great songs through the years (especially over the course of the sixties) I've divided the Mixtapes into two, meaning today you'll get the first 30 years of #1s, and tomorrow you'll get the last 30 years of #1s. Remember this is a biased list.

Don't know much about Mixtapes? Here are the rules. 

A Mixtape is a playlist of a certain genre, band or era. The list is generally 80 minutes long, the same length of a blank CD, with further recommendations if some of the songs aren't to your taste. Remember kids, downloading is wrong! 

So here we go! Here's a list of my favourite #1 hits from 1952 to 1981, with the date it got to the #1 spot! Enjoy!

This Mixtape is now available to listen to fully on YouTube so subscribe to me if you want to listen to it properly. Enjoy!
  1. Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley and His Comets (25/11/1955)
  2. Three Steps to Heaven - Eddie Cochran (23/06/1960)
  3. Great Balls of Fire - Jerry Lee Lewis (10/01/1958)
  4. Jailhouse Rock - Elvis Presley (24/01/1958)
  5. Shakin' All Over - Johnny Kidd and the Pirates (04/08/1960)
  6. House of the Rising Sun - The Animals (09/07/1964)
  7. You'll Never Walk Alone - Gerry and the Pacemakers (31/10/1963)
  8. You Really Got Me - The Kinks (10/09/1964)
  9. With a Girl Like You - The Troggs (04/08/1966)
  10. Fire - The Crazy World of Arthur Brown (14/08/1968)
  11. Paint it Black - The Rolling Stones (26/05/1966)
  12. Voodoo Child - Jimi Hendrix (21/11/1970)
  13. (Just Like) Starting Over - John Lennon (20/12/1980)
  14. Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me) - Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel (22/02/1975)
  15. Get it On - T-Rex (24/07/1971)
  16. Blockbuster - The Sweet (27/01/1973)
  17. Tiger Feet - Mud (26/01/1974)
  18. I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am!) - Gary Glitter (28/07/1973)
  19. You're My First, My Last, My Everything - Barry White (07/12/1974)
  20. Under Pressure - Queen and David Bowie (21/11/1981)
  21. Prince Charming - Adam and the Ants (19/09/1981)
  22. Hey Jude - The Beatles (14/09/1968)
Don't like some of these? Give these five a try...
  1. It's Not Unusual - Tom Jones (11/03/1965)
  2. Oh, Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison (08/10/1964)
  3. I Don't Like Mondays - The Boomtown Rats (28/07/1979)
  4. Brass in Pocket - The Pretenders (19/01/1980)
  5. My Ding-a-Ling - Chuck Berry (25/11/1972)
So those are my favourite #1 hits from 1952 to 1981. It was an amazing time to be listening to music, as at the time truly great songs were getting to #1 on a regular basis. I can't say the same for today unfortunately. Anyway I'll bring you 1982 - 2012 tomorrow. Join me then!

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