In the final 80’s show today we heard the top ten…..
[1] DO THEY KNOW IT’S CHRISTMAS – Band Aid – Written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1984 to raise money for relief of the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. The original version was produced by Midge Ure and released by Band Aid in November 1984. The 1984 original became the biggest selling single in UK Singles Chart history, selling a million copies in the first week alone. It stayed at Number 1 for five weeks, becoming the Christmas number one, and sold 3.69 million copies domestically. It remained the highest selling single in UK chart history until 1997 (3,690,000)
[2] RELAX – Frankie Goes To Hollywood – reached number one on the UK singles chart on 24 January 1984, ultimately becoming one of the most controversial and most commercially successful records of the entire decade. (1,910,000)
[3] I JUST CALLED TO SAY I LOVE YOU – Stevie Wonder – became Wonder’s only solo UK number-one success, staying at the top for six weeks. (1,775,000)
[4] TWO TRIBES – Frankie Goes To Hollywood – The single was a phenomenal success in the UK, staying at the top of the singles chart for nine consecutive weeks, during which time the group’s previous single “Relax” climbed back up the charts to number two. It was the longest running number-one single in the UK between 1978 and 1991. (1,510,000)
[5] DON’T YOU WANT ME – Human League – the Christmas number one in the UK, in 1981 (1,430,000)
[6] LAST CHRISTMAS – Wham! – The single sold well over a million copies and became the biggest selling single in UK chart history not to reach #1. A year later, it was re-issued for Christmas again and got to #6. A second re-issue at Christmas 1986—by which time Wham! had split—stalled outside the top 40. (1,420,000)
[7] KARMA CHAMELEON – Culture Club – was a huge global hit, hitting #1 in sixteen countries worldwide, and the top ten in several more. (1,405,000)
[8] CARELESS WHISPER – George Michael – Became a huge commercial success on both sides of the Atlantic. It reached number one in nearly 25 countries, selling about six million copies worldwide. (1,365,995)
[9] THE POWER OF LOVE – Jennifer Rush – Retaining the top spot for five weeks with a total of ten weeks accrued in the Top Ten; eventually Rush’s “The Power of Love” was assessed as the most successful UK single by a female singer. (1,321,530)
[10] COME ON EILEEN – Dexy’s Midnight Runners – The song won Best British Single at the 1983 Brit Awards. (1,201,000)
Sales figures in brackets.

In the second hour of today’s show we had a mix of music with a few Christmas tunes thrown in including 3@3 from Rod Stewart’s new Christmas album, also featuring Cee Lo Green and Michael Buble. I think we’ll be hearing more from this in the coming weeks. And a few more of these…
Q: What do you call a cat on the beach at Christmas time?
A: Sandy Claus!

Q: What nationality is Santa Claus?
A: North Polish.

Q: What do you call a bunch of grandmasters of chess bragging about their games in a hotel lobby?
A: Chess nuts boasting in an open foyer!