Special post: State chart-only number 1 singles July-December 1989

Here is the third and final instalment of a series of special posts taking a look at singles that topped one or more of the ARIA state charts, but not the national chart, between June 1988 (when ARIA began producing the chart in-house) and December 1989 (before this information was available via subscription to The ARIA Report).  This post takes a look at singles that topped the state charts only, between July 1989 and December 1989.  You can read Part 1, covering June 1988-December 1988, and Part 2, covering January 1989-June 1989, on the hyperlinks embedded here.

 

Jive Bunny was what Western Australians liked in late 1989.

 

State chart-only number one singles - July 1989 to December 1989:

1. "Telephone Booth" by Ian Moss

State(s) that it went to number one in: South Australia/Northern Territory

Known dates it was number one: 7 August 1989

National chart peak: number 7

National chart debut: 19 June 1989

National chart run: 40-20-17-19-22-17-14-12-7-11-17-21-34-51-58-71-98-108

 

We saw 'Mossy' in part 2 of this series of posts, with "Tucker's Daughter", which also topped the South Australia/Northern Territory state chart.  I liked this one more than "Tucker's Daughter" at the time, but now I'd say they're neck and neck.  One thing probably few people would have predicted at the time, though, was that this would be Ian's final top 10 solo single in Australia, after kicking off his solo career with back-to-back top 10 hits and a number one album Matchbook (number 1 for three weeks in August 1989), which actually debuted at number 148 on the national albums chart before climbing to the top spot the following week.

 

Another interesting statistic about "Telephone Booth" is that it peaked outside the top 10 on the two most-populous state charts (NSW/ACT and VIC/TAS), but still went top 10 nationally on the strength of its sales in QLD, SA/NT and WA.

 

 

2. "Right Back Where We Started From" by Sinitta

State(s) that it went to number one in: Victoria/Tasmania

Known dates it was number one: 21 August 1989

National chart peak: number 7

National chart debut: 10 July 1989

National chart run: 130-48-35-24-15-13-10-7-9-7-7-11-13-15-24-34-50-46-52-93-94

 

Despite being thought of as a Stock Aitken Waterman-produced artist, none of Sinitta's singles produced by them peaked higher than number 49 in Australia, that being "Toy Boy" (number 49, December 1987). Instead, her two biggest hits in Australia, "So Macho" (number 14, October 1986) and "Right Back Where We Started From" (number 7 for three non-consecutive weeks in August-September 1989) were produced by others.  Although this one was produced by Pete Hammond, who was part of the Stock Aitken Waterman 'Hit Factory' team.  Almost conversely to "Telephone Booth" above, "Right Back..." peaked within the top 5 in the three most-populous states, and in the teens in SA/NT and WA.

 

3. "Baby I Don't Care" by Transvision Vamp

State(s) that it went to number one in: Western Australia

Known dates it was number one: 21 August 1989

National chart peak: number 3

National chart debut: 29 May 1989

National chart run: 137-54-40-29-24-13-14-8-10-6-5-5-3-4-7-9-17-20-24-42-43-50-68-74-98-98

 

Despite liking Transvision Vamp, and this one being their biggest hit in Australia, "Baby I Don't Care" would not rank among my favourite songs of theirs, though I do like it.  Released in Australia a mere three weeks after the final single from their debut album, "Sister Moon" (number 95, June 1989), "Baby I Don't Care" led the band's second album Velveteen (number 2, July 1989), ripping off the chord structure of The Troggs' "Wild Thing" (number 1 for two weeks in 1966).  Roxette had also recently used the same chord structure with "Dressed for Success" (number 3 for four weeks in September 1989).  It seemed like Transvision Vamp were going to be huge and stick around for some time when this was out - or so I thought - but that was not to be, with the band achieving only one further top 20 single in Australia after this point, before splitting in 1992.

 

 

4. "All I Want Is You" by U2

State(s) that it went to number one in: Victoria/Tasmania and Queensland

Known dates it was number one: 28 August 1989 (VIC/TAS); 9 October 1989 (QLD)

National chart peak: number 2

National chart debut: 21 August 1989

National chart run: 17-12-11-6-2-2-2-4-6-9-9-11-17-22-30-35-48-59-(2 week Xmas break)-47-70-89-78

 

"All I Want Is You" was issued as the fourth and final single from U2's hybrid/live studio album Rattle and Hum (number 1 for five weeks in October-November 1988).  While lead single "Desire" (number 1 for three weeks in October 1988) topped the chart, the second and third singles stalled in the low teens/20s.  The success of "All I Want Is You" was probably helped by the striking video, and also the new B-side, "Everlasting Love", which received so much airplay in Melbourne that I assumed it was their 'new' single.  "All I Want Is You" peaked at number two on the state charts it was not number one on (NSW/ACT, SA/NT, WA).

 

 

5. "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)" by New Kids on the Block

State(s) that it went to number one in: Western Australia

Known dates it was number one: 4 September 1989

National chart peak: number 4

National chart debut: 31 July 1989

National chart run: 131-23-19-7-8-4-5-4-6-12-12-12-22-19-25-27-31-40-43-51-57-(2 week Xmas break)-61-68-83-82-87

 

American boy band New Kids on the Block burst onto the Australian chart earlier in 1989 with the second single from their second album Hangin' Tough (number 7 for four non-consecutive weeks in November 1989 and December 1989-January 1990), "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" (number 1 for three weeks in August 1989).  They almost seemed 'cool' or slightly 'street' to me with that release - that image would be shattered permanently with the incredibly sappy "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)".  Sounding more like a follow-up to Glenn Medeiros' "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You" (number 10, February 1988), "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)" was schmaltz in the extreme.

 

It was around this point I realised that I didn't actually like New Kids on the Block.  They would redeem themselves somewhat with the lead single from their next album, "Step by Step" (number 8 for two weeks in June 1990), but the damage had been done.  Any 'cool' factor the group had was further diminished by their hyper-commercialism, with bubblegum cards and an animated TV series - a model that Spice Girls would look to for inspiration later in the 90s.

 

 

6. "I Don't Want a Lover" by Texas

State(s) that it went to number one in: Western Australia

Known dates it was number one: 11 September 1989

National chart peak: number 4

National chart debut: 5 June 1989

National chart run: 121-104-86-58-61-42-38-28-17-14-6-9-5-8-4-8-13-14-24-23-27-32-36-45-54-54-65-83-95-(2 week Xmas break)

 

'Texas' is not the name you expect of a band hailing from Glasgow, Scotland.  My dad, who was born in Scotland, was quite the fan of this one, and I'm pretty sure got the Southside (number 14, November 1989) album it's taken from.  Interestingly, "I Don't Want a Lover" peaked at number 5 or lower on the non-Western Australia state charts, but peaked at number 4 nationally.  Texas wouldn't land another decent-sized hit single in Australia for nearly another eight years, with "Say What You Want" (number 11 for two weeks in June 1997), which sounds quite different to "I Don't Want a Lover"... so much so that I was not certain it was the same 'Texas' when I first heard it!

 

 

 

7. "That's What I Like" by Jive Bunny and The Mastermixers

State(s) that it went to number one in: Western Australia

Known dates it was number one: 27 November 1989

National chart peak: number 4

National chart debut: 20 November 1989

National chart run: 62-4-4-4-5-(2 week Xmas break)-7-12-23-33-44-93-92

 

Jive Bunny and The Mastermixers were father and son duo John and Andrew Pickles, fronted by a... cartoon bunny named Jive.  A novelty phenomenon you kind of had to be there at the time to understand.  Their medleys of 'golden oldies', mainly from the 1950s and 1960s - some tracks were re-recorded with the original vocalists, or with soundalikes - were briefly popular in Australia towards the end of 1989.  Their debut single "Swing the Mood" (number 1 for three weeks in October 1989) topped the Australian chart, as did their album The Album (number 1 for four weeks in December 1989-January 1990).  "That's What I Like", their second release, wasn't quite as popular, but a top 5 hit nonetheless.  It would be their last top 50 single in Australia.

 

One interesting piece of trivia about this single's chart run is that it debuted at number 101 on the Western Australia state chart, before climbing to number 1 the following week!  Also, while researching this post, I found an article where the DJ behind Jive Bunny's first hit, "Swing the Mood", who was also involved with several of their later releases, claims he has only ever made £100 from their hits!

 

I lost my first music videos YouTube channel in 2009 after receiving three unexpired (I don't they ever expired back then) copyright strikes, the third of which was from Music Factory, the record label Jive Bunny's releases were on, for uploading one of their videos!  I thought that was a bit rich, coming from an act whose entire body of work was based on sampling other people's songs.

 

 

8. "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel

State(s) that it went to number one in: Queensland and Western Australia

Known dates it was number one: 4 December 1989 (QLD and WA)

National chart peak: number 2

National chart debut: 23 October 1989

National chart run: 20-10-5-3-3-2-2-2-2-(2 week Xmas break)-4-6-11-15-25-32-42-44-57-67-86-100

 

"We Didn't Start the Fire" was Billy Joel's first Australian single release since January 1988, preceding his Storm Front (number 1 for two weeks in November 1989) album.  Similar to Ian Moss's Matchbook above, the Storm Front album debuted at number 136 in Australia, before climbing to number 2 the following week.  I was not a fan of this one at all at the time, though I don't mind it now.  It was a weird period, looking back, where artists your parents liked could score major hit singles.  I can't see that happening now.

 

 

You can read part 1 and part 2 of this series of posts on the hyperlinks embedded here.

Week commencing 29 March 1993

Before taking a look at this week in 1993's new entries peaking outside the Australian top 100 singles chart, I have made two special posts looking at singles that topped at least one of the state charts, but not the national chart, between June 1988 and December 1988, and January 1989 and June 1989.  State chart information covering the period where ARIA commenced producing the chart in-house (6 June 1988) through to the last chart survey of 1989 has not previously been published.  Stay tuned for a third instalment in the series, covering July 1989 to December 1989.

RuPaul: this didn’t exactly ‘work’ on the Australian charts.

Top 150 debuts:

Number 106 “The Nameless One” by Wendy James

Peak: number 106

Peak date: 29 March 1993

Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 106-118-(out for 1 week)-125

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

London-born Wendy James fronted the band Transvision Vamp, whom we saw in 1990, from their inception in 1986 through to their demise in 1991.  During that time, the band notched up nine top 100 singles in Australia, with "Baby I Don't Care" (number 3, August 1989) being the biggest of those.

 

Following Transvision Vamp's split, Wendy wrote to Elvis Costello for advice on what to do next.  Elvis responded by writing an album's worth of material for her, with his then wife Cate O'Riordan co-authoring five of the ten songs.  "The Nameless One" was the lead single from Wendy's debut solo album Now Ain’t the Time for Your Tears (number 132, May 1993).

 

Internationally, "The Nameless One" peaked at number 34 in the UK in February 1993.  In Australia, the single was most popular in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 79.

 

Despite being a fan of Transvision Vamp's, Wendy's solo material has never interested me that much, and I hadn't actually heard "The Nameless One" until listening to it while writing this post.  The track is decent, but lacks the hooks/instant catchiness and fun of Transvision Vamp at their best.

 

We shall see solo Wendy once more, in July 1993.

Number 115 “Broken English” by Sunscreem

Peak: number 101

Peak date: 3 May 1993

Weeks in top 150: 9 weeks

Chart run: 211-115-105-104-104-107-101-116-139-134

Weeks on chart: 10 weeks

English band Sunscreem last graced our presence in January 1993.  "Broken English", the fifth single from their debut album O₃ (number 73, March 1993), was a cover version of a song originally performed by the recently-departed Marianne Faithfull that peaked at number 75 in Australia in August 1980.

 

Internationally, Sunscreem's version of "Broken English" peaked at number 13 in the UK in January 1993, becoming their highest-charting single there.

 

Locally, "Broken English" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 84 on the state chart.  "Broken English" peaked within the top 100 on all five of the state charts.

 

I first heard this one on the radio show UK Chart Attack, back in January 1993, in what must have been one of the last episodes of it to air in Melbourne.  I like the song, but it's not my favourite one from Sunscreem.

 

Sunscreem would release a (sort of) sixth single from O₃, "Pressure Us" (number 64, July 1993), which was a remixed and slightly re-titled version of their first Australian chart entry.

 

We will see Sunscreem on one more occasion, in 1995.

Number 126 “Losin’ Myself” by Debbie Gibson

Peak: number 126

Peak date: 29 March 1993

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks 

Known chart run: 166-126-129-142-144

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

Deborah Ann Gibson, better known as Debbie Gibson for most of her career, burst onto the Australian chart in 1988 with her second single “Shake Your Love” (number 27, May 1988).  She became the then-youngest artist to write, perform and produce a US Billboard Hot 100 number one with her fourth single, "Foolish Beat" (number 60, August 1988), which topped the US chart for one week in June 1988, when Debbie was just over two months off turning 18.

 

Although Debbie didn't quite match her US-level of chart success in Australia, she nonetheless placed eight singles within the ARIA top 100 between 1988 and early 1991, with "Anything Is Possible" (number 60, January 1991) being the last of those.  Unfortunately for Debbie, five of her eight Australian top 100 singles peaked between numbers 57 and 68; she was indeed the queen of the Breakers section (which listed the five highest-charting singles moving up the chart outside of the top 50) of the ARIA printed top 50 charts!

 

Debbie's biggest hit in Australia was the sappy "Lost in Your Eyes" (number 7, May 1989), although I would guess she is better-remembered for its follow up, "Electric Youth" (number 21, July 1989), the title track of her second album Electric Youth (number 10, August 1989).

 

Teen pop stardom doesn't always translate into career longevity, and sadly for Debbie, in spite of her musical talent, she struggled with commercial success once her 20s clocked over.  "Losin' Myself" was the lead single from Debbie's fourth studio album Body Mind Soul (number 180, March 1993).  For this project, Debbie tried to take on a more 'mature', 'sexy' image.  It didn't quite work.

 

Internationally, "Losin' Myself" peaked at number 86 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in February 1993, and number 73 in Canada in February 1993.  The song also registered on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, reaching number 49 in February 1993, and number 46 on the Dance Singles Sales chart in March 1993.

 

In Australia, "Losin' Myself" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 109 on the state chart.

 

I hadn't heard "Losin' Myself" before.  It's OK, but lacks the pop charm of her earlier releases.

 

We shall see Debbie once more, in July 1993.

Number 133 “What You Won’t Do for Love” by Go West

Peak: number 122

Peak date: 5 April 1993

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Chart run: 133-122-127-131-131

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

English duo Go West formed in London in 1982, with Peter Cox on vocals and Richard Drummie on rhythm guitar and backing vocals.  Between 1985 and 1992, the pair placed seven singles on the Australian top 100, with "We Close Our Eyes" (number 8, June 1985) and “King of Wishful Thinking” (number 6, October 1990) - the latter from the Pretty Woman (number 1 for four weeks in July 1990) soundtrack - hitting the top ten, and "Call Me" (number 12, August 1985) coming close.

 

"What You Won't Do for Love" was the second single lifted from the third Go West studio album Indian Summer (number 112, March 1993), more than five years since their second album.  It followed "Faithful" (number 42, February 1993).  "What You Won't Do for Love" is a cover of the Bobby Caldwell single from 1978, which did not chart in Australia, but peaked at number 9 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

 

Internationally, Go West's version of "What You Won't Do for Love" peaked at number 15 in the UK in January 1993, number 55 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in April 1993, number 52 in Germany in April 1993, and number 12 in Canada in May 1993.

 

Domestically, "What You Won't Do for Love" was equally most popular in Queensland and South Australia/Northern Territory, reaching number 111 on both state charts.

 

This is another track that I first heard on one of the final UK Chart Attack episodes to air in Victoria.  You can view a second video filmed for the song, for the US market, here.

 

A third single from Indian Summer, "Still in Love", was released in the UK, but not in Australia, in March 1993.

 

We'll see Go West on one more occasion, in November 1993.

Number 140 “Supermodel (You Better Work)” by RuPaul

Peak: number 115

Peak date: 10 May 1993

Weeks in top 150: 11 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 140-144-145-139-124-116-115-125-119-133-131

Weeks on chart: 23 weeks

RuPaul (his actual real name) Andre Charles was born in San Diego, California.  The concept of the 'supermodel' seemed to be new (at least to me) in the early 1990s, perhaps best illustrated by George Michael's music videos for "Freedom!" (number 18, February 1991), and later "Too Funky" (number 3, August 1992).  It seems (again, at least to me) that RuPaul was trying to capture some of this attention by becoming the first drag 'supermodel'.  "Supermodel (You Better Work)" was his (I'm not sure whether that's the right pronoun for him in drag, though Wikipedia tells me he doesn't mind being called 'he' or 'she') first single, from his debut album Supermodel of the World (number 150, August 1993).

 

Even though the song wasn't a big commercial success, I do remember seeing RuPaul on TV around this time and being spoken about.  Of course, he is now better known for his RuPaul's Drag Race reality TV series than his recording career.  Prior to coming to fame, RuPaul appeared in the music video for The B-52's "Love Shack" (number 1 for eight weeks in December 1989-February 1990).

 

Internationally, "Supermodel (You Better Work)" peaked at number 45 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in April 1993, number 100 in Germany in April 1993, number 16 in Austria in June 1993, number 39 in the UK in June 1993, and number 38 in the Netherlands in August 1993.  The song also peaked at number 2 on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in February 1993, and number 55 on the Radio Songs chart in March 1993.

 

In Australia, "Supermodel..." 'worked' best in Western Australia, where it reached number 73 on the state chart.

 

"Supermodel (You Better Work)" makes extensive use of RuPaul's catchphrase "sashay shantay", which he uses in RuPaul's Drag Race.  "Shantay... you stay" if you're still in the competition, and "sashay away" if you aren’t.

 

We'll next see RuPaul in December 1993.  Before then, he landed his first ARIA top 100 single with "Back to My Roots" (number 90, August 1993).

Number 146 “Trapped Inside Your Heart” by Kings of the Sun

Peak: number 131

Peak date: 3 May 1993

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 146-(out for 1 week)-144-142-149-131

Australian band Kings of the Sun formed in Sydney in 1986.  Their debut single "Bottom of My Heart" (number 47, December 1986) crept into the national top 50.  It would be almost two more years until its follow-up, "Serpentine" (number 48, September 1988), and the release of their debut album Kings of the Sun (number 88, January 1989), which gave them a third charting single "Black Leather" (number 53, January 1989).  They returned in 1990 with their second album Full Frontal Attack (number 93, September 1990), and their final ARIA top 100 single "Drop the Gun" (number 82, August 1990).

 

"Trapped Inside Your Heart" was the lead single from the third Kings of the Sun album Resurrection, which was released in Australia in April 1993 but missed the top 150.  Another single from the album, "Road to Nowhere", was released in June 1993 but also missed the top 150.

Number 150 “How Can I Love You More” (Mixes) by M People

Peak: number 138

Peak date: 12 April 1993

Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 150-(out for 1 week)-138-(out for 2 weeks)-147

Weeks on chart: 12 weeks (including 1992 release)

We last saw English band M People in 1992.

 

"How Can I Love You More" (no question mark) was issued as the band's debut single in the UK in late 1991, where it peaked at number 29 in November that year.  The single received an Australian release on 3 February 1992, and debuted at number 174 the following week.  Unfortunately, owing to how the ARIA database is set up, I am unable to determine whether number 174 was the peak for the original release (which missed the top 150), or whether it climbed higher than its entry position, outside the top 150.  The 1991 release of the track used a different mix than the 1993 version embedded below, and you can hear/see it here.  The Official Heather Small (M People's vocalist) YouTube channel stole my 480p upload of this video, which was blocked on my channel but not theirs, and replaced it with their inferior 360p copy.  Yes, I am still bitter about it...

 

The 1993 remix of "How Can I Love You More" was the third (counting both releases of the track) and final single released in Australia from M People's debut album Northern Soul (number 150, April 1993).  In the band's native UK, it was the fifth single from the album.  We missed both "Someday" and "Excited".  I think both could have been hits here with some promotion had they been released.

 

Internationally, the 1993 version of "How Can I Love You More" peaked at number 8 in the UK in February 1993, and number 10 in Ireland during the same month.

 

In Australia, the 1993 release of "How Can I Love You More" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 104 on the state chart.

 

I first heard this one in early 1994 after picking up a copy of the UK 2-CD compilation The Greatest Hits of 1993.  I like it, but prefer the original 1991 mix.

 

M People would, of course, eventually break through commercially in Australia later in 1993 with "Movin' on Up" (number 4, January 1994).  Before then, "One Night in Heaven" (number 23, March 1994) was issued as the lead single from their second album Elegantly Slumming (number 7, February 1994), and debuted outside the ARIA top 150 at number 192 on 19 July 1993.  As with "How Can I Love You More", because "One Night in Heaven" missed the top 150 upon its initial release, I am unable to determine what its original peak was.

 

We'll next see M People in 1995.

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 206 “Sinking Like a Sunset” by Tom Cochrane

Peak: number 206

Peak date: 29 March 1993

Weeks on chart: 1 week

We last saw Canadian soft rocker Tom Cochrane in February 1993.

 

"Sinking Like a Sunset" was issued as the fourth and final single in Australia from his second solo album Mad Mad World (number 46, October 1992).  In Canada, it was the third release from the album.

 

Internationally, "Sinking Like a Sunset" peaked at number 2 in Canada for two weeks, in May-June 1992.

 

"Sinking Like a Sunset"... sank like a sunset on the Australian chart, in contrast, but performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 183 on the state chart.

 

I hadn't heard this one before.  I probably like it more than the other two non-"Life Is a Highway" (number 2, September 1992) singles I've heard by Tom.

 

Tom will next join us in 1995.

Number 208 “Keep a Dream in Your Pocket” by Judith Durham/The Seekers

Peak: number 178

Peak date: 26 April 1993

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

We last saw Australian band The Seekers in 1989.  This time, original lead singer Judith Durham was part of the group, for the first time since 1968.  Accordingly, she received a billing on the artist credit.

 

"Keep a Dream in Your Pocket" was recorded/released to promote the band's The Silver Jubilee Album (number 3, May 1993) compilation album.  On the state charts, the single performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 149.

 

We'll next see Judith/The Seekers in 1997.

Number 209 “I’ve Got a Lot of Faith in You” by Stephen Cummings

Peak: number 171

Peak date: 19 April 1993

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

Aussie singer-songwriter and jingle writer Stephen Cummings last paid us a visit in 1992.

 

"I've Got a Lot of Faith in You" was released as the second single from Stephen's sixth studio album Unguided Tour (number 76, August 1992).

 

On the state charts, "I've Got a Lot of Faith in You" was most popular in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 153.

 

Stephen will join us again in June 1993.

Next week (5 April): Five top 150 entries and two bubbling WAY down under debuts.

< Previous week: 22 March 1993                    Next week: 5 April 1993 >

Special post: State chart-only number 1 singles January-June 1989

In the second instalment of this series of special posts, I will be taking a look at singles that reached number one on one or more of the five Australian state charts that were not national number ones.  In case you missed the first part, you can read it here.

 

The Proclaimers: (not quite) Twin peaks in Australia.

 

State chart-only number one singles - January 1989 to June 1989:

 

1. "Teardrops" by Womack & Womack

State(s) that it went to number one in: New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory and Victoria/Tasmania

Known dates it was number one: 6 February 1989 (NSW/ACT and VIC/TAS)

National chart peak: number 2

National chart debut: 7 November 1988

National chart run: 80-56-50-23-21-13-8-(2 week Xmas break)-7-3-3-2-2-2-2-4-4-6-9-11-14-19-34-36-48-48-70-72-106-117

 

American husband and wife duo Linda and Cecil Womack started out as a songwriters for other artists in the 1970s, before releasing their own recordings in 1983.  Despite landing a top 20 hit in the UK with "Love Wars" in 1984, "Teardrops", the lead single from their fourth album Conscience (number 11, February 1989), was their first Australian release.  Oddly, "Love Wars" was released in New Zealand, though!  "Teardrops" was a national number one on the Australian Music Report singles chart, and often seems to be referred to as a number one hit, but it only peaked at number 2 on the national ARIA chart.  At the time, I was convinced that Linda was a man with a high-pitched voice, based on her appearance in the "Teardrops" video, and even had an argument about whether she was a man or a woman with my sister.

 

One interesting fact is that "Teardrops" was number one in the two most-populous states of Australia, Victoria (and Tasmania) and New South Wales (and Australian Capital Territory) during the same week.  Yet, this wasn't enough to dislodge The Beach Boys' "Kokomo" from the number one position, even though another single, The Proclaimers' "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)", was number one that week in the third most-populous state, Queensland.  The competition must have been tight that week.

 

Another interesting fact is that the blonde woman singing back-up in the video went on to lip sync in the 1994 video for JX's "Son of a Gun" (number 6, August 1994).

 

 

2. "Tucker's Daughter" by Ian Moss

State(s) that it went to number one in: South Australia/Northern Territory

Known dates it was number one: 13 March 1989

National chart peak: number 2

National chart debut: 16 January 1989

National chart run: 94-37-9-8-5-5-2-2-2-4-4-6-6-7-15-17-28-25-35-41-68-66-84-77-72-84-92

 

Former Cold Chisel guitarist/sometime lead singer Ian Moss launched his solo career with this song, which was an Australian Music Report singles chart number one, but only reached number 2 nationally on the ARIA chart.  I didn't like this one at all at the time, but have since grown to not mind it.

 

 

3. "I'm on My Way" by The Proclaimers

State(s) that it went to number one in: South Australia/Northern Territory and Western Australia

Known dates it was number one: 24 April 1989 (SA/NT); 17 April 1989 (WA)

National chart peak: number 3

National chart debut: 6 March 1989

National chart run: 36-16-8-6-5-3-4-4-4-7-13-16-30-42-61-75-85-79

 

In Australia, "I'm on My Way" was the follow-up to Scottish twins The Proclaimers' massive number one hit, "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)".  In the UK, however, it was the third single released from their second album Sunshine on Leith (number 2, April 1989).  "I'm on My Way" saved the twin brothers from one-hit wonder status in Australia; nothing else they released troubled the top 50.  With a Scottish-born father (who spoke with an Australian accent) and a Scottish grandmother and great uncle who retained their Scottish accents, The Proclaimers' brogue was somewhat endearing to me.  Stupidly, the music video for "I'm on My Way" appears to be blocked on YouTube, so I've had to resort to uploading my own copy of it below:

 

4. "Stop!" by Sam Brown

State(s) that it went to number one in: South Australia/Northern Territory and Western Australia

Known dates it was number one: 15 May 1989 (SA/NT); 1 May 1989 (WA)

National chart peak: number 4

National chart debut: 7 November 1988

National chart run: 72-94

Re-entered 30 January 1989: 89-83-57-39-37-28-21-17-10-10-8-6-5-5-4-4-7-10-18-25-24-42-45-47-59-61-70-55-75-101-95

 

Released in Australia in August 1988, Sam Brown's "Stop!" sure took its time to take off, peaking 8 and a half months later at number 4 nationally in May 1989.  It was a similar story in Sam's native UK, where "Stop!" originally peaked at number 58 in June 1988 before being re-issued and climbing to number 4 in February 1989, after topping the Flemish chart in Belgium in September 1988.  "Stop!" topped two of the ARIA state charts during a turbulent time at the top of the national chart, where there was a different number one every week for 9 consecutive weeks (some were previous number ones returning to the top spot).

 

 

5. "Bedroom Eyes" by Kate Ceberano

State(s) that it went to number one in: New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, Queensland and Western Australia

Known dates it was number one: 29 May 1989 (NSW/ACT and WA); 12 June 1989 (QLD)

National chart peak: number 2

National chart debut: 24 April 1989

National chart run: 120-56-25-16-11-2-3-3-2-2-2-2-2-4-5-7-8-13-13-20-24-32-44-44-62-80-83-111-99

 

Formerly the lead singer on most of I'm Talking's singles, Kate Ceberano branched out on her own after the band's demise, launching her pop solo career (she had some earlier jazz releases) with "Bedroom Eyes".  As a 10 year-old when this came out, I didn't quite understand what 'bedroom' eyes were.  I wasn't a fan of this one at the time, but it has since grown on me.  Kate would later score a South Australia/Northern Territory state number one in 1992 with "See Right Through", which only peaked at number 33 nationally, in what would have to be one of the largest discrepancies between state and national chart positions (it was number 60 nationally that week).

 

 

6. "Stuck on You" by Paul Norton 

State(s) that it went to number one in: South Australia/Northern Territory

Known dates it was number one: 29 May 1989

National chart peak: number 3

National chart debut: 20 February 1989

National chart run: 159-(unknown)-140-120-93-61-49-20-13-11-8-6-3-4-6-5-11-15-15-27-32-40-52-54-62-92-102

 

"Stuck on You" was Australian singer-songwriter Paul Norton's debut single, although you wouldn't know that from the lyrics, where he mentions making a record that sold 54 (copies, presumably).  "Stuck on You" sold considerably more than that.  It would be his only major hit, although he had two other later singles that peaked in the 30's.

 

7. "Hand on Your Heart" by Kylie Minogue

State(s) that it went to number one in: South Australia/Northern Territory

Known dates it was number one: 5 June 1989

National chart peak: number 4

National chart debut: 29 May 1989

National chart run: 4-4-4-5-6-7-7-17-21-34-46-49-84-101-87-148

 

At the time, a brand new single from Kylie "only" peaking at number 4 in Australia seemed like a bit of a flop for her, given that three of her previous five singles had peaked at number 1, and another at number 2.  But, this one did manage to top the South Australia/Northern Territory state chart, which is something.  Interestingly, "Hand on Your Heart" peaked at number 2 in Victoria/Tasmania, Queensland and Western Australia, and number 3 in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory - bettering its national peak in all states.  But, as I mentioned earlier, competition at the top of the Australian singles chart was intense during this period.

 

 

Part three of this post will cover the state chart-only number one singles for the second half of 1989.  Stay tuned!

 

< Part one: State chart-only number 1 singles June-December 1988

Part three: State chart-only number 1 singles July-December 1989 >

Special post: State chart-only number 1 singles June-December 1988

It has been quite a while since I've made a post outside of the weekly top 150 recaps.  Writing this one has been on my mental 'to do' list for quite a while.  Although this blog normally deals with flops that missed the ARIA top 100, for a change, in this post I will write about singles that went to number one on at least one of the five state charts, but did not top the national chart.

 

Avid collectors of the printed ARIA top 50 charts that used to be available freely in record stores may recall that ARIA started including the state top 10 charts on those on the chart dated week ending 29 April 1990 (which reflects the chart survey conducted 23 April 1990).  Here's a refresher (hopefully it will be at a readable size font if you right click View Image, or open it in a new tab):

 

Then, in December 1991, ARIA switched to posting the state top 50 singles and albums chart on the reverse of the national chart, with each state having their own state chart printed on the back.  I do wonder what happened at/near border towns...  Here's an example I collected at the time, showing the Victoria/Tasmania state chart on the reverse.  I have split the image into two halves so that it (hopefully) displays more clearly below:

 

 

Then, of course the printed top 50 chart underwent a re-design in August 1992.  Here's one with a Queensland state chart, provided by the late Craig MacGregor:

 

 

Top 50 state chart information was also provided in a table within The ARIA Report, with an example below:

 

ARIA state chart data from June 1988 (when ARIA commenced producing the chart in-house) to December 1989 inclusive has never been publicly available.  While I don't have a complete set of state charts, I am reasonably confident that I now have all of the state chart number 1 singles spanning this period.

 

 

State chart-only number one singles - June 1988 to December 1988:

 

1. "Blue Monday 1988" by New Order

State(s) that it went to number one in: Victoria/Tasmania

Known dates it was number one: 6 June 1988

National chart peak: number 3 

National chart debut: 29 May 1988

National chart run: 31-3-4-5-7-7-13-14-14-16-20-28-35-37-54-53-72-75-96

 

Topping the very first Victoria/Tasmania state chart produced by ARIA is New Order's "Blue Monday 1988".  During the same week, it climbed from number 31 to number 3 nationally.  While the English band never scored a national number one single in Australia, "Bizarre Love Triangle" (number 5, March 1987) also topped the Kent Music Report state chart for four weeks in Victoria in 1987.  Excellent taste, Victorians and Tasmanians!

 

 

2. "Underneath the Radar" by Underworld

State(s) that it went to number one in: Western Australia

Known dates it was number one: 6 June 1988

National chart peak: number 5

National chart debut: 11 April 1988

National chart run: 82-68-52-49-40-36-28-26-13-5-16-9-10-7-12-11-10-7-10-10-16-23-28-35-36-44-45-46-46-55-56-60-70-75-90

 

British band Underworld landed a state chart number one in Western Australia on the first chart survey ARIA conducted.  Surprisingly, this one was only really a hit in Australia, where it reached number 5 nationally, and in New Zealand, where it reached number 14.  "Underneath the Radar" crept into the lower region of the US Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 74 in May 1988.  Astonishingly, the single did not even register on the UK top 200, which is quite a travesty!

 

3. "The Perfect Day" by Fischer-Z

State(s) that it went to number one in: Western Australia

Known dates it was number one: 13 June 1988

National chart peak: number 12

National chart debut: 2 May 1988

National chart run: 95-90-87-68-60-55-22-82-47-45-37-31-21-18-12-13-16-17-14-21-20-26-33-34-33-57-58-57-96

 

Like Underworld above, English band Fischer-Z were two-hit wonders in Australia, (almost) eight years apart, with "So Long" (number 15, December 1980) and this one.  Also like Underworld, the line-up of the band had completely changed in between the two Australian hits, with the lead singer being the only constant.  Narrowly missing the top 10 nationally, Western Australia had the good sense to make this a number one hit.  The single had a rather yo yo-like chart run for a period, climbing from 55 to 22 on the second ARIA-produced chart (the week it was number one in Western Australia), before dropping back down to 82 then climbing back up the chart slowly again.  I wonder what was going on there.

 

4. "Better Be Home Soon" by Crowded House

State(s) that it went to number one in: Queensland and Western Australia

Known dates it was number one: 4 July 1988 (WA); 11 July 1988 (QLD)

National chart peak: number 2

National chart debut: 13 June 1988

National chart run: 36-3-3-2-2-3-2-2-4-5-6-6-10-17-18-23-37-43-52-62-61-71-84-96-95

 

Probably thought of as a number one hit by most people, "Better Be Home Soon" surprisingly only peaked at number 2.  Having said that, I was not a fan of the song at the time, but have since grown to like it over the years.

 

 

5. "Doctorin' the Tardis" by The Timelords

State(s) that it went to number one in: Victoria/Tasmania and Queensland

Known dates it was number one: 29 August 1988 (VIC/TAS); 19 September 1988 (QLD)

National chart peak: number 2

National chart debut: 1 August 1988

National chart run: 57-8-4-3-3-3-3-2-3-3-7-12-13-25-35-51-52-53-78-83-94-(2 week Xmas break)-98

 

Another one many people probably assume was a number one hit is The Timelords' (an alias of The KLF) novelty hit, "Doctorin' the Tardis".  It seemed there were more Doctor Who fans in Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland than the rest of the country.

 

 

6. "Don't Be Cruel" by Cheap Trick

State(s) that it went to number one in: Victoria/Tasmania and Queensland

Known dates it was number one: 19 September 1988 (VIC/TAS); 12 September 1988 (QLD)

National chart peak: number 4

National chart debut: 27 June 1988

National chart run: 50-29-20-25-16-14-9-8-5-5-4-4-5-5-6-12-19-23-28-44-46-43-74-75-75-97-(2 week Xmas break)-96 

Deciding to follow-up a massive number one hit "The Flame" (number one on the first ARIA-produced national singles chart, no less) with a safe Elvis cover was a choice... but it paid off for Cheap Trick, giving them back-to-back top 5 success in Australia.

 

 

7. "All Fired Up" by Pat Benatar

State(s) that it went to number one in: Queensland and Western Australia

Known dates it was number one: 3 October 1988 (QLD); 26 September 1988 (WA)

National chart peak: number 2

National chart debut: 1 August 1988

National chart run: 70-41-20-15-7-5-5-4-2-2-5-7-9-11-14-19-20-33-50-66-(2 week Xmas break)-71-75-83-95-101

 

American singer Pat Benatar landed a number one hit in Australia in early 1984 with the brilliant "Love Is a Battlefield".  While she never replicated that feat, she came close with "All Fired Up"; another song I wasn't particularly fond of at the time, but has since grown on me.  A little known fact about this track is that it's a cover version of a 1987 single from Australian country band Rattling Sabers, which peaked at number 94 in Australia in November 1987.

 

 

8. "The Only Way Is Up" by Yazz and The Plastic Population

State(s) that it went to number one in: New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory

Known dates it was number one: 17 October 1988 (NSW/ACT)

National chart peak: number 2

National chart debut: 19 September 1988

National chart run: 86-34-14-8-2-5-5-5-6-5-4-4-5-7-(2 week Xmas break)-6-9-8-13-17-21-22-36-46-48-60-65-79-83-84

 

English singer Yazz (born Yasmin Evans) was backed up by Coldcut, for whom she was a featured artist on "Doctorin' the House" (number 45, August 1988), using the pseudonym 'The Plastic Population', for this track, which is another cover of an obscure song, originally recorded by Otis Clay.  Yazz's version spent a respectable 16 weeks in the Australian top 10.  Sometimes incorrectly referred to as a one-hit wonder, Yazz had another top 30 hit in Australia, minus The Plastic Population, with "Stand Up for Your Love Rights" (number 22, December 1988), which I prefer slightly to this one, and, er, another three solo top 100 'hits'.

 

 

9. "A Groovy Kind of Love" by Phil Collins

State(s) that it went to number one in: all except South Australia/Northern Territory!

Known dates it was number one: 24 October 1988 (NSW/ACT); 31 October 1988 (VIC/TAS); 31 October 1988 (QLD); 24 October 1988 (WA)

National chart peak: number 2

National chart debut: 3 October 1988

National chart run: 31-10-5-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-3-5-(2 week Xmas break)-8-11-14-17-23-27-64-47-45-68-81-82

 

Spending a mammoth seven consecutive weeks at number 2, Phil Collins' "A Groovy Kind of Love", recorded for the soundtrack of the film Buster (which Phil also starred in), somehow managed to top four of the five state charts, but not the national chart.  In the odd state chart-out, South Australia/Northern Territory, "A Groovy Kind of Love" only managed to reach number 5.

 

 

10. "When a Man Loves a Woman" by Jimmy Barnes

State(s) that it went to number one in: South Australia/Northern Territory

Known dates it was number one: 14 November 1988

National chart peak: number 3

National chart debut: 31 October 1988

National chart run: 24-6-4-3-3-3-6-11-(2 week Xmas break)-14-20-27-39-61-63-71-77-109-97

 

I've never been a big fan of Scottish-Australian pub rock legend Jimmy Barnes' screaming vocals, and they're cranked up to 11 on this live rendition of the Percy Sledge song, which South Australia/Northern Territory obviously loved.  The song could alternatively be titled "How to Destroy Your Vocal Cords Permanently in One Easy Lesson".

 

 

11. "Nothing Can Divide Us" by Jason Donovan

State(s) that it went to number one in: South Australia/Northern Territory

Known dates it was number one: 21 November 1988

National chart peak: number 3

National chart debut: 24 October 1988

National chart run: 4-4-4-3-4-6-8-7-10-(2 week Xmas break)-16-15-24-29-29-47-52-73-82-92-82

 

Rejected by Rick Astley, "Nothing Can Divide Us" was recycled by Hit Factory maestros Stock Aitken Waterman to give 'our' Jason his first hit.  It's a bit of a stretch to think that Jason, who could barely hold a note at this point, could manage a song written with Rick Astley in mind, but here it is.  Jason's voice sounds a bit like it came out of a computer, but this was the pre-Auto-Tune era, and the studio wizardry wasn't quite as good.  Having said that, I do like this.

 

For years, I thought this was a legitimate national ARIA chart number one, as it was number one for a week on the chart used (based on what, I don't know) by Take 40 Australia prior to 1989.  They did switch to using the ARIA chart in January 1989.

 

 

12. "If I Could" by 1927

State(s) that it went to number one in: Victoria/Tasmania

Known dates it was number one: 28 November 1988

National chart peak: number 4

National chart debut: 7 November 1988

National chart run: 64-29-9-5-5-4-4-(2 week Xmas break)-4-5-5-6-11-7-10-10-14-16-17-22-25-31-45-38-42-56-65-77-86-97

 

Aussie band 1927's second single seems like it was a national number one; and it indeed was... on the bogus chart used by Take 40 Australia in 1988.  So, yes, it's another one that I thought was a legitimate number one for years.  FM radio in Melbourne certainly loved this one, and it's quite good, if not a little on the sappy side, lyrically.

 

 

13. "Bring Me Some Water" by Melissa Etheridge

State(s) that it went to number one in: South Australia/Northern Territory

Known dates it was number one: 28 November 1988

National chart peak: number 9

National chart debut: 24 October 1988

National chart run: 55-29-24-11-10-10-9-10-13-(2 week Xmas break)-13-14-12-20-19-24-34-33-38-52-53-62-79-74

 

Another one FM radio in Melbourne flogged to death is American singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge's "Bring Me Some Water".  So much so that I believed for many years that Melissa was an Australian!  Indeed, Australia seems to have given Melissa her first taste of real chart success.  Fox FM were playing this one for weeks before it hit the chart, and it's one of those songs I could never work out the title to, assuming it might be "Sweet Devil's Got My Soul."

 

 

14. "Especially for You" by Kylie Minogue & Jason Donovan

State(s) that it went to number one in: South Australia/Northern Territory

Known dates it was number one: 19 December 1988 (chart repeated 26 December 1988 and 2 January 1989)

National chart peak: number 2

National chart debut: 19 December 1988

National chart run: 2-(2 week Xmas break)-2-2-2-3-4-7-11-15-17-30-29-28-31-42-49-52-58-58-80-86-99

In retrospect, it seems quite shocking that a Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan duet, considering how big they were at the time, didn't go to number one in Australia.  It did, however, debut at number one on the South Australia/Northern Territory state chart, the only state chart it reached the top.  "Especially for You" was also number one for one week in January 1989 on the chart used by Take 40 Australia before they switched to using the ARIA chart the following week - so it's another one I assumed was a legitimate Australian number one single for years.  I'm sure you've heard/seen "Especially for You" umpteen times before, so here's a parody of the video that's worth checking out (or so I think), from two British comedians who decided to make use of their wig collection during COVID lockdowns by uploading videos to YouTube.

 

 

Part two of this post will cover the state chart-only number one singles for the first half of 1989.  Stay tuned!

 

                                      Part two: State chart-only number 1 singles January-June 1989 >