List of NME number-one singles of the 1980s explained

NME (or New Musical Express) is a British weekly pop music newspaper which now exists only online. NME was the first record chart in the United Kingdom based on sales having imitated an idea started in American Billboard magazine on 14 November 1952. From 1960, Record Retailer began compiling a chart and this is regarded by The Official Charts Company and Guinness' British Hit Singles & Albums as the canonical source for the British singles chart. Prior to 15 February 1969, when the British Market Research Bureau (BMRB) chart was established as part of a joint commission by Record Retailer and the BBC,^[1] there was no one universally accepted or official source and many periodicals compiled their own chart.^[2] ^[3] Nevertheless, in the 1960s, NME had the biggest circulation of charts in the decade and was most widely followed.^[4] ^[2] Although not regarded as the primary source for UK charts, NME continued to compile an independent chart until 11 June 1988 (Melody Maker ended its own independently compiled chart the preceding week on 4 June).^[5] It was the longest independently complied chart and, when it ceased, NME published the Market Research Information Bureau chart.^[6] From 19 February 1983 to 22 September 1984, the new NME chart was broadcast weekly on Capital Radio's Pick of the Pops Take Two, presented by Alan Freeman; this show also featured archive NME charts.

Notable differences when compared to the official chart run by BMRB and, later, Gallup are an additional two number-one singles in the decade for Rick Astley, David Bowie, Spandau Ballet and Phil Collins. Significantly, Tears for Fears' song "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" spent three weeks at the top of the NME chart although it never topped the Gallup chart. Additionally, as well as making number one on the NME chart and not the official chart, a-ha's "Take On Me" and Ultravox's "Vienna" were also in the top five best-selling singles of their year.^[7] Eighteen acts achieved a number-one single on the NME chart but never had an official number-one single^[8] although two of these had songs they had written reach number one when performed by another artist.^[9]

Number-one singles

‡
The song did not reach number one on the BMRB which later became the Gallup chart which is considered as the official chart after 15 February 1969.
[nb #]	The song spent a week at number one where it shared the top spot with another song.

scope=col		scope=col	Artist	scope=col	Single	scope=col	Reached number one	scope=col	Weeks at number one
scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	488	Pretenders	"Brass in Pocket"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	489	Madness	"My Girl" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	490				1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	491		"Coward of the County"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	492	Blondie	"Atomic"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	493		"Together We Are Beautiful"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	494		"Going Underground"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	495	Liquid Gold	"Dance Yourself Dizzy" ‡		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	496	Blondie	"Call Me"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	497	Dexy's Midnight Runners	"Geno"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	498		"What's Another Year"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	499	Hot Chocolate	"No Doubt About It" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	500		"Theme from MAS*H (Suicide is Painless)"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	501	Lipps Inc	"Funkytown" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	502		"Crying"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	503	and the Electric Light Orchestra	"Xanadu"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	504	Odyssey	"Use It Up and Wear It Out"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	505		"Upside Down" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	506	ABBA	""		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	507		"Ashes to Ashes"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	508		"Start!"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	509		"One Day I'll Fly Away" ‡		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	510		"Don't Stand So Close to Me"		4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	511		"Woman in Love"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	512	Blondie	""		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	513	ABBA	"Super Trouper"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	514		"Stop the Cavalry" ‡		2^[10]
scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	515		""		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	516		"Imagine"		4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	517		"In the Air Tonight" ‡		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	518	Ultravox	"Vienna" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	519		"Shaddap You Face"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	520	Roxy Music	"Jealous Guy"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	521		"This Ole House"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	522	Bucks Fizz	"Making Your Mind Up"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	523		"Chi Mai (Theme from The Life and Times of David Lloyd George)" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	524	Starsound	"Stars on 45" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	525		"Stand and Deliver"		4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	526		"Being with You"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	527		"One Day In Your Life"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	528		"Ghost Town"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	529	Spandau Ballet	"Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	530	Shakin' Stevens	"Green Door"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	531		"Happy Birthday" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Shakin' Stevens	"Green Door"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	532	Aneka	"Japanese Boy"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	533	Soft Cell	"Tainted Love"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	534		"Prince Charming"		5
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	535	and Barbara Gaskin	"It's My Party"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	536	Altered Images	"Happy Birthday" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	537		"Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	538	Queen and David Bowie	"Under Pressure"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	539		"Begin the Beguine (Volver A Empezar)"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	540		"Don't You Want Me"		2^[11]
scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	541	ABBA	"One of Us" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"			"Don't You Want Me"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	542	Bucks Fizz	""		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	543	Kraftwerk	"Computer Love" / "The Model"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	544		"Town Called Malice"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	545	Tight Fit	""		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	546	Goombay Dance Band	"Seven Tears"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	547	Bucks Fizz	"My Camera Never Lies"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	548		"Ebony and Ivory"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	549	Ph.D.	"I Won't Let You Down" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	550	Nicole	"A Little Peace"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	551		"Goody Two Shoes"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	552	Madness	"House of Fun"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"			"Goody Two Shoes"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	553	Charlene	"I've Never Been to Me"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	554	Captain Sensible	"Happy Talk"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	555		"Abracadabra" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	556		"Fame"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	557		"Come On Eileen"		4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	558	Survivor	"Eye of the Tiger"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	559	Dire Straits	"Private Investigations" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	560		"" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	561	Musical Youth	"Pass the Dutchie"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	562	Culture Club	"Do You Really Want to Hurt Me"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	563		"I Don't Wanna Dance"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	564		"Heartbreaker" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	565		"Mirror Man" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	566		"Beat Surrender"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	567	Culture Club	"Time (Clock of the Heart)" ‡		2^[12]
scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	568	Renée and Renato	"Save Your Love"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	569		"You Can't Hurry Love"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	570	Men at Work	"Down Under"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	571	Kajagoogoo	"Too Shy"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	572		"Billie Jean"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	573		"Total Eclipse of the Heart"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	574	Duran Duran	"Is There Something I Should Know?"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	575		"Let's Dance"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	576	Spandau Ballet	"True"		4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	577	New Edition	"Candy Girl"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	578		"Every Breath You Take"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	579		"China Girl" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"			"Every Breath You Take"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	580		"Baby Jane"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	581		"Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)"		5
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	582	KC and the Sunshine Band	"Give It Up"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	583	Spandau Ballet	"Gold" ‡		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	584	UB40	"Red Red Wine"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	585	Culture Club	"Karma Chameleon"		6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	586		"Uptown Girl"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	587		"Never Never" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	588		"Love of the Common People" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	589		"Only You"		5^[13]
scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	590		"Pipes of Peace"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	591	Frankie Goes to Hollywood	"Relax"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	592	Queen	"Radio Ga Ga" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Frankie Goes to Hollywood	"Relax"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	593	Nena	"99 Red Balloons"		4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	594		"Hello"		5
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	595		"Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	596	Duran Duran	""		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	597		"Automatic" ‡		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	598	Wham!	"Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	599	Frankie Goes to Hollywood	"Two Tribes"		8
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	600		"Careless Whisper"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	601		"I Just Called to Say I Love You"		6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	602	Culture Club	"" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	603	Wham!	"Freedom"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	604		"I Feel for You"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	605		"I Should Have Known Better"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	606	Band Aid	"Do They Know It's Christmas?"		5^[14]
scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	607	Wham!	"Everything She Wants" / "Last Christmas" ‡^[15]		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	608	Foreigner	"I Want to Know What Love Is"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	609	and Barbara Dickson	"I Know Him So Well"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	610	King	"Love and Pride" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		and Barbara Dickson	"I Know Him So Well"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	611	Dead or Alive	"You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	612	(duet with Phil Collins)	"Easy Lover"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	613	Frankie Goes to Hollywood	"Welcome to the Pleasuredome" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	614	Tears for Fears	"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" ‡		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	615		"Move Closer"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	616		"19"		5
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	617		"You'll Never Walk Alone"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	618	Madonna	"Crazy for You" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	619	Sister Sledge	"Frankie"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	620	Eurythmics	"There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	621	Madonna	"Into the Groove"		4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	622	UB40 and Chrissie Hynde	"I Got You Babe"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	623	and Mick Jagger	"Dancing in the Street"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	624		"If I Was"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	625		""		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	626	a-ha	"Take On Me" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"			""		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	627		"Nikita" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	628		""		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	629	Wham!	"I'm Your Man"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	630		"Saving All My Love for You"		3^[16]
scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	631	Pet Shop Boys	"West End Girls"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	632		""		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	633		"When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going"		4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	634		"Chain Reaction"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	635		"Absolute Beginners" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	636	and The Young Ones	"Living Doll"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	637		""		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	638	Falco	"Rock Me Amadeus"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	639	Spitting Image	""		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	640	Doctor and the Medics	"Spirit in the Sky"		4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	641	Wham!	""		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	642	Madonna	"Papa Don't Preach"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	643		""		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	644		"I Want to Wake Up with You"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	645		"Don't Leave Me This Way"		5
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	646	Madonna	"True Blue"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	647		"Every Loser Wins"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	648	Berlin	"Take My Breath Away"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	649	Europe	""		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	650		"Caravan of Love"		3^[17]
scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	651		"Reet Petite (The Sweetest Girl in Town)"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	652		"C'est La Vie" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	653	and George Michael	"I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	654		"Stand by Me"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	655		"Everything I Own"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	656	Mel and Kim	"Respectable"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	657	Ferry Aid	"Let It Be"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	658	Madonna	"La Isla Bonita"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	659	Starship	"Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	660		"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	661	The Firm	"Star Trekkin'"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	662	Pet Shop Boys	"It's a Sin"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	663	Madonna	"Who's That Girl"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	664	Los Lobos	"La Bamba"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	665		"I Just Can't Stop Loving You"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	666		"Never Gonna Give You Up"		4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	667		"Pump Up the Volume"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	668	Abigail Mead and Nigel Goulding	"I Want To Be Your Drill Instructor" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	669	Bee Gees	"You Win Again"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	670		"Faith" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Bee Gees	"You Win Again"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	671	T'Pau	"China in Your Hand"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	672		"When I Fall in Love" ‡		2^[18]
scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	673	Pet Shop Boys	"Always on My Mind"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	674		"Heaven Is a Place on Earth"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	675	Tiffany	"I Think We're Alone Now"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	676		"I Should Be So Lucky"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	677	Bomb the Bass	"Beat Dis" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	678		"Together Forever" ‡		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	679	Aswad	"Don't Turn Around"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	680	Pet Shop Boys	"Heart"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	681	S-Express	"Theme from S-Express"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	682	Fairground Attraction	"Perfect"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	683	Wet Wet Wet Billy Bragg and Cara Tivey	"With a Little Help from My Friends" "She's Leaving Home"		4

References

Footnotes

Sources

Book: Osborne. Roger. Dafydd. Rees. Barry. Lazell. Forty Years of "NME" Charts. 2nd. 1995. Pan Macmillan. 0-7522-0829-2.

Notes and References

Web site: Key Dates in the History of the Official UK Charts. The Official Charts Company. 16 May 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20080110032725/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/company_history.php. 10 January 2008.
News: Music: Charting the number ones that somehow got away. Leigh. Spencer. 20 February 1998. The Independent. 5 August 2010.
Book: Warwick. Neil. Kutner. Jon. Brown. Tony. The Complete Book Of The British Charts: Singles and Albums. 3rd. 2004. Omnibus Press. London. 1-84449-058-0. v. Until 15th February 1969, there was no officially compiled chart..
Web site: Smith . Alan . 50s & 60s UK Charts – The Truth! . Dave McAleer's website . 4 November 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110903033717/http://www.davemcaleer.com/page21.htm . 3 September 2011 .
Web site: Melody Maker 1980's Singles Charts request . 10 April 2021 .
Web site: Smith . Alan . Every No.1 in the 1960s is listed from all the nine different magazine charts! . Dave McAleer's website . 4 November 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110510032548/http://www.davemcaleer.com/page22.htm . 10 May 2011 .
Web site: Chart Archive - 1980s Singles. everyHit.com. 22 July 2010.
[Altered Images]
[Ennio Morricone]
There was no chart published for the week ending 27 December 1980. In the preceding week, "Stop the Cavalry" was the number-one single. In the next published chart, "(Just Like) Starting Over" claimed the top spot.
There was no chart published for the week ending 26 December 1981. In the preceding week, "Don't You Want Me" was the number-one single. In the next published chart, "One of Us" claimed the top spot.
There was no chart published for the week ending 1 January 1983. In the preceding week, "Time (Clock of the Heart)" was the number-one single. In the next published chart, "Save Your Love" claimed the top spot.
There was no chart published for the week ending 31 December 1983. For the two weeks preceding and succeeding the omitted chart week, "Only You" held the number-one spot.
There was no chart published for the week ending 29 December 1984. For the two weeks preceding and succeeding the omitted chart week, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" held the number-one spot.
"Last Christmas" peaked at number two in the UK Singles Chart on its original release in December 1984, but eventually reached number one on the chart week ending 7 January 2021.
There was no chart published for the week ending 28 December 1985. For the weeks preceding and succeeding the omitted chart week, "Saving All My Love for You" held the number-one spot.
There was no chart published for the week ending 27 December 1986. For the weeks preceding and succeeding the omitted chart week, "Caravan of Love" held the number-one spot.
There was no chart published for the week ending 26 December 1987. In the preceding week, "When I Fall in Love" was the number-one single. In the three next published charts, "Always on My Mind" claimed the top spot.