List of UK top-ten singles in 1982 explained

The UK Singles Chart is one of many music charts compiled by the Official Charts Company that calculates the best-selling singles of the week in the United Kingdom.[1] Before 2004, the chart was only based on the sales of physical singles.[2] [3] This list shows singles that peaked in the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart during 1982, as well as singles which peaked in 1981 and 1983 but were in the top 10 in 1982. The entry date is when the single appeared in the top 10 for the first time (week ending, as published by the Official Charts Company, which is six days after the chart is announced).

One-hundred and fifty-four singles were in the top ten in 1982. Ten singles from 1981 remained in the top 10 for several weeks at the beginning of the year, while "A Winter's Tale" by David Essex, "Best Years of Our Lives" by Modern Romance and "You Can't Hurry Love" by Phil Collins were both released in 1982 but did not reach their peak until 1983. "Ant Rap" by Adam and the Ants, "I'll Find My Way Home" by Jon and Vangelis, "It Must Be Love" by Madness, "The Land of Make Believe" by Bucks Fizz and "Mirror Mirror (Mon Amour)" by Dollar were the singles from 1981 to reach their peak in 1982. Thirty-three artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1982. Bananarama, Culture Club, Hall & Oates, Iron Maiden and Wham! were among the many artists who achieved their first UK charting top 10 single in 1982.

The 1981 Christmas number-one, "Don't You Want Me" by The Human League, remained at number-one for the first two weeks of 1982. The first new number-one single of the year was "The Land of Make Believe" by Bucks Fizz, who won the Eurovision Song Contest for the United Kingdom the previous year. Overall, twenty-two different singles peaked at number-one in 1982, with Bucks Fizz and The Jam (2) having the most singles hit that position.

Background

Multiple entries

One-hundred and fifty-four singles charted in the top 10 in 1982, with one-hundred and forty-six singles reaching their peak this year.

Thirty-three artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1982. The Jam, Madness, Paul McCartney and Shakin' Stevens shared the record for most top 10 hits in 1982 with four hit singles each.

Culture Club were one of a number of artists with two top-ten entries, including the number-one single "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me". Bow Wow Wow, Dollar, Hall & Oates, Kool and the Gang and Stevie Wonder were among the other artists who had multiple top 10 entries in 1982.

Chart debuts

Fifty-eight artists achieved their first top 10 single in 1982, either as a lead or featured artist. Of these, seven went on to record another hit single that year: Bow Wow Wow, Culture Club, Fun Boy Three, Hall & Oates, Japan, The Kids from "Fame" and Yazoo. ABC, Bananarama and Shalamar all had three other entries in their breakthrough year.

The following table (collapsed on desktop site) does not include acts who had previously charted as part of a group and secured their first top 10 solo single.

ArtistNumber of top 10sFirst entryChart positionOther entries
Kraftwerk1"The Model"/"Computer Love"1 -
Foreigner1"Waiting for a Girl Like You"8 -
Meat Loaf1"Dead Ringer for Love"5 -
Christopher Cross1"Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)"7 -
Mobiles1"Drowning in Berlin"9 -
XTC1"Senses Working Overtime"10 -
1"Centerfold"3 -
Hall & Oates2"I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)"8"Maneater" (6)
Fun Boy Three2"It Ain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)"4"Really Saying Something" (5)
Bananarama3"Really Saying Something" (5), "Shy Boy" (4)
Toni Basil1"Mickey"2 -
Iron Maiden1"Run to the Hills"7 -
Goombay Dance Band1"Seven Tears"1 -
Bow Wow Wow2"Go Wild in the Country"7"I Want Candy" (9)
ABC3"Poison Arrow"6"All of My Heart" (5), "The Look of Love" (4)
Associates1"Party Fears Two"9 -
Japan2"Ghosts"5"I Second That Emotion" (9)
Pigbag1"Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag"3 -
Bardo1"One Step Further"2 -
Shakatak1"Night Birds"9 -
Shalamar3"I Can Make You Feel Good"7"A Night to Remember", "There It Is" (5)
England World Cup Squad 19821"This Time (We'll Get It Right)"2 -
Ph.D.1"I Won't Let You Down"3 -
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts1"I Love Rock 'n' Roll"4 -
Nicole1"A Little Peace"1 -
Scotland World Cup Squad 19821"We Have a Dream"5 -
Yazoo2"Only You"2"Don't Go" (3)
Patrice Rushen1"Forget Me Nots"8 -
Junior1"Mama Used to Say"7 -
Charlene1"I've Never Been to Me"1 -
Kid Creole and the Coconuts1"I'm a Wonderful Thing, Baby"4"Annie, I'm Not Your Daddy" (2), "Stool Pigeon" (7)
Captain Sensible1"Happy Talk"1 -
Steve Miller Band1"Abracadabra"2 -
Irene Cara1"Fame"1 -
Trio1"Da Da Da"2 -
Natasha1"Iko Iko"10 -
Survivor1"Eye of the Tiger"1 -
Boys Town Gang1"Can't Take My Eyes Off You"4 -
2"Hi Fidelity"5"Starmaker" (3)
Valerie Landsburg1 -
Toto Coelo1"I Eat Cannibals (Part 1)"8 -
Rockers Revenge1"Walking on Sunshine"4 -
Donnie Calvin
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five1"The Message"8 -
David Christie1"Saddle Up"9 -
Musical Youth1"Pass the Dutchie"1 -
Fat Larry's Band1"Zoom"2 -
Evelyn King1"Love Come Down"7 -
Culture Club2"Do You Really Want to Hurt Me"1"Time (Clock of the Heart)" (3)
Mari Wilson1"Just What I Always Wanted"8 -
Pinkees1"Danger Games"8 -
Tears for Fears1"Mad World"3 -
Barry Manilow1"I Wanna Do It With You"8 -
Clannad1"Theme from Harry's Game"5 -
Wham!1"Young Guns (Go for It)"3 -
Blancmange1"Living on the Ceiling"7 -
Renée and Renato1"Save Your Love"1 -
A Flock of Seagulls1"Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)"10 -
NotesAdrian Gurvitz was a member of the rock trio The Gun who scored a top 10 hit with "Race with the Devil" in November 1968, peaking at number 8. "Classic" is his only solo top ten single to date. Adam and the Ants disbanded in 1982 and lead singer Adam Ant had his first single independent of the band, reaching number one with "Goody Two Shoes".

Midge Ure was in the line-up of various groups, including Thin Lizzy and Visage before his solo career began in 1982. His cover of "No Regrets" charted at number 9.

Songs from films

Original songs from various films entered the top 10 throughout the year. These included "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" (Arthur), "Fame" (Fame), "Eye of the Tiger" (Rocky III) and "Why" (Soup for One).

Best-selling singles

Dexys Midnight Runners had the best-selling single of the year with "Come On Eileen". The single spent nine weeks in the top 10 (including four weeks at number one) and sold over 1.2 million copies and was certified platinum by the BPI. "Fame" by Irene Cara came in second place, selling more than 975,000 copies and losing out by around 225,000 sales. Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger", "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" from Tight Fit and "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" by Culture Club made up the top five. Singles by Musical Youth, Eddy Grant, Goombay Dance Band, Paul McCartney with Stevie Wonder, and The Jam were also in the top ten best-selling singles of the year.

Top-ten singles

Key
SymbolMeaning
bgcolor=lightblueSingle peaked in 1981 but still in chart in 1982.
Single released in 1982 but peaked in 1983.
(#)Year-end top-ten single position and rank
EnteredThe date that the single first appeared in the chart.
PeakHighest position that the single reached in the UK Singles Chart.
Entered
(week ending)
Weeks
in
top
10
SingleArtistPeakPeak reached
(week ending)
Weeks
at
peak
Singles in 1981
6"Daddy's Home" ‡Cliff Richard24
8"Don't You Want Me" ‡ 15
6"It Must Be Love" Madness41
6"Ant Rap" Adam and the Ants31
4"Wedding Bells" ‡Godley & Creme72
5"One of Us" ‡ABBA33
9"The Land of Make Believe" Bucks Fizz12
6"I'll Find My Way Home" Jon and Vangelis61
2"Rock 'n' Roll" ‡ Status Quo82
5"Mirror Mirror" Dollar41
Singles in 1982
5"Get Down on It" Kool & the Gang31
3"I Could Be Happy"Altered Images71
6"The Model"/"Computer Love" Kraftwerk11
5"Oh Julie" Shakin' Stevens11
5"Dead Ringer for Love" Meat Loaf52
1"Waiting for a Girl Like You" Foreigner81
3"Being Boiled" 61
6"Golden Brown" 22
4"Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" Christopher Cross72
5"Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc)"Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark41
2"Drowning in Berlin"Mobiles91
4"Town Called Malice"/"Precious" (#10)13
8"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (#4)Tight Fit13
3"Say Hello, Wave Goodbye"Soft Cell31
1"Senses Working Overtime"XTC101
4"Centerfold"31
5"Love Plus One"Haircut One Hundred31
1"I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)"Hall & Oates81
4"It Ain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)"Fun Boy Three with Bananarama41
3"See You"Depeche Mode61
4"Mickey"Toni Basil22
1"Run to the Hills"Iron Maiden71
6"Seven Tears" (#8)Goombay Dance Band13
2"Go Wild in the Country"Bow Wow Wow71
4"Poison Arrow"ABC62
5"Just an Illusion"Imagination21
2"Classic"Adrian Gurvitz81
3"Quiéreme Mucho (Yours)"Julio Iglesias32
3"Layla" Derek and the Dominos41
2"Party Fears Two"Associates91
4"My Camera Never Lies"Bucks Fizz11
4"Ain't No Pleasing You"Chas & Dave21
3"Ghosts"Japan51
3"More than This"Roxy Music62
4"Give Me Back My Heart"Dollar41
1"Have You Ever Been in Love"Leo Sayer101
6"Ebony and Ivory" (#9)13
4"Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag"Pigbag32
1"Dear John"Status Quo101
3"One Step Further" Bardo21
2"Blue Eyes"Elton John81
1"Night Birds"Shakatak91
3"I Can Make You Feel Good"Shalamar71
3"This Time (We'll Get It Right)" England World Cup Squad 198221
3"Really Saying Something"Bananarama with Fun Boy Three52
1"Shirley"Shakin' Stevens61
2"Fantastic Day"Haircut One Hundred91
5"I Won't Let You Down"Ph.D.33
4"I Love Rock 'n' Roll"Joan Jett & the Blackhearts43
5"A Little Peace" Nicole12
2"We Have a Dream" Scotland World Cup Squad 198251
5"Only You"Yazoo2 1
2"Girl Crazy"Hot Chocolate71
1"Instinction"Spandau Ballet101
7"Goody Two Shoes"Adam Ant12
5"House of Fun"Madness12
2"Forget Me Nots"Patrice Rushen81
4"Fantasy Island" Tight Fit52
5"The Look of Love"ABC42
3"Mama Used to Say"Junior72
4"Torch"Soft Cell21
5"Hungry Like the Wolf"Duran Duran51
5"I've Never Been to Me"Charlene11
1"3×3 (EP)"Genesis101
3"I'm a Wonderful Thing, Baby"Kid Creole and the Coconuts41
1"We Take Mystery (To Bed)"Gary Numan91
4"Work That Body"Diana Ross71
5"Inside Out"Odyssey32
1"I Want Candy"Bow Wow Wow91
1"Do I Do"Stevie Wonder101
3"Happy Talk"Captain Sensible12
5"Abracadabra"Steve Miller Band22
3"Music and Lights"Imagination52
1"The Beatles' Movie Medley"101
9"Fame" (#2)Irene Cara13
4"A Night to Remember"Shalamar51
1"Just Who Is the 5 O'Clock Hero?"81
1"No Regrets"Midge Ure91
4"Da Da Da"Trio21
1"Now Those Days Are Gone"Bucks Fizz81
5"Shy Boy"Bananarama41
1"Iko Iko"Natasha101
6"Don't Go"Yazoo33
5"Driving in My Car"Madness43
5"It Started with a Kiss"Hot Chocolate53
9"Come On Eileen" (#1)Dexys Midnight Runners & The Emerald Express14
2"I Second That Emotion"Japan92
3"Stool Pigeon"Kid Creole and the Coconuts71
1"The Only Way Out"Cliff Richard101
8"Eye of the Tiger" (#3)Survivor14
2"Strange Little Girl"71
2"My Girl Lollipop (My Boy Lollipop)"Bad Manners91
4"Can't Take My Eyes Off You"Boys Town Gang41
3"What"Soft Cell31
5"Save a Prayer"Duran Duran21
5"Hi Fidelity" featuring Valerie Landsburg51
3"I Eat Cannibals (Part 1)"Toto Coelo81
2"Nobody's Fool"Haircut One Hundred91
5"Walking on Sunshine"Rockers Revenge featuring Donnie Calvin42
4"Private Investigations"Dire Straits21
3"All of My Heart"ABC51
4"The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had to Swallow)"22
2"The Message"Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five82
5"There It Is"Shalamar51
1"Saddle Up"David Christie91
3"Friend or Foe"Adam Ant92
5"Pass the Dutchie" (#6)Musical Youth13
5"Zoom"Fat Larry's Band21
3"Love Come Down"Evelyn King73
1"Why"Carly Simon101
7"Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" (#5)Culture Club13
4"Hard to Say I'm Sorry"Chicago41
3"Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)"Kevin Rowland & Dexys Midnight Runners51
2"Just What I Always Wanted"Mari Wilson82
5"Starmaker"32
4"Lifeline"Spandau Ballet72
3"Love Me Do" 41
1"Danger Games"Pinkees81
3"Annie, I'm Not Your Daddy"Kid Creole and the Coconuts21
5"Mad World"Tears for Fears33
3"I Wanna Do It With You"Barry Manilow82
6"I Don't Wanna Dance" (#7)Eddy Grant13
5"Heartbreaker"Dionne Warwick22
1"I'll Be Satisfied"Shakin' Stevens101
3"Sexual Healing"Marvin Gaye41
1"Let's Go Dancin' (Ooh La La La)"Kool & the Gang61
2"The Girl Is Mine"Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney81
3"Maneater"61
2"Theme from Harry's Game" Clannad51
5"Mirror Man"23
5"Young Guns (Go for It)"Wham!31
3"Living on the Ceiling"Blancmange73
8"Save Your Love"Renée and Renato14
5"Beat Surrender"12
5"Truly"Lionel Richie63
7"Time (Clock of the Heart)"Culture Club31
2"Rio"Duran Duran91
1"Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)"A Flock of Seagulls101
4"The Shakin' Stevens EP"Shakin' Stevens22
5"Our House" Madness54
5"Best Years of Our Lives" ♦Modern Romance41
4"Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" David Bowie & Bing Crosby32
8"You Can't Hurry Love" ♦Phil Collins12
5"A Winter's Tale" ♦David Essex21

Entries by artist

The following table shows artists who achieved two or more top 10 entries in 1982, including singles that reached their peak in 1981 or 1983. The figures include both main artists and featured artists, while appearances on ensemble charity records are also counted for each artist. The total number of weeks an artist spent in the top ten in 1982 is also shown.

EntriesArtistWeeksSingles
413"Beat Surrender", "Just Who Is the 5 O'Clock Hero?", "The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had to Swallow)", "Town Called Malice"/"Precious"
15"Driving in My Car", "House of Fun", "It Must Be Love", "Our House"
Paul McCartney12"Ebony and Ivory", "Love Me Do", "The Beatles' Movie Medley", "The Girl Is Mine"
Shakin' Stevens9"I'll Be Satisfied", "Oh Julie", "Shirley", "The Shakin' Stevens EP"
3ABC12"All of My Heart", "Poison Arrow", "The Look of Love"
13"Ant Rap", "Friend or Foe", "Goody Two Shoes"
Bananarama8"It Ain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)", "Really Saying Something", "Shy Boy"
12"My Camera Never Lies", "Now Those Days Are Gone", "The Land of Make Believe"
Duran Duran12"Hungry Like the Wolf", "Rio", "Save a Prayer"
Haircut One Hundred11"Fantastic Day", "Love Plus One", "Nobody's Fool"
12"Being Boiled", "Don't You Want Me", "Mirror Man"
Kid Creole and the Coconuts9"Annie, I'm Not Your Daddy", "I'm a Wonderful Thing, Baby", "Stool Pigeon"
Shalamar12"A Night to Remember", "I Can Make You Feel Good", "There It Is"
Soft Cell10"Say Hello, Wave Goodbye", "Torch", "What"
24"Love Me Do", "The Beatles' Movie Medley"
Bow Wow Wow3"Go Wild in the Country", "I Want Candy"
3"Daddy's Home", "The Only Way Out"
Culture Club11"Do You Really Want to Hurt Me", "Time (Clock of the Heart)"
Dexys Midnight Runners12"Come on Eileen", "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)"
8"Give Me Back My Heart", "Mirror Mirror"
Fun Boy Three7"It Ain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)", "Really Saying Something"
Hall & Oates4"I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)", "Maneater"
Hot Chocolate"7"Girl Crazy", "It Started with a Kiss"
Imagination8"Just an Illusion", "Music and Lights"
Japan5"Ghosts", "I Second That Emotion"
10"Hi Fidelity", "Starmaker"
Kool & the Gang6"Get Down on It", "Let's Go Dancing (Ooh La La La)"
2"3×3 (EP)", "You Can't Hurry Love"
Spandau Ballet5"Instinction", "Lifeline"
2"Dear John", "Rock 'n' Roll"
Stevie Wonder8"Do I Do", "Ebony and Ivory"
8"Golden Brown", "Strange Little Girl
Tight Fit13"Fantasy Island", "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"
Yazoo11"Don't Go", "Only You"

Notes

See also

References

General

Specific

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Official UK Charts Company . . 1 January 2012.
  2. Book: Roberts, David. Guinness World Records: British Hit Singles and Albums (18th edition). 2005. 1-904994-00-8. 14. Guinness World Records Limited.
  3. Web site: New singles formats to save the charts. BBC News. 16 October 2003 . 21 February 2010.