In Retrospect

If I had the power, perhaps in an alternate timeline, the Top 40 would have been quite different...

Compact View

Filter:

Number
1

Love Action (I Believe in Love)
The Human League
From the album: Dare!
Peak
1 (for 2 weeks)
Weeks
5
Number
2

Stand and Deliver
Adam and the Ants
From the album: Prince Charming
Peak
1 (for 7 weeks)
Weeks
18
Number
3

One Step Ahead
Split Enz
Peak
3
Weeks
12
Number
4 Up by 1

Ghost Town
The Specials
From the album: More Specials
Peak
4
Weeks
11
Number
5 Up by 1

Pretty In Pink
The Psychedelic Furs
From the album: Talk Talk Talk
Peak
5
Weeks
9
Number
6 Down by 2

The Sound of the Crowd
The Human League
From the album: Dare!
Peak
1 (for 2 weeks)
Weeks
19
Number
7 Up by 1

The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em)
Greg Kihn Band
From the album: Rockihnroll
Peak
7
Weeks
9
Number
8 Up by 1

Urgent
Foreigner
From the album: 4
Peak
8
Weeks
8
Number
9 Up by 2

Hold On Tight
Electric Light Orchestra
From the album: Time
Peak
9
Weeks
7
Number
10 Up by 5

Careless Memories
Duran Duran
From the album: Duran Duran
Peak
10
Weeks
8
Number
11 Down by 4

Gotta Stop (Messin' About)
Prince
Peak
4
Weeks
15
Number
12 Up by 5

Lawnchairs
Our Daughter's Wedding
From the album: Digital Cowboy
Peak
12
Weeks
6
Number
13 Up by 20

Souvenir
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
From the album: Architecture & Morality
Peak
13
Weeks
2
Number
14 Down by 2

Gemini Dream
The Moody Blues
From the album: Long Distance Voyager
Peak
9
Weeks
12
Number
15 Down by 2

Bette Davis Eyes
Kim Carnes
From the album: Mistaken Identity
Peak
1 (for 9 weeks)
Weeks
23
Number
16 Down by 6

Angels On The Balcony
Blondie
From the album: Autoamerican
Peak
10
Weeks
20
Number
17 Down by 3

The Stroke
Billy Squier
From the album: Don't Say No
Peak
13
Weeks
11
Number
18

In the Air Tonight
Phil Collins
From the album: Face Value
Peak
18
Weeks
10
Number
19 Down by 3

All Stood Still
Ultravox
From the album: Vienna
Peak
16
Weeks
12
Number
20 Up by 12

Start Me Up
The Rolling Stones
From the album: Tattoo You
Peak
20
Weeks
2
Number
21 Down by 2

When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around
The Police
From the album: Zenyatta Mondatta
Peak
19
Weeks
10
Number
22 Down by 1

Super Trouper
ABBA
From the album: Super Trouper
Peak
5
Weeks
22
Number
23 Down by 1

New Life
Depeche Mode
From the album: Speak & Spell
Peak
22
Weeks
10
Number
24 Down by 1

The Model
Kraftwerk
From the album: Computer World
Peak
23
Weeks
8
Number
25

Sixty Second Interval
The Vapors
Peak
25
Weeks
7
Number
26 Up by 1

Breaking Away
Balance
Peak
26
Weeks
4
Number
27 Down by 7

Planet Earth
Duran Duran
From the album: Duran Duran
Peak
4
Weeks
20
Number
28

Don't Want to Wait Anymore
The Tubes
Peak
28
Weeks
5
Number
29 Down by 3

Never Gonna Cry Again
Eurythmics
From the album: In the Garden
Peak
26
Weeks
9
Number
30 Up by 1

Tempted
Squeeze
From the album: East Side Story
Peak
30
Weeks
4
Number
31 Down by 7

Canary in a Coalmine
The Police
From the album: Zenyatta Mondatta
Peak
3
Weeks
23
Number
32 Down by 3

The Swords of a Thousand Men
Tenpole Tudor
From the album: Eddie, Old Bob, Dick and Gary
Peak
14
Weeks
19
Number
33 Up by 1

A Promise
Echo & the Bunnymen
From the album: Heaven Up Here
Peak
33
Weeks
5
Number
34 Up by 1

You Make My Dreams
Daryl Hall and John Oates
From the album: Voices
Peak
34
Weeks
3
Number
35 Up by 3

Man in a Suitcase
The Police
From the album: Zenyatta Mondatta
Peak
35
Weeks
2
Number
36

Once in a Lifetime
Talking Heads
From the album: Remain in Light
Peak
1 (for 2 weeks)
Weeks
31
Number
37 Up by 3

Draw of the Cards
Kim Carnes
From the album: Mistaken Identity
Peak
37
Weeks
2
Number
38 Debut

Super Freak
Rick James
From the album: Street Songs
Peak
38
Weeks
1
Number
39

Japanese Boy
Aneka
From the album: Japanese Boy
Peak
39
Weeks
3
Number
40 Debut

The Voice
The Moody Blues
From the album: Long Distance Voyager
Peak
40
Weeks
1
Number
41 Debut

Better Things
The Kinks
From the album: Give the People What They Want
Peak
41
Weeks
1

Dropouts

Number
30 Dropout

It's Going to Happen!
The Undertones
Peak
9
Weeks
18
Number
37 Dropout

Tom Sawyer
Rush
From the album: Moving Pictures
Peak
37
Weeks
3

A chart by

Date

September 5, 1981

Songs

41

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https://www.crownnote.com/charts/amsvec/in-retrospect-85

1 1 The Human League – “Love Action (I Believe in Love)” 1(×2) 5

2 2 Adam and the Ants – “Stand and Deliver” 1(×7) 18

3 3 Split Enz – “One Step Ahead” 3 12

5 4 The Specials – “Ghost Town” 4 11

6 5 The Psychedelic Furs – “Pretty In Pink” 5 9

4 6 The Human League – “The Sound of the Crowd” 1(×2) 19

8 7 Greg Kihn Band – “The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em)” 7 9

9 8 Foreigner – “Urgent” 8 8

11 9 Electric Light Orchestra – “Hold On Tight” 9 7

15 10 Duran Duran – “Careless Memories” 10 8

7 11 Prince – “Gotta Stop (Messin' About)” 4 15

17 12 Our Daughter's Wedding – “Lawnchairs” 12 6

33 13 Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – “Souvenir” 13 2

12 14 The Moody Blues – “Gemini Dream” 9 12

13 15 Kim Carnes – “Bette Davis Eyes” 1(×9) 23

10 16 Blondie – “Angels On The Balcony” 10 20

14 17 Billy Squier – “The Stroke” 13 11

18 18 Phil Collins – “In the Air Tonight” 18 10

16 19 Ultravox – “All Stood Still” 16 12

32 20 The Rolling Stones – “Start Me Up” 20 2

19 21 The Police – “When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around” 19 10

21 22 ABBA – “Super Trouper” 5 22

22 23 Depeche Mode – “New Life” 22 10

23 24 Kraftwerk – “The Model” 23 8

25 25 The Vapors – “Sixty Second Interval” 25 7

27 26 Balance – “Breaking Away” 26 4

20 27 Duran Duran – “Planet Earth” 4 20

28 28 The Tubes – “Don't Want to Wait Anymore” 28 5

26 29 Eurythmics – “Never Gonna Cry Again” 26 9

31 30 Squeeze – “Tempted” 30 4

24 31 The Police – “Canary in a Coalmine” 3 23

29 32 Tenpole Tudor – “The Swords of a Thousand Men” 14 19

34 33 Echo & the Bunnymen – “A Promise” 33 5

35 34 Daryl Hall and John Oates – “You Make My Dreams” 34 3

38 35 The Police – “Man in a Suitcase” 35 2

36 36 Talking Heads – “Once in a Lifetime” 1(×2) 31

40 37 Kim Carnes – “Draw of the Cards” 37 2

NE 38 Rick James – “Super Freak” 38 1

39 39 Aneka – “Japanese Boy” 39 3

NE 40 The Moody Blues – “The Voice” 40 1

NE 41 The Kinks – “Better Things” 41 1

DROPOUTS:

30 -- The Undertones – “It's Going to Happen!” 9 18

37 -- Rush – “Tom Sawyer” 37 3

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