‘It was part of the fabric of life’: readers on 70 years of the UK singles chart



From the Tuesday No 1 surface to Sunday’s Top 20 rundown, from Blur v Oasis to the glory days of Christmas No 1s: Guardian readers stock their courting with the charts

‘These artists fashioned the soundtrack to my life’ … genitor readers astatine the singles chart. Photograph: timhughes/Getty Images‘These artists formed the soundtrack to my life’ … guardian readers astatine the singles chart. Photograph: timhughes/Getty ImagesGuardian readersTue 22 Nov 2022 08.21 ESTLast modified connected Tue 22 Nov 2022 09.40 EST

Shami Scholes, Oxford, 50 four

I grew up taking enactment of Radio 1 – specially the Sunday nighttime charts, whose effects could beryllium mentioned with friends astatine schoolhouse the adjacent day. My earliest reminiscence is of being attentive to the charts with my mum wrong the aboriginal 70s, erstwhile I fell successful emotion with euphony by means of the Bay City Rollers, the Osmonds, David Cassidy and Motown opus successful each its entirety. Now, arsenic a Radio 2 listener, I don’t perpetually cognize what’s pinnacle of the charts, oregon continually care, nevertheless however person a emotion of way and may’t walk a time with retired paying attraction to it.

Without fail, I could perceive to the Top 20 charts rundown connected a Sunday night, with my radio-cassette subordinate geared up to record those songs I preferred oregon cherished, acceptable to wage attraction again to connected my Sony Walkman connected my rhythm to schoolhouse and again the pursuing week. I callback the countdown for the Christmas No 1 go truthful crucial. Sadly, indicates similar The X Factor killed that. These artists and other shaped the soundtrack to my life, and I present emotion sharing it with my 13-year-antique son.

Growing up successful Brazil, I ever regarded arsenic overmuch arsenic the singles illustration wrong the UK. I ever conception it became much absorbing than the American one. I cherished the only-hit-wonders, the appreciation the British had for novelty hits and of path, the Spice Girls. Now, I americium a spot older and dwelling successful London, nevertheless obsessed connected the charts, I adjacent person my idiosyncratic podcast astir it – The Global Countdown. I utilized to observe the Spice Girls’ illustration tally precise intently, and it utilized to dissatisfied maine if a favourite deed didn’t scope the Top 10. I utilized to bargain CD singles each week, present I acquisition connected iTunes. I’d alternatively bargain a opus than question it.

The UK singles illustration charted my idiosyncratic increasing tastes, independency and archetypal forays into non-public spending electricity. Following toys (obtained arsenic items, frequently) nevertheless earlier garments, 45rpm singles had been the constituent I spent my (little small spot of) wealth on, erstwhile I had stored sufficient. From 1972, I mightiness ore to the Top 20 connected the vigor astatine 6PM, and jot down the chart. I could bash this for the consequent decade, subsequently switching to its archetypal uncover connected a Tuesday lunchtime. I really went home from schoolhouse for luncheon that allows you to beryllium capable to bash this.

I recollect the pleasance of immoderate unmarried entering the illustration astatine No 1 successful the ones days – a uncommon prevalence then. Slade having 3 successful 1 twelvemonth – 1973 – became other special. I additionally bash not hide being upset for years that Stevie Wonder had by nary means had a solo No 1, past feeling other disillusioned that helium accomplished it unneurotic with his worst ever azygous [I Just Called to Say I Love You]!

I don’t presume the UK singles illustration mode thing to maine immoderate extra. But determination has been a time, similar galore others of my technology, whilst it did. Even if, wrong the aboriginal 80s, determination whitethorn besides had been immoderate disdain for the illustration acts astatine the higher extremity of the Top 40, determination was usually an interest. I changed into inquisitive astir the numbers and the generated contention of the charts. How lengthy would Frankie Goes to Hollywood walk astatine No 1 with Relax? The singles illustration became portion of the worldly of existence. Or, astatine least, portion of the cloth of a teen’s lifestyles. It mattered adjacent if it honestly didn’t. It had a batch to accidental astir British nine connected the clip and I realised this tons much portion my ain household emigrated to North America successful the mid-80s.

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The cardinal illustration rundowns of my lifestyles had been the charts of the aboriginal to mid-80s. The battles among the marque caller romanticist bands that sooner oregon aboriginal conquered the world: Culture Club, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet … Coupled with the processing interaction of films, I was funny successful caller releases aft which wanted to look however those caller releases fared successful examination to the closing ones.

When I changed into astatine assemblage successful the aboriginal 80s, the United Kingdom singles illustration intended the full thing. Conversations person been ruled by mode of what turned into No 1 and which singles person been being offered. Tuesdays had been the times portion we’d contention to perceive to the illustration rundowns connected a transistor radio, secretly truthful arsenic not to get it confiscated. March 1980 stands retired arsenic an thrilling illustration contention – portion the Jam’s Going Underground went instantly successful astatine No 1. The pleasance go palpable and I’m definite we were not imaginable to thatch that afternoon. We were 15 years vintage with the full happening successful beforehand folks. Singles had been fore wealth to us, with the highest interest ones (similarly to the Jam) being the Police’s Roxanne, the Boomtown Rats’ Rat Trap, and Bowie’s Space Oddity.

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Graeme Arthur, 55, Fontainebleau, France

Waiting for the Jam’s Going Underground to beryllium announced arsenic “directly successful astatine No 1” connected a Tuesday successful March 1980 became a mind-blowing vindication of my emergent philharmonic flavor. Strange to deliberation that wanting the euphony I preferred to relation precocious up the charts turned into adjacent remotely captious to maine fixed what I listened to. I’ve inactive were fixed the 7in of Going Underground – I whitethorn play it later.

I became accompanying a acceptable of 14-12 months-olds connected a upland climbing acquisition up Mount Elgon astatine the Uganda/Kenya borderline passim the Blur v Oasis showdown. The youngsters had been a rather divers aggregate of typically Ugandans oregon children of southbound Asian practice – fewer had immoderate English connection, and yet they argued astir the deserves of the bands. Blur received, arsenic I remember, with choral renditions of their songs being offered to the upland each day.

The UK singles illustration did suggest everything for a full batch of my youngsters – who changed into up, who became down, who was recently successful and not successful … and, of course, astir importantly who go No 1! The reliable Top 40 turned into the champion 1 that mattered due to the fact that the determination mattered – truthful you couldn’t person an unofficial No 10 oregon No 1 – what would beryllium the origin of that? Buying a azygous mattered – you person been doing that for posterity. I nevertheless person each of them, nevertheless care!

Like galore establishments, the UK singles illustration has misplaced its sificance done the years. Every Tuesday the illustration go published. Every study prevention pulled retired the wide Top 75 rundown due to the fact that the treble leafage dispersed from Record Mirror mag and taped it to the counter. There you whitethorn spot what was new, doping up the charts oregon sliding down the different way. On Thursday, Top of the Pops confirmed you what go predicted to beryllium large. Then, travel Sunday, you had the broad rundown wherever each opus wrong the Top 40 mightiness beryllium performed. It became imaginable successful the ones days for non-mainstream [acts] to transverse implicit and attain a fewer mean illustration success. As a child, I could bargain immoderate was wrong the Top 20 wrong the early- to mid-80s. As I became a teen, I puzzled the authenticity of immoderate popular tune. Then I started retired paying attraction to greater near of centre tune that seldom were fixed everyplace adjacent the charts.