1984 In Numbers
14 Number Ones
Only 14 records climbed to the top spot on the official chart during the calendar year, the joint lowest total during The Golden Years (1977-85).
| Title | Artist | Weeks No.1 |
|---|---|---|
| Pipes Of Peace | Paul McCartney | 2 |
| Relax | Frankie Goes To Hollywood | 5 |
| 99 Red Balloons | Nena | 3 |
| Hello | Lionel Richie | 6 |
| The Reflex | Duran Duran | 4 |
| Wake Me Up Before You Go Go | Wham! | 2 |
| Two Tribes | Frankie Goes To Hollywood | 9 |
| Careless Whisper | George Michael | 3 |
| I Just Called To Say I Love You | Stevie Wonder | 6 |
| Freedom | Wham! | 2 |
| I Feel For You | Chaka Khan | 4 |
| I Should Have Known Better | Jim Diamond | 1 |
| The Power Of Love | Frankie Goes To Hollywood | 1 |
| Do They Know It's Christmas? | Band Aid | 5† |
| †Includes 2 weeks in 1985 | ||
5 Unofficial No. 1s
Five songs topped the NME chart but not the official one used by the BBC.
| Title | Artist | BBC Chart |
|---|---|---|
| Radio Ga Ga | Queen | 2 |
| Against All Odds | Phil Collins | 2 |
| Automatic | The Pointer Sisters | 2 |
| The War Song | Culture Club | 2 |
| Last Christmas / Everything She Wants | Wham!† | 2 |
| †Last Christmas was a No. 1 on the NME chart in January 1985. However, because it peaked on the official chart (at No. 2) in 1984, we classify it as a 1984 hit. | ||
18 Runners Up
Eighteen songs peaked at No. 2 for a total of 33 weeks. Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr was the biggest No. 2 hit of The Golden Years (1977-85).
| Title | Artist | Weeks No.2 |
|---|---|---|
| What Is Love? | Howard Jones | 1 |
| Girls Just Want To Have Fun | Cyndi Lauper | 1 |
| Radio Ga Ga | Queen | 2 |
| Joanna / Tonight | Kool And The Gang | 2 |
| It's Raining Men | The Weather Girls | 1 |
| A Love Worth Waiting For | Shakin' Stevens | 2 |
| You Take Me Up | The Thompson Twins | 1 |
| Against All Odds | Phil Collins | 3 |
| Automatic | The Pointer Sisters | 2 |
| Let's Hear It For The Boy | Deniece Williams | 1 |
| I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me | Nik Kershaw | 1 |
| Hole In My Shoe | Neil | 3 |
| Agadoo | Black Lace | 2 |
| Ghostbusters | Ray Parker Jr | 3 |
| The War Song | Culture Club | 1 |
| No More Lonely Nights | Paul McCartney | 1 |
| Wild Boys | Duran Duran | 1 |
| Last Christmas / Everything She Wants | Wham! | 5† |
| †Includes 2 weeks in 1985 | ||
77M Singles Shifted
Sales of singles rose by 3M compared to the year before, the final year the volume of vinyl singles increased.
Source: BPI
6 Million Sellers
6 singles sold a 1M copies during their chart run, the highest number during The Golden Years (1977-85). George Michael sang on three of them.
133 Top 10 Hits
Of the 133 singles that peaked inside the Top 10 during the calendar year, six remained there for 10 or more weeks, the highest number during The Golden Years (1977-85).
303 Top 40 Hits
A total of 303 singles peaked inside the official Top 40 during the calendar year. June was the busiest month when 33 records entered the Top 40.
37 Week Reign
Frankie Goes To Hollywood spent 37 weeks (over nine months) in the official Top 40 with their banned hit Relax, the most since Acker Bilk's Stranger On The Shore in 1961.
53 New Acts On TOTP
The acts appearing for the first time on Top Of The Pops this year included Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Madonna, Tina Turner, Bronski Beat, Lloyd Cole And The Commotions, Meat Loaf and Womack And Womack.
24 Week Runner-Up
Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr spent 24 weeks (or six months) in the official Top 40, the highest total for a non-No.1 record during The Golden Years (1977-85).