I'm sure plenty of people on here can relate. Check it out if the names Wa Wa Nee, The Chantoozies, The Cockroaches and, er, Cattletruck mean anything to you.
Nice site Gavin. I don't remember 1987 too well or fondly (I was 9-turning-10 and had a difficult childhood) but the music always lives on and I have many favourites from that year (which just happens to be 87 singles to be precise!). I'm coming up to my own anniversary in December. 20 years of buying CDs. lol
It's nice to know that you have every ARIA chart from 1987 to 1998. Will you be scanning them all? I wouldn't be surprised if you don't because I scanned all of mine and it was a royal pain in the arse. My collection started in January 1993 and ended in January 2000 but is not complete.
By the way, The Cockroaches should mean something to our younger members, especially, because they went on to form The Wiggles! I told this fact to my housemate a little while ago to his horror. His fond memories of the band were ruined in that one revelation. lol. I wasn't big on Wa Wa Nee but I do like some Chantoozies tunes still. I agree with you about Cattletruck. Baaad band name.
I loooove Breakout from that chart! Awesome track! I really like that Janet track (Let's Wait A While), it's a shame it was one of the last releases from Control because I honestly thought it was one of the best from this album and showcased a great and unique voice.
I'm enjoying the commentary very much Last edited:
Thank you both for the feedback! Yeah, it's been fun going through that week's top 50 - and it was a pretty fantastic week. There's not much from the chart I didn't like.
Grant, not sure if I'll scan them all - in fact I'm not entirely sure what the content of the blog will be week to week. Chart related obviously, but I might mix it up a bit. Watch that space!
Well done there Gavin. That was a great read. I also started seriously following charts in 1987, so I know every song there. The only track I can't recall clearly is Leave Me. I probably haven't heard that song in 20 years.
I remember Leave Me but haven't heard it in ages - it's definitely a forgotten gem. It definitely made my own charts, which I started compiling around the same time, probably because I wasn't happy with some song or other not going as high as I'd hoped.
Awesome to look back at all that Gavin, thanks so much for posting! I started my chart obsession early 1989, Madonnas Like a Prayer was the first single I remember frantically following it's chart progression as a nine year old lol
I remember that feeling well of scanning the chart to see where whatever songs I loved at the time had got to and being so disappointed when they went down instead of up.
I'm just writing my next entry now - will post when it's live.
Glad that you are such a Whitney fan! I can't believe it was number one 25 years ago to the week . Her first number one being the classic track, Greatest Love Of All. She's had so many amazing ones along the way though I love Glad I'm Not A Kennedy haha, but agree with you on Hymn To Her. It's my favourite track from the Pretenders. Love #3 as well. Last edited:
After fail like that it's no wonder we lost the game. Not to mention it was played at Waverley Park and not the MCG. Nice way to celebrate the first ever non-Victorian club to make the grant final. Mehness.
Nice bunch of songs here except for Sally which I never got into. My favourite would be the breaker you mentioned in the blog 'Rhythm Is Gonna Get You'. 'Seven Wonders' still sounds great 25 years on
These were the days. Nearly all these songs of the last few weeks were personal-chart worthy. Except Radio Waves and Living In A Box that weren't quite for me.
Of the last 3 weeks my faves are Wishing Well, Shattered Dreams, Hold Me Now, What Have I Done To Deserve This and Bad. The most forgettable would be the Live! Tour (EP) and Pretty Flamingo. But I do remember them all. Breakout was the track I remember hearing on the radio from the Bon Jovi EP.
Wow. To think i only stumbled across this site at the start of the month!!! I've been following the Aria charts since late 1988 (Fairground Attraction's Perfect was #1), I would love to get all the charts from 1987 to july 1988 from somewhere! I'd also love to now chart details of John Farnham's Whispering Jack album and single You're The Voice.
This was an interesting time on the charts. Icehouse finally get that #1 hit after waiting 5 weeks at #2. Just in the nick of time too, as there's a race on for #1 with Jimmy and Rick climbing strongly. The #1 ambitions for 'Need You Tonight' were seemingly lost too at this point, which at that time I was kind of annoyed about.
22-Nov
15-Nov
8-Nov
1-Nov
ELECTRIC BLUE Icehouse
1
2
2
2
LA BAMBA Los Lobos
2
1
1
1
TOO MUCH AIN'T ENOUGH LOVE Jimmy Barnes
3
6
13
--
NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP Rick Astley
4
7
14
43
NEED YOU TONIGHT INXS
5
3
3
5
Next week's ARIA chart (29/11) was the first one I picked up from the music stores
I found the top of the chart was getting a bit stale around this time with good songs like The Way You Make Me Feel, Mony Mony (live), My Obsession and even Pump Up The Volume missing out on a better peak. It was coincidental, the two 'Say You Will' hits debuting in the same week. The better one did peak higher thankfully.
I recall the colour of that week's chart being horrid Some good entries there, particularly Kylie & George Michael. I remember lots of publicity for Kylie on the morning TV shows which I thought was helping the rapid rise of I Should Be So Lucky and later songs. But with her third #1 later in the year (also to be only the 2nd debuting #1) you had the impression she wasn't going to disappear anytime soon.
Wow, what a flashback. 'Cars And Girls'. Probably haven't heard that in over 10, maybe closer to 20 years. Different to how I remembered it, if that makes sense. 'Suedehead' is kind of a flashback too, but I'm sure I heard that not so long ago. I do recall 'Heart Of Gold' and it snuck in at #46 on my Personal chart, the only other charting hit from Johnny Hates Jazz for me.
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. Her first number one being the classic track, Greatest Love Of All. She's had so many amazing ones along the way though 
