# List of Melody Maker number-one singles of the 1980s

Melody Maker was a British weekly pop music newspaper which was published between 1926 and 2000. Melody Maker was the third publication (after NME, or New Musical Express, in 1952, and Record Mirror in 1955) to publish a weekly record chart. NME is now regarded as the "canonical" source for record charts by the Official Charts Company in the period up to 10 March 1960; after that, when Record Retailer began compiling a chart, the Official Charts Company and Guinness' British Hit Singles & Albums cited them as the canonical source for the British singles chart. Prior to 15 February 1969, when the British Market Research Bureau (BMRB) chart was established as part of a joint commission by Record Retailer and the BBC, there was no one universally accepted or official source and many periodicals compiled their own chart.
By the 1980s, NME and Melody Maker had the last surviving independently compiled charts in the UK, Record Mirror having ended its own chart in 1962, Disc & Music Echo likewise in 1967, and the short-lived Top Pops/Music Now folding in 1971. Melody Maker was the first to throw in the towel, publishing its last independently compiled chart on 4 June 1988, with NME publishing its last the next week on 11 June 1988. In the respective following weeks, both began publishing Market Research Information Bureau chart.
Notable differences when compared to the official chart run by BMRB and, later, Gallup, and even NME are additional number-one singles in the decade for Rick Astley, Adam and the Ants, The Police, Shakin' Stevens, David Bowie, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Phil Collins. Significantly, Tears for Fears' song "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" spent four weeks at the top of the Melody Maker chart (and three weeks on the NME chart) although it never topped the Gallup chart. Additionally, as well as making number one on the Melody Maker and NME charts and not the official chart, a-ha's "Take On Me" and Ultravox's "Vienna" were also in the top five best-selling singles of their year. Thirty-two acts achieved a number-one single on the Melody Maker chart (more than NME) but never had an official number-one single although two of these had songs they had written reach number one when performed by another artist.

## Number-one singles

Key :
| ‡ | The song did not reach number one on the BMRB which later became the Gallup chart which is considered as the official chart after 15 February 1969. |
| | The song spent a week at number one where it shared the top spot with another song. |
| No. | Artist | Single | Reached number one | Weeks at number one |
| 1980 |||||
| 428 | Pretenders | "Brass in Pocket" | 19 January 1980 | 2 |
| 429 | Madness | "My Girl" ‡ | 2 February 1980 | 1 |
| 430 | The Specials | Too Much, Too Young (E.P.) | 9 February 1980 | 2 |
| 431 | Kenny Rogers | "Coward of the County" | 23 February 1980 | 1 |
| 432 | Blondie | "Atomic" | 1 March 1980 | 3 |
| 433 | Fern Kinney | "Together We Are Beautiful" | 22 March 1980 | 1 |
| 434 | The Jam | "Going Underground" | 29 March 1980 | 3 |
| 435 | The Detroit Spinners | "Working My Way Back to You – Forgive Me Girl" | 19 April 1980 | 1 |
| 436 | Blondie | "Call Me" | 26 April 1980 | 1 |
| 437 | Dexy's Midnight Runners | "Geno" | 3 May 1980 | 5$^{[nb1]}$3 |
| 438 | Johnny Logan | "What's Another Year" | 24 May 1980 | 4.0$^{[nb1]}$1 |
| 439 | The Mash | "Theme from M*A*S*H" | 31 May 1980 | 4.0$^{[nb1]}$4 |
| 440 | Don McLean | "Crying" | 28 June 1980 | 1 |
| 441 | Splodgenessabounds | "Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps Please" ‡ | 5 July 1980 | 1 |
| 442 | Olivia Newton-John and the Electric Light Orchestra | "Xanadu" | 12 July 1980 | 2 |
| 443 | Odyssey | "Use It Up and Wear It Out" | 26 July 1980 | 2 |
| 444 | Diana Ross | "Upside Down" ‡ | 9 August 1980 | 1 |
| 445 | ABBA | "The Winner Takes It All" | 16 August 1980 | 2 |
| 446 | David Bowie | "Ashes to Ashes" | 30 August 1980 | 2 |
| 447 | The Jam | "Start!" | 13 September 1980 | 1 |
| 448 | Randy Crawford | "One Day I'll Fly Away" ‡ | 20 September 1980 | 2 |
| 449 | The Police | "Don't Stand So Close to Me" | 4 October 1980 | 4 |
| 450 | Barbra Streisand | "A Woman in Love" | 1 November 1980 | 2 |
| 451 | Blondie | "The Tide Is High" | 15 November 1980 | 3 |
| 452 | ABBA | "Supertrouper" | 6 December 1980 | 2 |
| 453 | Jona Lewie | "Stop the Cavalry" ‡ | 20 December 1980 | 3 |
| 1981 |||||
| 454 | John Lennon | "(Just Like) Starting Over" | 10 January 1981 | 1 |
| 455 | John Lennon | "Imagine" | 17 January 1981 | 1 |
| 456 | Adam and the Ants | "Ant Music" ‡ | 24 January 1981 | 1 |
| 457 | Phil Collins | "In the Air Tonight" ‡ | 31 January 1981 | 2 |
| 458 | Ultravox | "Vienna" ‡ | 14 February 1981 | 1 |
| 459 | Joe Dolce | "Shaddap You Face" | 21 February 1981 | 2 |
| re | Ultravox | "Vienna" ‡ | 7 March 1981 | 1 |
| 460 | Roxy Music | "Jealous Guy" | 14 March 1981 | 2 |
| 461 | Kim Wilde | "Kids in America" ‡ | 28 March 1981 | 1 |
| 462 | Shakin' Stevens | "This Ole House" | 4 April 1981 | 2 |
| 463 | Bucks Fizz | "Making Your Mind Up" | 18 April 1981 | 2 |
| 464 | Ennio Morricone | "Theme from Lloyd George" ‡ | 2 May 1981 | 1 |
| 465 | Starsound | "Stars on 45" ‡ | 9 May 1981 | 1 |
| 466 | Adam and the Ants | "Stand and Deliver" | 16 May 1981 | 4 |
| 467 | Shakin' Stevens | "You Drive Me Crazy" ‡ | 6 June 1981 | 1 |
| 468 | Smokey Robinson | "Being with You" | 13 June 1981 | 3 |
| 469 | Michael Jackson | "One Day In Your Life" | 4 July 1981 | 1 |
| 470 | The Specials | "Ghost Town" | 11 July 1981 | 3 |
| 471 | Stevie Wonder | "Happy Birthday" ‡ | 1 August 1981 | 1 |
| 472 | Shakin' Stevens | "Green Door" | 8 August 1981 | 2 |
| 473 | Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | "Hooked on Classics" ‡ | 22 August 1981 | 1 |
| 474 | Aneka | "Japanese Boy" | 29 August 1981 | 1 |
| 475 | Soft Cell | "Tainted Love" | 5 September 1981 | 2 |
| 476 | Adam and the Ants | "Prince Charming" | 19 September 1981 | 3 |
| 477 | The Police | "Invisible Sun" ‡ | 10 October 1981 | 1 |
| 478 | Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin | "It's My Party" | 17 October 1981 | 3 |
| 479 | Altered Images | "Happy Birthday" ‡ | 7 November 1981 | 1 |
| 480 | The Police | "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" | 14 November 1981 | 1 |
| 481 | Queen and David Bowie | "Under Pressure" | 21 November 1981 | 3 |
| 482 | Julio Iglesias | "Begin the Beguine" | 12 December 1981 | 1 |
| 483 | The Human League | "Don't You Want Me" | 19 December 1981 | 5 |
| 1982 |||||
| 484 | Bucks Fizz | "The Land of Make Believe" | 23 January 1982 | 1 |
| 485 | Kraftwerk | "The Model" | 30 January 1982 | 1 |
| 486 | The Stranglers | "Golden Brown" ‡ | 6 February 1982 | 1 |
| 487 | The Jam | "A Town Called Malice" / "Precious" | 13 February 1982 | 3 |
| 488 | Tight Fit | "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" | 6 March 1982 | 3 |
| 489 | Goombay Dance Band | "Seven Tears" | 27 March 1982 | 2 |
| 490 | Imagination | "Just an Illusion" ‡ | 10 April 1982 | 1 |
| 491 | Chas & Dave | "Ain't No Pleasing You" ‡ | 17 April 1982 | 1 |
| 492 | Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder | "Ebony and Ivory" | 24 April 1982 | 4 |
| 493 | Nicole | "A Little Peace" | 22 May 1982 | 1 |
| 494 | Yazoo | "Only You" ‡ | 29 May 1982 | 1 |
| 495 | Madness | "House of Fun" | 5 June 1982 | 2 |
| 496 | Adam Ant | "Goody Two Shoes" | 19 June 1982 | 1 |
| 497 | Soft Cell | "Torch" ‡ | 26 June 1982 | 1 |
| 498 | Charlene | "I've Never Been to Me" | 3 July 1982 | 1 |
| 499 | Captain Sensible | "Happy Talk" | 10 July 1982 | 1 |
| 500 | Irene Cara | "Fame" | 17 July 1982 | 3 |
| 501 | Dexy's Midnight Runners | "Come On Eileen" | 7 August 1982 | 4 |
| 502 | Survivor | "Eye of the Tiger" | 4 September 1982 | 2 |
| 503 | Dire Straits | "Private Investigations" ‡ | 18 September 1982 | 2 |
| 504 | The Jam | "The Bitterest Pill" ‡ | 2 October 1982 | 1 |
| 505 | Musical Youth | "Pass the Dutchie" | 9 October 1982 | 2 |
| 506 | Culture Club | "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" | 23 October 1982 | 3 |
| 507 | Eddy Grant | "I Don't Want to Dance" | 13 November 1982 | 3 |
| 508 | The Human League | "Mirror Man" ‡ | 4 December 1982 | 1 |
| 509 | The Jam | "Beat Surrender" | 11 December 1982 | 4 |
| 1983 |||||
| 510 | Phil Collins | "You Can't Hurry Love" | 8 January 1983 | 3 |
| 511 | Men at Work | "Down Under" | 29 January 1983 | 3 |
| 512 | Tears for Fears | "Change" ‡ | 19 February 1983 | 1 |
| 513 | Kajagoogoo | "Too Shy" | 26 February 1983 | 1 |
| 514 | Michael Jackson | "Billie Jean" | 5 March 1983 | 2 |
| 515 | Bonnie Tyler | "Total Eclipse of the Heart" | 19 March 1983 | 1 |
| 516 | The Style Council | "Speak Like a Child" ‡ | 26 March 1983 | 1 |
| 517 | Duran Duran | "Is There Something I Should Know?" | 2 April 1983 | 1 |
| 518 | David Bowie | "Let's Dance" | 9 April 1983 | 4 |
| 519 | Spandau Ballet | "True" | 7 May 1983 | 3 |
| 520 | Heaven 17 | "Temptation" ‡ | 28 May 1983 | 1 |
| 521 | The Police | "Every Breath You Take" | 4 June 1983 | 3 |
| 522 | David Bowie | "China Girl" ‡ | 25 June 1983 | 1 |
| 523 | Rod Stewart | "Baby Jane" | 2 July 1983 | 2 |
| 524 | Paul Young | "Whenever I Lay My Hat" | 16 July 1983 | 4 |
| 525 | Freeez | "I.O.U." ‡ | 13 August 1983 | 1 |
| 526 | KC and the Sunshine Band | "Give It Up" | 20 August 1983 | 1 |
| 527 | Spandau Ballet | "Gold" ‡ | 27 August 1983 | 2 |
| 528 | UB40 | "Red Red Wine" | 10 September 1983 | 2 |
| 529 | Culture Club | "Karma Chameleon" | 24 September 1983 | 6 |
| 530 | Lionel Richie | "All Night Long (All Night)" ‡ | 5 November 1983 | 1 |
| 531 | Billy Joel | "Uptown Girl" | 12 November 1983 | 2 |
| 532 | Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson | "Say, Say, Say" ‡ | 26 November 1983 | 1 |
| 533 | The Assembly | "Never Never" ‡ | 3 December 1983 | 1 |
| 534 | The Flying Pickets | "Only You" | 10 December 1983 | 5 |
| 1984 |||||
| 535 | Paul McCartney | "Pipes of Peace" | 14 January 1984 | 1 |
| 536 | Frankie Goes to Hollywood | "Relax" | 21 January 1984 | 6 |
| 537 | Nena | "99 Red Balloons" | 3 March 1984 | 3 |
| 538 | Lionel Richie | "Hello" | 24 March 1984 | 5 |
| 539 | Phil Collins | "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" ‡ | 28 April 1984 | 4 |
| 540 | The Pointer Sisters | "Automatic" ‡ | 26 May 1984 | 1 |
| 541 | Wham! | "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" | 2 June 1984 | 3 |
| 542 | Frankie Goes to Hollywood | "Two Tribes" | 23 June 1984 | 7 |
| 543 | George Michael | "Careless Whisper" | 11 August 1984 | 4 |
| 544 | Stevie Wonder | "I Just Called to Say I Love You" | 8 September 1984 | 5 |
| 545 | Culture Club | "The War Song" ‡ | 13 October 1984 | 1 |
| 546 | Wham! | "Freedom" | 20 October 1984 | 3 |
| 547 | Chaka Khan | "I Feel for You" | 10 November 1984 | 4 |
| 548 | Frankie Goes to Hollywood | "The Power of Love" * | 8 December 1984 | 1 |
| 549 | Band Aid | "Do They Know It's Christmas?" | 15 December 1984 | 5 |
| 1985 |||||
| 550 | Wham! | "Everything She Wants" / "Last Christmas" ‡ | 19 January 1985 | 1 |
| 551 | Foreigner | "I Want to Know What Love Is" | 26 January 1985 | 1 |
| 552 | Prince | "1999" ‡ | 2 February 1985 | 1 |
| 553 | King | "Love and Pride" ‡ | 9 February 1985 | 2 |
| 554 | Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson | "I Know Him So Well" | 23 February 1985 | 1 |
| 555 | Dead or Alive | "You Spin Me Round" | 2 March 1985 | 3 |
| 556 | Philip Bailey (duet with Phil Collins) | "Easy Lover" | 23 March 1985 | 3 |
| 557 | Tears for Fears | "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" ‡ | 20 April 1985 | 2 |
| 558 | Phyllis Nelson | "Move Closer" | 4 May 1985 | 1 |
| 559 | Paul Hardcastle | "19" | 11 May 1985 | 5 |
| 560 | The Crowd | "You'll Never Walk Alone" | 15 June 1985 | 2 |
| 561 | Madonna | "Crazy for You" ‡ | 29 June 1985 | 1 |
| 562 | Sister Sledge | "Frankie" | 6 July 1985 | 1 |
| 563 | Harold Faltermeyer | "Axel F" ‡ | 13 July 1985 | 2 |
| 564 | Eurythmics | "There Must Be an Angel" | 27 July 1985 | 1 |
| 565 | Madonna | "Into the Groove" | 3 August 1985 | 5 |
| 566 | David Bowie and Mick Jagger | "Dancing in the Street" | 7 September 1985 | 5 |
| 567 | Jennifer Rush | "The Power of Love" | 12 October 1985 | 3 |
| 568 | a-ha | "Take On Me" ‡ | 2 November 1985 | 2 |
| 569 | Feargal Sharkey | "A Good Heart" | 16 November 1985 | 2 |
| 570 | Wham! | "I'm Your Man" | 30 November 1985 | 2 |
| 571 | Whitney Houston | "Saving All My Love for You" | 14 December 1985 | 4 |
| 1986 |||||
| 572 | Pet Shop Boys | "West End Girls" | 11 January 1986 | 2 |
| 573 | a-ha | "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." | 25 January 1986 | 2 |
| 574 | Nana Mouskouri | "Only Love" ‡ | 8 February 1986 | 1 |
| 575 | Billy Ocean | "When the Going Gets Tough" | 15 February 1986 | 3 |
| 576 | Diana Ross | "Chain Reaction" | 8 March 1986 | 3 |
| 577 | Cliff Richard and The Young Ones | "Livin' Doll" | 29 March 1986 | 3 |
| 578 | George Michael | "A Different Corner" | 19 April 1986 | 3 |
| 579 | Janet Jackson | "What Have You Done for Me Lately?" ‡ | 10 May 1986 | 1 |
| 580 | Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald | "On My Own" ‡ | 17 May 1986 | 1 |
| 581 | Spitting Image | "The Chicken Song" | 24 May 1986 | 1 |
| 582 | Peter Gabriel | "Sledgehammer" ‡ | 31 May 1986 | 2 |
| 583 | Simply Red | "Holding Back the Years" ‡ | 14 June 1986 | 1 |
| 584 | Nu Shooz | "I Can't Wait" ‡ | 21 June 1986 | 1 |
| 585 | Wham! | "The Edge of Heaven" | 28 June 1986 | 2 |
| 586 | Madonna | "Papa Don't Preach" | 12 July 1986 | 3 |
| 587 | Chris de Burgh | "The Lady in Red" | 2 August 1986 | 3 |
| 588 | Boris Gardiner | "I Want to Wake Up with You" | 23 August 1986 | 2 |
| 589 | The Communards | "Don't Leave Me This Way" | 6 September 1986 | 5 |
| 590 | Madonna | "True Blue" | 11 October 1986 | 1 |
| 591 | Nick Berry | "Every Loser Wins" | 18 October 1986 | 3 |
| 592 | Berlin | "You Take My Breath Away" | 8 November 1986 | 5 |
| 593 | Erasure | "Sometimes" ‡ | 13 December 1986 | 1 |
| 594 | The Housemartins | "Caravan of Love" | 20 December 1986 | 3 |
| 1987 |||||
| 595 | Jackie Wilson | "Reet Petite" | 10 January 1987 | 2 |
| 596 | Steve "Silk" Hurley | "Jack Your Body" | 24 January 1987 | 2 |
| 597 | Aretha Franklin and George Michael | "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" | 7 February 1987 | 3 |
| 598 | Ben E. King | "Stand by Me" | 28 February 1987 | 3 |
| 599 | Boy George | "Everything I Own" | 21 March 1987 | 1 |
| 600 | Mel and Kim | "Respectable" | 28 March 1987 | 1 |
| 601 | Ferry Aid | "Let It Be" | 4 April 1987 | 3 |
| 602 | Club Nouveau | "Lean on Me" ‡ | 25 April 1987 | 1 |
| 603 | Madonna | "La Isla Bonita" | 2 May 1987 | 1 |
| 604 | Judy Boucher | "Can't Be with You Tonight" ‡ | 9 May 1987 | 1 |
| 605 | Starship | "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" | 16 May 1987 | 3 |
| 606 | Whitney Houston | "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" | 6 June 1987 | 3 |
| 607 | The Firm | "Star Trekkin'" | 27 June 1987 | 1 |
| 608 | Pet Shop Boys | "It's a Sin" | 4 July 1987 | 3 |
| 609 | Madonna | "Who's That Girl" | 25 July 1987 | 2 |
| 610 | Los Lobos | "La Bamba" | 8 August 1987 | 1 |
| 611 | Michael Jackson | "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" | 15 August 1987 | 2 |
| 612 | Rick Astley | "Never Gonna Give You Up" | 29 August 1987 | 4 |
| 613 | M|A|R|R|S | "Pump Up the Volume" | 26 September 1987 | 3 |
| 614 | Bee Gees | "You Win Again" | 17 October 1987 | 3 |
| 615 | George Michael | "Faith" ‡ | 7 November 1987 | 2 |
| 616 | T'Pau | "China in Your Hand" | 21 November 1987 | 4 |
| 617 | Rick Astley | "When I Fall in Love" ‡ | 19 December 1987 | 3 |
| 1988 |||||
| 618 | Pet Shop Boys | "Always on My Mind" | 9 January 1988 | 1 |
| 619 | Belinda Carlisle | "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" | 16 January 1988 | 2 |
| 620 | Tiffany | "I Think We're Alone Now" | 30 January 1988 | 3 |
| 621 | Kylie Minogue | "I Should Be So Lucky" | 20 February 1988 | 2 |
| 622 | Bomb the Bass | "Beat Dis" ‡ | 5 March 1988 | 1 |
| 623 | Rick Astley | "Together Forever" ‡ | 12 March 1988 | 2 |
| 624 | Aswad | "Don't Turn Around" | 26 March 1988 | 3 |
| 625 | Pet Shop Boys | "Heart" | 16 April 1988 | 2 |
| 626 | S-Express | "Theme from S-Express" | 30 April 1988 | 1 |
| 627 | Fairground Attraction | "Perfect" | 7 May 1988 | 2 |
| 628 | Wet Wet Wet Billy Bragg and Cara Tivey | "With a Little Help from My Friends" "She's Leaving Home" | 21 May 1988 | 3 |