So here’s my top ten 12″ singles I bought in 1985:

1. Harold Faltermeyer – Axel F (The M & M Mix)

2. Billy IDOL – White Wedding (Parts 1&2 – Shotgun Mix)
3. Gary Moore & Phil Lynott – Out In the Fields
4. Level 42 – Something About You (Sisa Mix)
5. Dire Straits – Money For Nothing (Full Length Version)

6. Jimmy Nail – Love Don’t Live Here Anymore (Extended Version)
7. Harold Faltermeyer – Fletch Theme (The M & M Mix)
8. Gary Moore – Empty Rooms (Long Version)
9. Paul Hardcastle – 19 (The Final Story)

10. The Cult – She Sells Sanctuary (Howling Mix)

Just outside was:
Billy IDOL – Rebel Yell, Madonna – Gambler, Stephen tintin Duffy – Kiss Me, The Cars – Heartbeat City, Arcadia – Election Day.

1. Let’s Dance by David Bowie

2. Notorious by Duran Duran

9. Toyah Wilcox – This is more Space Age than 80′s, Great Stuff.

8. Carol Decker – What 80′s hair was all about.

7. Phil Oakey – Long hair on one side, a couple of school mates try to copy this and failed.

6. Mick Beggs – Thankfully none of my school mates attempted this one.

5. Limahl – I had hair like this, a very long time ago.

4. Paul King – Super Mullett

3. Annie Lennox – Short and Simple (the hair that is)

2. Sigue Sigue Sputkik – Way out there,

1. Mike Score – A Flock Of Seagulls. The only Hairstyle of the 80′s that shares its name with the Band you are in.

Here is The Spandau Ballet Top 20 from Rossella…

1 Through the barricades.

2 Lifeline.

3 Once more.

4 I’ll fly for you.

5 Round and round.

6 Gently.

7 Always in the back in my mind.

8 Only when you leave

9. Muscle bound.

10 With the pride.

11 Communication.

12 Code of Love

13 Chant n. one.

14 Revenge for love.

15 How many lies

16 A matter of time.

17 True.

18 Pleasure.

19 Nature of the beast.

20 Gold.

and from Simon…

20. Gently, Swept & Matter Of Time & Highly Strung -just because 23 doesn’t go into 20!!
19. Lifeline -a proper catchy song, the 1st of the bands 4 UK singles from their best and biggest selling album, True.
18. Glow -Superb tune that never made it onto either of the original first two albums, has a mix of To Cut A Long Story/Chant No.1 feel to it., even had 12″ version of its own.
17. Chant No.1 (Don’t Need This Pressure On) -Bands first and possibly only dance anthem, superb.
16. To Cut A Long Story Short -surprised myself its so far down my list, but has to be there, the song that introduced the masses to Spandau Ballet!
15. Empty Spaces -one of bands last singles, it flopped, but still a quality ballad that shows how Gary’s personal life was reflected in his lyrics
14. Reformation -album track in the vain of the better Toys but for me, yet another stand out on Journey’s To Glory
13. Only When You Leave -Confirmed the band selling out to become a mainstream pop act, still the best song for imaginary drumming.
12. Gold -another stand out song thats been played to death but would still rival True as bands signature tune. How was it kept off no.1 by KC & The Sunshine Band!!?
11. How Many Lies -Band more commercially mainstream but Gary continued to write excellent songs. Even as Simon Mayo’s Record of the Week it still didn’t make top 30 though.
10. I’ll Fly For You -Summer ballad of 1984, another tune with great ’80′s memories.
9.  Toys -a punchy and powerful album track from Journey’s To Glory, Hadley’s voice, brilliant!
8.  Communication -The 12″ Picture Disc took pride of place in record collection and record played over and over, surprised it never wore out.
7.  The Freeze -personal favourite track and single from debut album, epitomised sound of THE new band’s arrival.
6.  Through The Barricades -great comeback single, which saw Gary writing about actual events, just can’t believe it never made into top 5 in UK Singles chart!
5.  Code of Love -another personal favourite album song from True and the great memories of being 18 in 1983
4.  She Loved Like Diamond -always felt like it was one verse to short as a single, but should have easily made top 40
3.  Instinction -superb Trevor Horn remixed single and my 7″ was another permanently on turn table (or record player!) Had an excellent video to.
2.  With The Pride -for me best track on Parade album, surprised never released as a single but made many an appearance as a filler live track mixed with a touch of Gold.
1.  True -Gary’s soulful song writing at its best, will forever be the bands signature tune. Many a smoochy moment on the dance floor to this. Surprisingly only UK no.1

1. Gripper Stebson finally getting expelled. The bullying, extortion, racism and fighting had been going on for months.  I just wish Bullet Baxter hadn’t stopped Stewpot and his mates from giving him a kicking!
2.  The ‘Just Say No’ campaign.  I was about ten at the time and right at the start of the storyline I can remember saying to my Mum, ‘there’s something not right with Zammo’.  Next thing we knew, he was slumped in the back room of the arcade smacked up to his eyeballs.
3.  Danny Kendall’s death.  Everyone thought it was hilarious when he stole Bronson’s car, nobody saw his death coming.  It was a complete shock.
4.  Ziggy Greaves joining.  As a Scouser myself, it was great to see someone from Liverpool in a show as big as Grange Hill.  He made an instant impact, shoving Imelda into the pond.
5.  Jeremy Irving drowning.  Another shock.  He was a bit of a class clown and when he jumped into the pool and didn’t come back up everyone thought he was joking.  He wasn’t.
6.  Imelda and the Terrorhawks.  There had been naughty girls at Grange Hill before but there had never been a girl who was a bully before.  Imelda and her gang terrorised everybody in their own way, their most memorable attack being stuffing fibreglass down people’s backs.
7.  Robbie Wright becoming a football hooligan.  Cheeky, loveable, little Robbie Wright mixed with the wrong crowd and as it was the 1980′s, he obviously became a football hooligan.
8.  The Zammo/Jackie/Banksy storyline.  Zammo and Jackie were already in a ‘Romeo and Juliet’ type storyline being from different schools but when the schools merged Banksy was thrown into the mix.  Zammo eventually won the heart of Jackie and all was right with the world.
9.  Trevor Cleaver getting drunk.  Cleaver looked older than most Grange Hill pupils and was able to buy alcohol.  On one school trip to the Isle of Wight, he had a little bit too much to drink and ended up floating out to sea on a rubber ring.

10.  Ant Jones stowing away.  After Ant had left the school, Grange Hill went on a residential trip on a barge.  He managed to stow away undetected by the teachers until the last night of the trip after he gave himself up to stop Freddie ‘gassing himself’.  When the teachers realised he was there they had no choice but to send him home

7. I Believe in Father Christmas – Greg Lake (1975 )

First entered The U.K. Chart on 6th December 1975, peaked at Number 2 spending 7 weeks on the chart.

6. Merry Christmas Everybody – Slade (1973)

First entered The U.K. Chart on 15th December 1973, reached Number 1 and stayed on the chart for 9 weeks.

5.  Merry Christmas Everyone – Shakin’ Stevens (1985)

First entered The U.K. Chart on 7th December 1985, reached Number 1 spending 8 weeks on the chart.

4. The Power of Love – Frankie Goes to Hollywood (1984)

First entered The U.K. Chart on 1st December 1984 reaching Number 1 and spent 11 weeks on the chart.

3. Last Christmas – WHAM! (1984)

First entered The U.K. Chart on 15th December 1984 reached Number 2 and spent 13 weeks on the chart.

2. Fairytale of New York – The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl (1987)

First entered The U.K. Chart on 5th December 1987, peaked at Number 2 and spent 8 weeks on the chart

1. Do They Know It’s Christmas – Band Aid (1984)

First entered The U.K. Chart on 15th December 1984 reached Number 1 and spent 13 weeks on the chart.

Here’s our Top Ten dedicated to the first full working week of 2013:

1: Matt Bianco – Get out of your Lazy Bed (1984) Just the song you want to hear at 5 a.m.

2: 9 to 5 – Sheena Easton (1980) Sadly with a hour for lunch in the middle

3: Back on The Chain Gang – The Pretenders (1982) It will be tough going back that’s for sure

4: Crushed by the wheels of Industry – Heaven 17 (1983) Don’t let it grind you down

5: Working my way back to you – Detroit Spinners (1980)  A great thought but most work to keep the Bank happy

6: Train of thought – A-Ha (1986) The train, looking forward to that wet and windy platform?

7: Down in the Tube Station at Midnight – The Jam (Chart re-entry 1983) That’s if the overtime really piles up

8: Ain’t nothing goin’ on but the rent – Gwen Guthrie (1986) How very true

9: Cars (E Reg Model) – Gary Numan (1987) One for those on the school run for the first time since late December

10: Turn back the clock – Johnny Hates Jazz (1987) We all wish we could be Time Lords so we can avoid Monday morning

My Top 10 Hits of 1980 by @kencampion

10.  Hot Chocolate ……..No doubt about it.

9.  Squeeze……………….Pulling mussels from a shell.

8.  Specials……………….Too much too young.