NME (or New Musical Express) is a British weekly pop music newspaper which now exists only online. NME was the first record chart in the United Kingdom based on sales having imitated an idea started in American Billboard magazine on 14 November 1952. From 1960, Record Retailer began compiling a chart and this is regarded by The Official Charts Company and Guinness' British Hit Singles & Albums 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. Nevertheless, in the 1960s, NME had the biggest circulation of charts in the decade and was most widely followed. Although not regarded as the primary source for UK charts, NME continued to compile an independent chart until 11 June 1988 (Melody Maker ended its own independently compiled chart the preceding week on 4 June). It was the longest independently compiled chart and, when it ceased, NME published the Market Research Information Bureau chart. From 19 February 1983 to 22 September 1984, the new NME chart was broadcast weekly on Capital Radio's Pick of the Pops Take Two, presented by Alan Freeman; this show also featured archive NME charts.
Notable differences when compared to the official chart run by BMRB and, later, Gallup are an additional two number-one singles in the decade for Rick Astley, David Bowie, Spandau Ballet and Phil Collins. Significantly, Tears for Fears' song "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" spent three weeks at the top of the NME chart although it never topped the Gallup chart. Additionally, as well as making number one on the NME chart 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. Eighteen acts achieved a number-one single on the NME chart but never had an official number-one singleAltered Images, The Assembly, Bomb the Bass, Randy Crawford, Dire Straits, King, Jona Lewie, Lipps Inc, Liquid Gold, Abigail Mead and Nigel Goulding, Ennio Morricone, Robbie Nevil, Ph.D., The Pointer Sisters, Starsound, Tears for Fears, Ultravox, and Dionne Warwick never had an official number-one single although two of these had songs they had written reach number one when performed by another artist.Ennio Morricone's theme "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" was a number one for Hugo Montenegro and Tears for Fears' song "Mad World" reached number one when performed by Gary Jules.
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.[nb #] The song spent a week at number one where it shared the top spot with another song.
ArtistSingleReachednumber oneWeeks atnumber one488 Pretenders"Brass in Pocket" 2489 Madness"My Girl" ‡ 1490 1491 "Coward of the County" 2492 Blondie"Atomic" 3493 "Together We Are Beautiful" 1494 "Going Underground" 2495 Liquid Gold"Dance Yourself Dizzy" ‡ 2496 Blondie"Call Me" 2497 Dexy's Midnight Runners"Geno" 1498 "What's Another Year" 2499 Hot Chocolate"No Doubt About It" ‡ 1500 "Theme from M*A*S*H (Suicide is Painless)" 2501 Lipps Inc"Funkytown" ‡ 1502 "Crying" 2503 and the Electric Light Orchestra"Xanadu" 3504 Odyssey"Use It Up and Wear It Out" 1505 "Upside Down" ‡ 1506 ABBA"" 2507 "Ashes to Ashes" 2508 "Start!" 1509 "One Day I'll Fly Away" ‡ 2510 "Don't Stand So Close to Me" 4511 "Woman in Love" 3512 Blondie"" 2513 ABBA"Super Trouper" 2514 "Stop the Cavalry" ‡ 2There was no chart published for the week ending 27 December 1980. In the preceding week, "Stop the Cavalry" was the number-one single. In the next published chart, "(Just Like) Starting Over" claimed the top spot.515 "" 1516 "Imagine" 4517 "In the Air Tonight" ‡ 2518 Ultravox"Vienna" ‡ 1519 "Shaddap You Face" 2520 Roxy Music"Jealous Guy" 2521 Shakin' Stevens "This Ole House" 3522 Bucks Fizz"Making Your Mind Up" 2523 "Chi Mai (Theme from The Life and Times of David Lloyd George)" ‡ 1524 Starsound"Stars on 45" ‡ 1525 "Stand and Deliver" 4526 "Being with You" 2527 "One Day In Your Life" 3528 "Ghost Town" 2529 Spandau Ballet"Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)" ‡ 1530 Shakin' Stevens"Green Door" 1531 "Happy Birthday" ‡ 1 Shakin' Stevens"Green Door" 2532 Aneka"Japanese Boy" 1533 Soft Cell"Tainted Love" 1534 "Prince Charming" 5535 and Barbara Gaskin"It's My Party" 2536 Altered Images"Happy Birthday" ‡ 1537 "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" 2538 Queen and David Bowie"Under Pressure" 2539 "Begin the Beguine (Volver A Empezar)" 1540 "Don't You Want Me" 2There was no chart published for the week ending 26 December 1981. In the preceding week, "Don't You Want Me" was the number-one single. In the next published chart, "One of Us" claimed the top spot.541 ABBA"One of Us" ‡ 1 "Don't You Want Me" 1542 Bucks Fizz"" 2543 Kraftwerk "Computer Love" / "The Model" 3544 "Town Called Malice" 3545 Tight Fit"" 3546 Goombay Dance Band"Seven Tears" 2547 Bucks Fizz"My Camera Never Lies" 2548 and Stevie Wonder "Ebony and Ivory" 2549 Ph.D."I Won't Let You Down" ‡ 1550 Nicole"A Little Peace" 1551 "Goody Two Shoes" 1552 Madness"House of Fun" 2 "Goody Two Shoes" 2553 Charlene"I've Never Been to Me" 1554 Captain Sensible"Happy Talk" 1555 "Abracadabra" ‡ 1556 "Fame" 2557 Dexy's Midnight Runners "Come On Eileen" 4558 Survivor"Eye of the Tiger" 3559 Dire Straits"Private Investigations" ‡ 1560 "" ‡ 1561 Musical Youth"Pass the Dutchie" 2562 Culture Club"Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" 3563 "I Don't Wanna Dance" 2564 "Heartbreaker" ‡ 1565 "Mirror Man" ‡ 1566 "Beat Surrender" 1567 Culture Club"Time (Clock of the Heart)" ‡ 2There was no chart published for the week ending 1 January 1983. In the preceding week, "Time (Clock of the Heart)" was the number-one single. In the next published chart, "Save Your Love" claimed the top spot.568 Renée and Renato"Save Your Love" 1569 "You Can't Hurry Love" 2570 Men at Work"Down Under" 3571 Kajagoogoo"Too Shy" 2572 "Billie Jean" 2573 "Total Eclipse of the Heart" 2574 Duran Duran"Is There Something I Should Know?" 2575 "Let's Dance" 3576 Spandau Ballet"True" 4577 New Edition"Candy Girl" 1578 "Every Breath You Take" 2579 "China Girl" ‡ 1 "Every Breath You Take" 1580 "Baby Jane" 1581 "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)" 5582 KC and the Sunshine Band"Give It Up" 1583 Spandau Ballet"Gold" ‡ 2584 UB40"Red Red Wine" 3585 Culture Club"Karma Chameleon" 6586 "Uptown Girl" 3587 "Never Never" ‡ 1588 "Love of the Common People" ‡ 1589 "Only You" 5There was no chart published for the week ending 31 December 1983. For the two weeks preceding and succeeding the omitted chart week, "Only You" held the number-one spot.590 "Pipes of Peace" 1591 Frankie Goes to Hollywood"Relax" 3592 Queen"Radio Ga Ga" ‡ 1 Frankie Goes to Hollywood"Relax" 1593 Nena"99 Red Balloons" 4594 "Hello" 5595 "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" ‡ 1596 Duran Duran"" 2597 "Automatic" ‡ 2598 Wham!"Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" 2599 Frankie Goes to Hollywood"Two Tribes" 8600 "Careless Whisper" 3601 "I Just Called to Say I Love You" 6602 Culture Club"" ‡ 1603 Wham!"Freedom" 2604 "I Feel for You" 3605 "I Should Have Known Better" 1606 Band Aid"Do They Know It's Christmas?" 5There was no chart published for the week ending 29 December 1984. For the two weeks preceding and succeeding the omitted chart week, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" held the number-one spot.607 Wham!"Everything She Wants" / "Last Christmas" ‡"Last Christmas" peaked at number two in the UK Singles Chart on its original release in December 1984, but eventually reached number one on the chart week ending 7 January 2021. 1608 Foreigner "I Want to Know What Love Is" 2609 and Barbara Dickson"I Know Him So Well" 1610 King"Love and Pride" ‡ 1 and Barbara Dickson"I Know Him So Well" 1611 Dead or Alive"You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" 2612 (duet with Phil Collins)"Easy Lover" 3613 Frankie Goes to Hollywood"Welcome to the Pleasuredome" ‡ 1614 Tears for Fears"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" ‡ 3615 "Move Closer" 1616 "19" 5617 "You'll Never Walk Alone" 1618 Madonna"Crazy for You" ‡ 1619 Sister Sledge"Frankie" 3620 Eurythmics"There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)" 2621 Madonna"Into the Groove" 4622 UB40 and Chrissie Hynde"I Got You Babe" 1623 and Mick Jagger"Dancing in the Street" 3624 "If I Was" 1625 "" 3626 a-ha"Take On Me" ‡ 1 "" 1627 "Nikita" ‡ 1628 "" 2629 Wham!"I'm Your Man" 2630 "Saving All My Love for You" 3There was no chart published for the week ending 28 December 1985. For the weeks preceding and succeeding the omitted chart week, "Saving All My Love for You" held the number-one spot.631 Pet Shop Boys"West End Girls" 2632 "" 3633 "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going" 4634 "Chain Reaction" 2635 "Absolute Beginners" ‡ 1636 and The Young Ones"Living Doll" 3637 "" 3638 Falco"Rock Me Amadeus" 1639 Spitting Image"" 2640 Doctor and the Medics"Spirit in the Sky" 4641 Wham!"" 1642 Madonna"Papa Don't Preach" 3643 "" 3644 "I Want to Wake Up with You" 3645 "Don't Leave Me This Way" 5646 Madonna"True Blue" 1647 "Every Loser Wins" 3648 Berlin"Take My Breath Away" 3649 Europe"" 2650 "Caravan of Love" 3There was no chart published for the week ending 27 December 1986. For the weeks preceding and succeeding the omitted chart week, "Caravan of Love" held the number-one spot.651 "Reet Petite (The Sweetest Girl in Town)" 3652 "C'est La Vie" ‡ 1653 and George Michael"I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" 3654 "Stand by Me" 3655 "Everything I Own" 1656 Mel and Kim"Respectable" 2657 Ferry Aid"Let It Be" 2658 Madonna"La Isla Bonita" 3659 Starship"Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" 3660 "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" 3661 The Firm"Star Trekkin'" 2662 Pet Shop Boys"It's a Sin" 3663 Madonna"Who's That Girl" 1664 Los Lobos"La Bamba" 2665 "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" 2666 "Never Gonna Give You Up" 4667 "Pump Up the Volume" 2668 Abigail Mead and Nigel Goulding"I Want To Be Your Drill Instructor" ‡ 1669 Bee Gees"You Win Again" 2670 "Faith" ‡ 1 Bee Gees"You Win Again" 1671 T'Pau"China in Your Hand" 3672 "When I Fall in Love" ‡ 2There was no chart published for the week ending 26 December 1987. In the preceding week, "When I Fall in Love" was the number-one single. In the three next published charts, "Always on My Mind" claimed the top spot.673 Pet Shop Boys"Always on My Mind" 3674 "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" 2675 Tiffany"I Think We're Alone Now" 2676 "I Should Be So Lucky" 2677 Bomb the Bass"Beat Dis" ‡ 1678 "Together Forever" ‡ 1679 Aswad"Don't Turn Around" 3680 Pet Shop Boys"Heart" 2681 S-Express"Theme from S-Express" 2682 Fairground Attraction"Perfect" 1683 Wet Wet WetBilly Bragg and Cara Tivey"With a Little Help from My Friends""She's Leaving Home" 4
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