Australian singles chart peaks beyond the top 100: A journey through flop.
21 August 2020
Week commencing 21 August 1989
Like last week, one thing the majority (4 out of 7) of this week's new entries have in common is that they registered on the Australian Music Report top 100 singles chart. Let's take a look at them.
Beastie Boys: You gotta fight for your right to have a hit Down Under!
Top 150 debuts:
Number 121 "This One" by Paul McCartney
Peak: number 113
Peak date: 28 August 1989
Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks
Weeks on chart: 10 weeks
"This One" was the second single lifted from Paul's Flowers in the Dirt album, following "My Brave Face" (number 30, June 1989). I don't recall hearing 'this one' at the time. The single performed better in the UK, where it peaked at number 18, and on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it peaked at number 94. On the state charts, "This One" performed best in Queensland, where it peaked at number 62. Macca will join us again in 1990.
Number 142 "Hey Baby" by Henry Lee Summer
Peak: number 142
Peak date: 21 August 1989
Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks
Henry Lee Summer scored a number 39 hit in Australia in September 1988 with "I Wish I Had a Girl". This track was the lead single from his I've Got Everything album, and became his second and last US top 20 hit, peaking at number 18 in August 1989. "Hey Baby" peaked much higher on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 76.
Number 147 "Gatecrashing" by Living in a Box
Peak: number 104
Peak date: 18 September 1989
Weeks in top 150: 9 weeks
Weeks on chart: 13 weeks
Living in a Box's self-titled single from 1987 had, to date, been their only entry on the Australian singles chart (number 49, August 1987). "Gatecrashing" was actually the second single lifted from the album of the same name in the group's native UK, but was the first single off it released in Australia. "Gatecrashing" performed strongest on the South Australia/Northern Territory state chart, where it peaked at number 55; it also peaked higher on the Australian Music Report singles chart, at number 95. Living in a Box will join us again in November.
Number 150 "Hey Ladies" by Beastie Boys
Peak: number 141
Peak date: 4 September 1989
Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks
Prior to the late 1990s, Beastie Boys (no 'The') had a surprising lack of success on the Australian charts. Their only charting single to date had been 1987's "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)", which peaked at number 37 in April of that year, and they wouldn't score another top 40 single again until 1998 - that being "Intergalactic". "Hey Ladies" was the lead single from their Paul's Boutique album (number 65, October 1989), and peaked at number 36 in the group's native US in September 1989.
Bubbling WAY down under:
Number 156 "Harry Houdini" by Kon Kan
Peak: number 156
Peak date: 21 August 1989
Weeks on chart: 1 week
Canadian synth-pop band Kon Kan landed a minor 'hit' on the Australian chart with "I Beg Your Pardon"
(number 100, July 1989), their debut single, earlier in the year.
"Harry Houdini" was the second single lifted from the band's debut album
Move to Move (released in Australia in July 1989, did not chart).
Internationally, "Harry Houdini" peaked at number 39 in Canada, number 88 in the UK in July 1989, and number 14 in New Zealand in September 1989.
On the ARIA state charts, "Harry Houdini" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 140.
In Mica's (pronounced "mee-sha") native UK, "My One Temptation" was her first single release, way back in April 1988, where it peaked at number 7 in June of that year. In Australia, "My One Temptation" was first released in late June 1988, but failed to chart. Her debut solo album, So Good, however, managed to peak at number 127 on the ARIA albums chart in January 1989. Before the June 1989 re-release of "My One Temptation", Mica had two other non-charting singles released locally: "Like Dreamers Do" (featuring Courtney Pine), and "Where Is the Love" featuring Will Downing. Other than scraping number 100 with this single on the Australian Music Report chart, Mica would never score a top 100 hit in Australia on the ARIA chart, though she would come close in 1995. "My One Temptation" performed the strongest on the South Australia/Northern Territory state chart, where it peaked at number 105. We will next see Mica in 1991.
Number 165 "Licence to Kill" by Gladys Knight
Peak: number 154
Peak date: 28 August 1989
Weeks on chart: 2 weeks
As someone with next to zero interest in movies, even I knew that Licence to Kill was the name of a Bond flick... and this just happens to be the theme song from that particular one.
Gladys Knight & The Pips, her band, placed six singles on the Australian top 100 chart between 1971 and 1976. The biggest of those, "So Sad the Song" (number 13, February 1977), was the last time Gladys had visited our charts.
"Licence to Kill" gave Gladys a top 5 hit across Europe, and a number 6 hit in the UK, but she barely registered a blip on the ARIA chart.
Gladys will score another bubbling WAY down under 'hit' in 1996.
Next week (28 August): Four new top 150 debuts, and another bubbling WAY down under entry. Among them, we have the understated return of a band who made a big splash at the start of the decade, and would again soon. You can also follow my posts on facebook.
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