UK Top 200 Best Selling Female Solo Hits Of The 80s

Hi All



We've had this thread before (about 2011) but this is the updated list......

Here we are then with the top 200 best selling female solo hits of the 80s with a twist. This list is based on total sales up to June 2021 and so is an attempt to factor in streaming and downloads so you can see what has been selling best in the modern era.

As such the list is much more reliant on estimates than the list of just 80s sales and so the figures should be taken as approximates rather than known sales.

Beside each entry I’ll note the tracks position on the top 200 based on physical sales in the 80s alone however the positions on that list are not directly comparable as some tracks on the original list have been removed because, though they sold enough in the 80s to make the top 200 of the decade, they were remixes or re-issues of hits from previous decades and it is not possible to split sales of remixes from the original tracks. In total 4 tracks were excluded due to that fact. Also some sales have been fine-tuned since the original list in 2011 so some songs appear to have moved substantially between 2011 and 2021 but are also a result of sales re-estimations. Thirdly songs which were still charting at the end of 1989 also have their 1990 sales added to them which helped to boost them.

No spoilers please as to what might top the list this time around and at the very least it's a chance to celebrate the ladies of the 80s!

LIST SO FAR


​

21 19 I THINK WE'RE ALONE NOW TIFFANY 871,000
22 26 CRAZY FOR YOU MADONNA 858,000
23 100 HOW WILL I KNOW WHITNEY HOUSTON 830,000
24 23 KIDS IN AMERICA KIM WILDE 829,000
25 11 I FEEL FOR YOU CHAKA KHAN 806,000
26 8 THE ONLY WAY IS UP YAZZ 784,000
27 9 TOGETHER WE ARE BEAUTIFUL FERN KINNEY 781,000
28 12 I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY KYLIE MINOGUE 773,000
29 17 PAPA DON'T PREACH MADONNA 759,000
30 24 UPSIDE DOWN DIANA ROSS 724,000

31 36 FLASHDANCE...WHAT A FEELING IRENE CARA 717,000
32 14 9 TO 5 SHEENA EASTON 712,000
33 84 RUNNING UP THAT HILL KATE BUSH 706,000
34 18 MICKEY TONI BRASIL 704,000
35 15 MOVE CLOSER PHYLLIS NELSON 676,000
36 95 IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME CHER 675,000
37 31 ONE DAY I'LL FLY AWAY RANDY CRAWFORD 661,000
38 22 TRUE BLUE MADONNA 618,000
39 182 I'M COMING OUT DIANA ROSS 617,000
40 52 ONE MOMENT IN TIME WHITNEY HOUSTON 615,000

41 27 JAPANESE BOY ANEKA 611,000
42 25 HEARTBREAKER DIONNE WARWICK 595,000
43 21 SO MACHO SINITTA 587,000
44 NEW EDGE OF SEVENTEEN STEVIE NICKS 584,000
45 38 LA ISLA BONITA MADONNA 579,000
46 169 BETTE DAVIS EYES KIM CARNES 572,000
47 79 MATERIAL GIRL MADONNA 566,000
48 67 ORINOCO FLOW ENYA 561,000
49 32 HAND ON YOUR HEART KYLIE MINOGUE 554,000
50 56 LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY DENIECE WILLIAMS 543,000

51 41 SELF CONTROL LAURA BRANIGAN 527,000
52 55 YOU KEEP ME HANGIN ON KIM WILDE 519,000
53 49 PHYSICAL OLIVIA NEWTON JOHN 514,000
54 66 WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER HERO TINA TURNER 514,000
55 29 THEY DON'T KNOW TRACEY ULLMAN 497,000
56 85 TELL IT TO MY HEART TAYLOR DAYNE 493,000
57 130 WIND BENEATH MY WINGS BETTE MIDLER 489,000
58 57 I'VE NEVER BEEN TO ME CHARLENE 486,000
59 43 ALL AROUND THE WORLD LISA STANSFIELD 483,000
60 33 TAKE THAT LOOK OFF YOUR FACE MARTI WEBB 480,000

61 46 THE LOCO-MOTION KYLIE MINOGUE 447,000
62 51 LET'S STAY TOGETHER TINA TURNER 441,000
63 102 GLORIA LAURA BRANIGAN 426,000
64 44 WHO'S THAT GIRL MADONNA 418,000
65 37 CAN'T BE WITH YOU TONIGHT JUDY BOUCHER 414,000
66 39 WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE DIANA ROSS 412,000
67 81 BUFFALO STANCE NENEH CHERRY 405,000
68 80 GOT TO BE CERTAIN KYLIE MINOGUE 405,000
69 61 THIS TIME I KNOW IT'S FOR REAL DONNA SUMMER 404,000
70 53 MISS YOU LIKE CRAZY NATALIE COLE 403,000

71 78 BORDERLINE MADONNA 399,000
72 54 WOULDN'T CHANGE A THING KYLIE MINOGUE 394,000
73 59 TOUCH ME (I WANT YOUR BODY) SAMANTHA FOX 393,000
74 58 MEMORY ELAINE PAIGE 391,000
75 65 THAT OLE DEVIL CALLED LOVE ALISON MOYET 391,000
76 47 A LITTLE PEACE NICOLE 389,000
77 60 SEE THE DAY DEE C LEE 388,000
78 70 LOVE COME DOWN EVELYN KING 387,000
79 186 TRUE COLOURS CYNDI LAUPER 387,000
80 45 THE FIRST TIME ROBIN BECK 385,000

81 72 STRAIGHT UP PAULA ABDUL 383,000
82 88 IS THIS LOVE ALISON MOYET 381,000
83 48 YOU'LL NEVER STOP ME LOVING YOU SONIA 380,000
84 155 GREATEST LOVE OF ALL WHITNEY HOUSTON 379,000
85 50 NEVER KNEW A LOVE LIKE THIS STEPHANIE MILLS 378,000
86 96 FORGET ME NOTS PATRICE RUSHEN 378,000
87 86 LOVE LETTERS ALISON MOYET 373,000
88 104 YOU CAME KIM WILDE 366,000
89 63 TOY BOY SINITTA 362,000
90 98 LIVE TO TELL MADONNA 358,000

91 174 LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD PAT BENATAR 355,000
92 106 LEAVE A LIGHT ON BELINDA CARLISE 353,000
93 71 ALL CRIED OUT ALISON MOYET 352,000
94 68 EIGHTH DAY HAZEL O'CONNOR 349,000
95 118 TOY SOLDIERS MARTIKA 346,000
96 76 LET'S WAIT AWHILE JANET JACKSON 344,000
97 NEW BABY CAN I HOLD YOU TRACY CHAPMAN 343,000
98 75 JE NE SAIS PAS POURQUOI KYLIE MINOGUE 338,000
99 87 FOR YOUR EYES ONLY SHEENA EASTON 335,00
100 64 MODERN GIRL SHEENA EASTON 331,000

101 97 BABOOSHKA KATE BUSH 328,000
102 92 WHY CARLY SIMON 327,000
103 149 YOU MIGHT NEED SOMEBODY RANDY CRAWFORD 323,000
104 159 COMING AROUND AGAIN CARLY SIMON 322,000
105 126 LOVE RESURRECTION ALISON MOYET 314,000
106 74 CALL ME SPAGNA 314,000
107 73 JUMP TO THE BEAT STACY LATTISAW 313,000
108 156 DEAR JESSIE MADONNA 313,000
109 77 STOP SAM BROWN 306,000
110 91 AIN'T NOTHIN GOIN ON BUT THE RENT GWEN GUTHRIE 301,000

111 62 WHATEVER I DO (WHEREVER I GO) HAZELL DEAN 300,000
112 114 DON'T WANNA LOSE YOU GLORIA ESTEFAN 299,000
113 125 CAUSING A COMMOTION MADONNA 298,000
114 NEW THIS WOMAN'S WORK KATE BUSH 298,000
115 101 MY OLD PIANO DIANA ROSS 294,000
116 93 CHEQUERED LOVE KIM WILDE 291,000
117 154 I FOUND SOMEONE CHER 291,000
118 133 FRENCH KISSIN IN THE USA DEBBIE HARRY 288,000
119 147 EXPRESS YOURSELF MADONNA 287,000
120 131 WEAK IN THE PRESENCE OF BEAUTY ALISON MOYET 284,000

121 108 WILL YOU HAZEL O'CONNOR 283,000
122 103 WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY? JANET JACKSON 283,000
123 99 BOYS (SUMMERTIME LOVE) SABRINA 283,000
124 117 CAMBODIA KIM WILDE 279,000
125 164 ALL THE LOVE IN THE WORLD DIONNE WARWICK 278,000
126 124 A NEW ENGLAND KIRSTY MACCOLL 274,000
127 200 SOMEBODY ELSE'S GUY JOCELYN BROWN 273,000
128 83 STARTING TOGETHER SU POLLARD 271,000
129 89 GAMBLER MADONNA 270,000
130 122 MY BABY JUST CARES FOR ME NINA SIMONE 269,000

131 111 OPEN YOUR HEART MADONNA 268,000
132 127 SO EMOTIONAL WHITNEY HOUSTON 266,000
133 69 HI ENERGY EVELYN THOMAS 265,000
134 107 ALMAZ RANDY CRAWFORD 263,000
135 151 CHERISH MADONNA 260,000
136 152 I DON'T WANNA LOSE YOU TINA TURNER 259,000
137 109 ANGEL MADONNA 258,000
138 NEW SWEET LOVE ANITA BAKER 254,000
139 94 ONLY LOVE NANA MOUSKOURI 254,000
140 NEW DIDN'T WE ALMOST HAVE IT ALL WHITNEY HOUSTON 252,000

141 120 WORK THAT BODY DIANA ROSS 251,000
142 82 SEARCHIN (I GOTTA FIND A MAN) HAZELL DEAN 248,000
143 138 I DROVE ALL NIGHT CYNDI LAUPER 248,000
144 136 JOE LE TAXI VANESSA PARADIS 247,000
145 115 NO MORE THE FOOL ELKIE BROOKS 246,000
146 191 STATE OF INDEPENDENCE DONNA SUMMER 244,000
147 129 I FEEL THE EARTH MOVE MARTIKA 243,000
148 116 LET THE MUSIC PLAY SHANNON 242,000
149 105 BREAKAWAY TRACEY ULLMAN 242,000
150 112 DRESS YOU UP MADONNA 241,000

151 NEW CLOUDBUSTING KATE BUSH 241,000
152 139 VOYAGE VOYAGE DESIRELESS 239,000
153 110 STAND UP FOR YOUR LOVE RIGHTS YAZZ 329,000
154 190 SAT IN YOUR LAP KATE BUSH 237,000
155 135 WHO'S LEAVING WHO HAZELL DEAN 235,000
156 196 WHO'S ZOOMIN WHO ARETHA FRANKLIN 234,000
157 NEW PULL UP TO THE BUMPER GRACE JONES 233,000
158 140 O SUPERMAN LAURIE ANDERSON 232,000
159 119 SAY I'M YOUR NUMBER ONE PRINCESS 231,000
160 163 JANUARY FEBRUARY BARBARA DICKSON 225,000

161 150 LICENCE TO KILL GLADYS KNIGHT 225,000
162 NEW TALKIN BOUT A REVOLUTION TRACY CHAPMAN 219,000
163 128 RIGHT BACK WHERE WE STARTED FROM SINITTA 219,000
164 178 CIRCLE IN THE SAND BELINDA CARLISE 218,000
165 113 BEN MARTI WEBB 218,000
166 181 SLAVE TO THE RHYTHM GRACE JONES 217,000
167 121 MY TOOT TOOT DENISE LASALLE 216,000
168 143 FOUR LETTER WORD KIM WILDE 214,000
169 142 PINK CADILLAC NATALIE COLE 214,000
170 123 IKO IKO NATASHA 213,000

171 NEW HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT PAT BENATAR 208,000
172 NEW HOUNDS OF LOVE KATE BUSH 207,000
173 NEW FOOLISH BEAT DEBBIE GIBSON 205,000
174 192 I AM WHAT I AM GLORIA GAYNOR 204,000
175 NEW I WANT THAT MAN DEBBIE HARRY 204,000
176 132 COULD'VE BEEN TIFFANY 203,000
177 165 MANCHILD NENEH CHERRY 201,000
178 187 I GET WEAK BELINDA CARLISE 199,000
179 137 GIRLIE GIRLIE SOPHIA GEORGE 197,000
180 NEW IN PRIVATE DUSTY SPRINGFIELD 197,000

181 134 NEVER TOO LATE KYLIE MINOGUE 194,000
182 153 SET ME FREE JAKI GRAHAM 191,000
183 144 I NEED YOUR LOVIN ALYSON WILLIAMS 189,000
184 146 BEHIND THE GROOVE TEENA MARIE 189,000
185 148 COME INTO MY LIFE JOYCE SIMS 188,000
186 162 D-DAYS HAZEL O'CONNOR 187,000
187 189 WATER ON GLASS/ BOYS KIM WILDE 185,000
188 175 SHAKE YOUR LOVE DEBBIE GIBSON 184,000
189 157 JUST WHAT I ALWAYS WANTED MARI WILSON 183,000
190 173 I DON'T WANNA GET HURT DONNA SUMMER 178,000

191 161 ROUND AND AROUND JAKI GRAHAM 178,000
192 198 DROP THE PILOT JOAN ARMATRADING 178,000
193 183 WHEN I THINK OF YOU JANET JACKSON 176,000
194 184 STAR KIKI DEE 176,000
195 NEW TWIST IN MY SOBRIETY TANITA TIKARAM 176,000
196 158 SUPERWOMAN KARYN WHITE 174,000
197 179 MY ONE TEMPTATION MICA PARIS 172,000
198 NEW RUSH HOUR JANE WIEDLIN 171,000
199 171 CROSS MY BROKEN HEART SINITTA 169,000
200 166 ON THE INSIDE LYNNE HAMILTON 168,000

 

@phoenix123 @Eric Generic @Hairycub1969 @letuinmybackdoor @WhatKindOfKylie? I know you'll all be interested!

 

I've totally forgotten the original rundown, so no chance of naughty-step spoilers from me!

 

Team Voyage Voyage assemble!!

@Phonetics Girl @soratami @Maki @nnnumb @Untouchable Ace !!

 

I'll pop some stats on tonight in terms of how many new songs are on the list that weren't on there at the end of the 80s plus we'll have a review of the 10 tracks which have increased their tallies by more than 50k yet still missed the top 200

 

Are we ready for some stats then? Well there are 16 songs in the top 200 that weren't there at the end of the 80s and we have 18 ladies who have at least 3 entries on the list!

Thanks to the following people/sites for helping to fine tune the figures!
Thanks go to mfr, youtube, BPI, shireblogger, LiamK, Haven, Buzzjack


For those of you wondering I have ignored (by and large) the recent figures from the OCC on the 80s lists as they are so riddled with errors to be meaningless except 1988 and 1989. I'll glaze over the argument about whether "Sales" are "Streams" etc and have just lumped them together as sales so apologies if you don't agree but there's little way to separate them out.

Next up, as promised 10 tracks which miss the top 200 but have still added over 50,000 sales since the end of the 80s.

 

First up on the "Bubbling Under" front is....


WHITNEY HOUSTON- LOVE WILL SAVE THE DAY- Whitney Houston (128,000)



Whitney has done well on the list, I suppose that having “passed” tends to do well for sales, this was a No 10 hit back in 1988 for her but sold poorly and has subsequently doubled its sales but still misses out on a top 200 placement. Though it was produced by Jellybean it was hampered by lack of a promo.

Live

Extended

 

JANET JACKSON- NASTY (138,000)



Another US top 10 single that missed here peaking at No 19, it has since become iconic naturally and is based on a real life experience of Jackson when she was taking a break from recording the album and was wolf whistled as she walked down the street. Jam & Lewis co-write and produce it and as it’s the 80s Paula’s on the choreography in the video.

Promo

Extended

 

And whilst i'm here @idratherjack @Baby Clyde

 

This is perhaps the most @WhatKindOfKylie? appropriate thread ever created on Popjustice.

 

@gezza76 - may I ask whether this list will look at worldwide chart stats? Are we due to see the likes of Selena, Dalida, Mylene Farmer etc on the list? Perched either way!

EDIT: Scratch Selena, I see her bigger hits were mostly in the 90s!

 

No this is UK sales only I'm afraid as it is pretty much an update on a previous thread. There's quite a few surprises on the way though in terms of how much some acts are doing and how much some aren't in terms of streaming.

 

Always loved the Whitney single. Should have been the 3rd single, not the 5th or 6th or whatever it was. I think it even pre-dates the rest of the Whitney album by quite a bit...1986?

Nasty is great...light on melody, maybe, but it had the sound and the sass which really made a mark. When I heard this on the US chart show back in the Spring of 1986, I knew it was a game-changer.

 

Love Will Save The Day, has always been a favourite of mine, proof that The Voice could tackle anything. Criminal it's near enough long forgotten.

 

'Love Will Save The Day' is great. I love the lyrics which still have relevance in this day and age.

 

Love Will Save The Day is easily one of Whitney's best singles, shame it never got a music video and is so forgotten these days. Love the Jellybean remix too

This is why we need an expanded Whitney reissue @PatHouston!

 

Some more tracks that have added 50,000 "sales" but miss the top 200

DONNA SUMMER- DINNER WITH GERSHWIN (138,000)



Returning Summer to the top 20 for the first time in 4 years, this was written by Brenda Russell who then gave it to Summer to record before putting it on her own album a few years later.

Promo

TOTP

12" Mix

 

KATE BUSH- BREATHING (141,000)



In and out the charts in 7 weeks back in 1980, this one didn’t hang around and was Kate’s first single of the decade and lead single from her album “Never For Ever”. It’s about a foetus that is worried about the fallout from a nuclear war and is aware of what is happening in the world despite not being born yet. You can’t say she’s commonplace in her subject matter!

Promo

Live

No 12" released!

 

OFRA HAZA- IM NIN ALU (144,000)



The Israeli Madonna apparently, Haza came to recognition in the Eurovision when she represented her country in 1983. She really broke internationally with this track which topped countries all over Europe but just missed out on the top 10 here. It’s been sampled several times since and is actually a Hebrew poem set to music, Haza died in 2000.

TOTP

Promo

12" Mix

 

Why do I think that somehow my streaming alone of this is responsible for that sales increase?! TUNE.