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

Also Pointer Sisters' 'Jump'

 

16. THE BEST- Tina Turner (#5, 1989, 961,000)



80s position: 90

Now regarded as one of her signature tunes, this was written by Mike Chapman who wrote many a massive 70s hit this was originally recorded by Bonnie Tyler in 1988 and of course being a popular self anthem for many a sportsman including Ayrton Senna, Chris Eubank and the unofficial theme for Rangers FC. Turner’s version peaked a whole 90 places higher in the charts than poor Tyler’s and ended Turner’s top 10 drought which had lasted over 5 years. Since then it’s continued to rack up the digital sales at a fantastic rate!

TOTP

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15. HOLIDAY- Madonna (#2, 1985, 979,000)



80s position: 20

Another record that took two releases to make its mark, the difference being that this was a hit both times around. “Holiday” was Madonna’s first hit in the UK making No 6 in 1984 then was re-released a year later when her superstar status was assured and went all the way to No 2 to be denied by herself! A third release in 1991 saw the record stroll to the top 5 again but added a little under 100k to this total and was sampled too on the top 10 1986 hit “Holiday Rap” by DJ Sven & MC Miker.

TOTP

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Tomorrow we reach the "Millionaires". Only 1 song by a female soloist in the 80s sold a million but we now have 13!

 

Still trying to forget that abomination.

 

Also Pointer Sisters' 'I'm So Exited'

 

Also Pointer Sisters 'Slow Hand'. Filth Merchants!

 

Fantastic sales for The Best there and much deserved. Guess it really is Tina's signature anthem these days, gets lots of airplay, but rightly so, feel good perfection. Hopefully it can one day crack the million mark too!

 

At its current rate it will be next year

 

Not bad going really.

 

14. HOLDING OUT FROM A HERO- Bonnie Tyler (#2, 1985, 989,000)



80s position: 40

She may only have 2 top 40 hits in the decade that are eligible for this rundown but they both make the top 20! Like Deniece Williams (No 50) this was recorded for the “Footloose” album and barely scrapped the top 100 when it was released in 1984, but the re-issue had no such problems making No 2 behind Mick Jagger & David Bowie. The structure and some arrangement are lifted from Steinman’s own track “Stark Raving Love” from 1981.

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13. HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH- Belinda Carlisle (#1, 1987, 1,007,000)



80s position: 28

With a bit of Bach’s “Christmas Oratorio” thrown in for good measure, this Diane Warren song topped charts all over the world including here where it was a breakthrough solo hit for the former Go-go. The video incidentally features husband Morgan Mason, one of the Mamas & Papas on backing vocals, and was directed by Hollywood actress Diane Keaton- it was bound to be a hit. It took advantage of that January sales slump in 1988 and rose to the top for 2 weeks to become the first of three female chart toppers in a row for the first time in history. This has done very well in the digital age for some reason tripping over the million mark recently.

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A very worthy million seller.

 

Bonnie Tyler's version of The Best was a top 10 hit. In Norway.

 

Heaven Is A Place On Earth is an anthem. Still fresh as a daisy 34 years later.

Only one song from 87 can out-bop it and it’s still to come…..

Spoiler

 

Still the most gorgeous performance by anyone ever.

 

I need to watch the Black Mirror stuff. Though it'll probably fry my brain.

 

The intro of the 12" mix of Heaven Is A Place On Earth sounds like You Give Love A Bad Name!

 

Legal teams were apparently involved at some point. She made some reference to the hassle in a Smash Hits interview when one of the questions jokingly noted the similarity.

The biggest You Give Love A Bad Name rip-off (though as it was 1986, it was probably the other way round) is Bonnie Tyler's If You Were A Woman and I Was A Man.