ARIA Charts Throwback: 23 June 1985

Now would we say something that wasn't true? Check out the Top Ten from this week in 1985!

The sixth month of 1985 saw former Police front man Sting launch his solo career with debut album The Dream of the Blue Turtles; British rockers Dire Straits kicked off their record-setting run at the top of the ARIA Albums Chart with Brothers In Arms; and pop star Lana Del Rey was born.

For two weeks in June 1985, the ARIA Singles Chart was topped by a British duo and one of the decade’s biggest bangers.

10. Paul Hardcastle - 19

British multi-instrumentalist Paul Hardcastle made his only appearance in the ARIA Top 50 when his single ‘19’ peaked at #10 for three weeks in June/July 1985. The track was Hardcastle’s only #1 single in the UK, New Zealand, Ireland and several charts across Europe.

9. Go West - We Close Our Eyes

With their debut single, Go West scored the first of their two entries in the ARIA Top Ten. Five years after the British duo peaked at #8 with ‘We Close Our Eyes’, they took out a new high place when ‘King Of Wishful Thinking’ – which featured in the film Pretty Woman – peaked at #6.

8. Tears For Fears - Everybody Wants To Rule The World

Hitting #1 for a week in March 1985 with ‘Shout’ (#1 Mar. ’85), Tear For Fears returned to the Top Ten in the middle of the year with follow-up single ‘Everybody Wants To Rule The World’, which peaked at #2. Both tracks came from the duo’s second album, Song From The Big Chair (#5 May ’85), as did another chart hit, ‘Head Over Heels’ (#21 Aug. ’85).

7. Simple Minds - Don't You (Forget About Me)

Recorded for the film The Breakfast Club, ‘Don't You (Forget About Me)’ peaked at #6 in mid-June 1985. It became the highest-peaking of Simple Minds' three Top Tens in Australia; they peaked at #10 in August 1982 with ‘Promised You A Miracle’ and at #9 in in October of the same year with ‘Glittering Prize’.

6. Debarge - Rhythm Of The Night

American family band Debarge made their only appearance in the ARIA Top 50 when they peaked at #5 with ‘Rhythm Of The Night’. The single was also the R&B group’s highest-charting single in the US, hitting #3. The track was one of the first major hits for songwriter Diane Warren.

5. Mental As Anything - Live It Up

Sydney’s Mental As Anything picked up their biggest hit on the ARIA Singles Chart when ‘Live It Up’ peaked at #2 for three weeks in July 1985. Later featured in the film Crocodile Dundee, it became a Top Ten hit in Ireland (#2), the UK (#3), Norway (#4), Germany (#6) and New Zealand (#6). In 1989, Mental As Anything returned to the Top Ten with a cover of Chuck Berry’s ‘Rock And Roll Music’ (#5 Feb. ’89).

4. Uncanny X-Men - 50 Years

The only Top Ten entry on the ARIA Singles Chart for Melbourne rockers the Uncanny X-Men came when ’50 Years’ peaked at #4 for one week in June 1985. Coming from the band’s debut album ‘Cos Life Hurts (#3 Jun. ’85), it was one of two tracks the Uncanny X-Men performed at the 1985 Oz for Africa concert, which was part of the global Live Aid program.

3. USA For Africa - We Are The World

Featuring an all-star line-up that included Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper, Hall & Oates, Tina Turner and more, ‘We Are The World’ spent nine consecutive weeks at #1 between April and June 1985. The single, as a well as an album of the same name, were released to raised funds for African famine relief.

2. Madonna - Angel/Into The Groove

After taking out her first #1 on the Singles Chart at the end of 1984 with ‘Like A Virgin’, Madonna scored two more chart-toppers in 1985. Her first new #1 for the year was with the double A-side ‘Angel/Into The Groove’. The single spent four straight weeks at #1 in June/July before being replaced in top spot by another Madonna single, ‘Crazy For You’.

1. Eurythmics - Would I Lie To You?

The only #1 on the ARIA Singles Chart for British duo the Eurythmics came when ‘Would I Lie To You?’ spent two weeks in the top spot in June 1985. Released as the first single from the band’s fourth album Be Yourself Tonight (#1 Jun ’85), the track spent nine weeks in the top ten and 16 weeks in the top 50. Eurythmics scored six Top Ten singles during the 1980s, the last being with ‘Missionary Man’ (#9 Oct. ’86).