This week in 1985
1 The Power of Love Jennifer Rush
2 If I Was Midge Ure
3 Trapped Colonel Abrams
4 Lean On Me (Ah-Li-Ayo) Red Box
5 Take On Me A-Ha
6 St. Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion) John Parr 7 Gambler Madonna
8 Alive and Kicking Simple Minds
9 Rebel Yell Billy Idol
10 Miami Vice Theme Jan Hammer Not to be confused with the Frankie Goes To Hollywood or Huey Lewis and the News songs of the same name, our number one from this classic eighties top ten was the biggest selling single of 1985 in the UK, hitting number one in many European countries, including Ireland. According to the Guinness Book of Records, it was the best-selling single by a female solo artist in the history of the British music industry until overtaken by Whitney Houston’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ in 1992. New Yorker Rush, who co-wrote the song, did not enjoy similar success with ‘The Power of Love’ in the US, where it stalled at No. 57 in the BIllboard Hot 100, but a version did eventually reach number one Stateside in 1993, giving Celine Dion a first chart-topper in that market. Dion’s version has sold around 1.5 million copies to date, with Rush’s original selling almost as many copies in the UK alone.