This week in 1981 “Soft Cell,” a British synth-pop duo consisting of Marc Almond and Dave Ball, hit number 1 in the UK with an electronic cover of “Tainted Love,” a song originally released by the American soul singer Gloria Jones in 1964. The song also topped the charts in a number of other countries.
While often thought of as a one-Hit Wonder, Soft Cell had a number of other hits in the UK but Tainted Love was their only number 1.
On this day in 1965 The Beatles started a three-week run at number 1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Help!,” the title of their second film and the group’s ninth U.S. number 1.
“Help!” was written by John Lennon with some help from Paul McCartney. John once said that the song was one of his favourites among the Beatles songs he wrote. During an interview with “Playboy” in 1980, he recounted: “The whole Beatles thing was just beyond comprehension. I was subconsciously crying out for help”.
American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett has died. The singer, author and businessman was 76 years old. According to a statement on his website he died peacefully on the night of September 1, surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs.
Although Buffett released numerous albums and singles, his 1977 classic Margaritaville was his only really big hit. However, that hit became the foundation for his business empire. Business magazine Forbes estimated the singer’s fortune at one billion dollars this year. His Margaritaville franchise included restaurants, resorts and merchandise.
One of Jimmy Buffett’s more recent songs, “Down at the Lah De Dah,” spent two weeks at number 1 on RadiJohan’s top 10 countdown in 2020.
According to The Washington Post the singer was good friends with Warren Buffett, the well-known investor. Apparently they even had a DNA test done to establish if they were related but that was not the case. Warren Buffett, himself a billionaire, is said to have acted as a mentor to his musical namesake, who called him “Uncle Warren.”
According to the New York Post, Buffett had to cancel performances in recent months after a number of hospitalizations. His cause of death has not been disclosed.
| TW | LW | Artist | Title |
| 10 | 5 | joan | superglue |
| 9 | New | Yusuf/Cat Stevens | Pagan Run |
| 8 | New | Rick Astley | Dippin My Feet |
| 7 | 3 | Roulette | Summer Day |
| 6 | 9 | Dan + Shay | Save Me The Trouble |
| 5 | 10 | Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds | Open The Door See What You Find |
| 4 | 8 | Gatling Gun | Dangerous Life |
| 3 | 4 | Suzi Quatro & KT Tunstall | Shine a Light |
| 2 | 1 | The Defiants | 19 Summertime |
| 1 | 2 | Goo Goo Dolls | Run All Night |
Watch this week’s Top 10 by clicking the play button below.
“Alice Cooper” was originally a band, formed in 1964 with Vincent Furnier as lead singer. The Alice Cooper band was one of the few glam rock acts to achieve mainstream popularity in the United States, rising to fame in 1971 with the hit single “I’m Eighteen.” Success continued with the album “School’s Out,” and with the UK number 1 single of the same name name.
The band peaked in popularity in 1973 with the album “Billion Dollar Babies” which topped the album charts in America and Britain and produced the UK top 10 singles “Elected,” “Hello Hooray” and “No More Mr. Nice Guy.” They split up in 1974 but Vincent Furnier legally changed his name to Alice Cooper and began a successful solo career.
Now the legend, and pioneer of “Shock Rock” from Detroit has returned once again with his new album “Road.” Written, composed and recorded with his current touring band, the album is said to channel the spirit of old school Alice with instantly recognisable grit and plenty of gusto.
Alice Cooper’s “I’m Alice,” the first single released from “The Road,” is new this week on RadiJohan.
Sydney-based three piece Middle Kids are a band from Sydney, Australia who first gained attention in 2017 with their debut single, “Edge Of Town.” Since forming in 2016, the band have released two EPs and two albums. The albums, “Lost Friends” (2018) and “Today We’re The Greatest” (2021) both made the Australian Top 10. Thanks to the success of those albums, the band have been able to tour as support act for the likes of “Bloc Party,” “Kings of Leon,” “The War on Drugs” and “Cold War Kids.”
Middle Kids singer Hannah Joy, commenting on their new single “Highlands,” stated:
“Since I was young, I’ve had this yearning to be free. In this song, I used an image of the ‘highlands’ as a euphoric place where I have the space to be me, and you have the space to be you.”
“Highlands” by Middle Kids is new this week on RadiJohan.
Rian is a melodic hard rock band from Sweden who play classic melodic rock music reminiscent of the second half of the eighties. Rian’s sound appears influenced by bands like Bon Jovi, Winger, Dokken, Europe, Queensryche, and Survivor but has a distinctive and contemporary flair that sets them apart.
Rian released their first album “Out of The Darkness” in 2017 independent of a record company and received favorable reviews, especially in Europe. A second album, “Twenty-Three”, which really put them on the Melodic Rock map, followed in 2021 after signing with “Frontiers Music.”
Rian’s newest album “Wings” has just been released and appears to pick up where its predecessor, “Twenty-Three” left off, with lots of groove, grand guitar riffs, infectious refrains, superb vocal arrangements, and slick guitar solos.
The album’s opening track and first single, “Carry My Wings,” is new this week on RadiJohan.
| TW | LW | Artist | Title |
| 10 | New | Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds | Open The Door See What You Find |
| 9 | New | Dan + Shay | Save Me The Trouble |
| 8 | New | Gatling Gun | Dangerous Life |
| 7 | 7 | The Teskey Brothers | Remember The Time |
| 6 | 3 | Robert Jon & The Wreck | West Coast Eyes |
| 5 | 2 | joan | superglue |
| 4 | 9 | Suzi Quatro & KT Tunstall | Shine a Light |
| 3 | 4 | Roulette | Summer Day |
| 2 | 5 | Goo Goo Dolls | Run All Night |
| 1 | 1 | The Defiants | 19 Summertime |
Watch this week’s Top 10 by clicking the play button below.
Two years on from the release of her most recent album, “Bridge Over Troubled Dreams,” Delta Goodrem has returned with a catchy, uplifting new single called “Back To Your Heart.” The acclaimed singer, songwriter and actress has scored five number one albums and nine number one singles in her native Australia. The new song is about letting go of the worries and fears that are in your head.
Delta Goodrem’s “Back to your Heart” is new this week on RadiJohan.
English band “The Sherlocks” formed in 2010 and initially got together for jam sessions in each others garages before going on to play at local working men’s clubs. They released their Debut single “Live For The Moment” in 2014, and their debut album of the same name in 2017. They first came to our attention at RadiJohan in 2019 with their single “Sing It Loud (NYC).”
Their eagerly-awaited new album, “People Like You & Me,” has just been released. Their latest single, “Remember All The Girls,” the album’s opening track, was inspired by the band members’ teenage years.
Speaking about the new single, frontman Kiaran Crook said, “Everybody seems to judge each other at that age. It’s only when you get older you realise ‘why did I care so much?’”
“Remember All The Girls” by The Sherlocks is new this week on RadiJohan.