Thursday, May 7, 2015

The Top 100 Thessaloniki radio hit songs



The 100 most popular songs that became hits either only or for the first time in Thessaloniki, Macedonia (the list will remain under constant re-evaluation).

These songs never reached a major selling single chart anywhere in the world before making it big in Hellenic radio air-play charts of stations based primarily in Thessalonki, Macedonia, Hellas but also in Central Macedonian cities such as Serres, Katerini, Kilkis, Veroia etc.

Τραγούδια που δεν είχαν γνωρίσει καμία επιτυχία σε κάποιο σημαντικό κατάλογο πωλήσεων δίσκων στον πλανήτη, πριν γίνουν μικρές ή μεγαλύτερες επιτυχίες στο ραδιόφωνο της Θεσσαλονίκης

I present, ''The Thessaloniki hits'':

0128 A L'ombre - JEAN FRANCOIS MAURICE (single, 1978)

02All Behind Us Now - PATTI AUSTIN (LP Patti Austin, 1984)

03Alone In Paris - LES OMBRES (single, LP, both of unkown origin)
Original version by Alphons Mouzon (LP Early Spring, 1988)

04Bad News - MOON MARTIN (LP Street Fever, 1980)

05Bleeding Heart - THE JOHNNYS  (LP Highlights Of A Dangerous Life, 1986)
Their single ''Injun Joe'' made it to #32 in the Australian chart.

06Bow Down - THE HOUSEMARTINS (LP The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death1987)

07Busy Line - PETER SKELLERN (LP A String Of Pearls1982)

08Captured - SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY & THE JUKES (LP In The Heat1984)

09. Casablanca - BERTIE HIGGINS (LP Juat Another Day In Paradise1982)

10Cellophane City - STEVE FORBERT (LP Little Stevie Orbit1980)

11Cry - JAMES STEEN (single1982)
Original version by Ruth Casey (1951) and biggest hit by Johnnie Ray & The Four Lads (1951, #1 in the USA)

12Darling - STORIES (LP About Us1973)

13Do I Love You - PAUL ANKA (LP Paul Anka1971)

14Don't Let Me Change The Way You Are - GLORIA LORING (LP Gloria Loring1986)

15Down In The Bunker - STEVE GIBBONS BAND (LP Down In The Bunker1978)

16The Drowning Man - THE HOLLLOW MEN (LP The Man Who Would Be King1988)

17Echoes In The Night - GARY BROOKER (LP Echoes In The Night1985)

18Every Time I See Your Picture I Cry - LUBA (single1982 / LP Secrets & Sins, 1984)

19Final Love Song - P.S. & THE FOOTNOTES (single1983)

20First Be A Woman - LEONORE O'MALLEY (LP First Be A Woman1979)
The singer providing the actual vocals is Catherine Russell.

21For You - TRIUMVIRAT (LP A La Carte1978)
Band from Köln, Germany.

22400 Dragons - ADRIAN JOHN LOVERIDGE (LP Square One1981)
Original version by The Thieves (1979)

23. Footsteps -THE MOTELS (LP Little Robbers, 1983)

24Game Of Love - JIM CAPALDI (LP The Contender, 1978)

25Givin' Herself Away - GAIL DAVIES (LP Givin' Herself Away, 1982)
Original version by Roger McGuinn & Chris Hillman feat. Gene Clark (LP City, 1980)

26Go Rosa - SANDY ROGERS (OST Fool For Love, 1985)

27Going Back To My Roots - RITCHIE HAVENS (LP Connections, 1980)
Original version by Lamont Dozier (1977). Biggest hit by Odyssey (1981)

28Hard To Say It's Over - SHEENA EASTON (LP A Private Heaven, 1984)

29Heartache No 9, Darling I Think About You - DELEGATION (LP Eau De Vie, 1979)

30. High Hopes - THE HAVALINAS (LP The Havalinas, 1990)

31How Many Ways - MURRAY HEAD (LP Between Us1979)

32I Believe In You - PANARAMA (LP Can This Be Paradise1982)

33I Can Only Give You Everything - GERARD JOLING (LP Love Is In Your Eyes1985)

34I Can't Escape Myself - THE SOUND (LP Jeopardy1980)

35I Can't Hear You No MoreThe Last Time - RUSS BALLARD (LP Russ Ballard1984)

36I Can't Live Without You - NORWOOD (LP I Can't Let You Go1987)

37I Didn't Mean To Make You Cry - DEAN FRIEDMAN (single1985)

38I Don't Wanna Lose You - ELEPHANT (single1983)
Band from Hamburg, Germany.

39I Don't Want To Lose Your Love - RICKY ANDERSON (single1983)

40I Got Loaded - LOS LOBOS (LP How Will The Wolf Survive1984)

41I Wanna Hear It From Your Lips - ERIC CARMEN (LP Eric Carmen1984)

42I'm Gonna Love You Forever - JIMMY RUFFIN & JACKSON MOORE (single1984)

43I'm Missing You - SARAH JANE MORRIS (1991 / LP Heaven, 1992)

44I'll Give You Everything - TOPPER HEADON feat. JIMMY HELMS (LP Waking Up1986)

45In Jeopardy / Lovers In The Wind / Only Because Of You - ROGER HODGSON (LP In The Eye Of The Storm1984)

46Inspector Mills - AMERICA (LP View From The Ground1982)

47If I Never Sing Another Song - DONNA LYNTON (LP Donna Lynton1986)
Original version by Alexandra, titled 'Illusionen' (1968)

48If You're Not Here (By My Side) - MENUDO (LP Reaching Out1984)
Watch Potuguese versionWatch Spanish version

49If You Go Away - OSCAR BENTON (LP If You Go Away1984)

50Let The Night Take The Blame - LORRAINE McKANE (single1984 / OST Parole De Flic, 1985)

51Looking For A Girl With A Washing Machine - BIG SLEEP (LP Everything Fall Into Place1991)

52Love Me More - TONY PACINO (b side on single Scusami1983)

53Lovers - FRANK DANA (LP Lovers1982)

54Love's Theme - LOVE UNLIMITED (LP In Heat, 1974)

55MercyWith You Or Without You - STEVE JONES (OST Miami Vice II1986 / LP Mercy, 1987)

56Miracle - ROBERT FORMAN (LP Cat Juggling1985)

57Mover - KEIKO MATSUI feat. GREG WALKER (LP No Borders1990)

58My Mistake (Was To Love You) - DIANA ROSS & MARVIN GAYE (LP Diana & Marvin1973)

59. Never Never - STEVE KEKANA (LP Raisining My Family1981)

60Never Never Comes - CLASSIX NOUVEAX (LP Secret1983)

61New York Hold Her Tight - DOWNES & PRICE (LP Downes & Price1986)
Original version by Van Stephenson (LP China Girl, 1981)

62. Nightmare - McAULEY SCHENKER GROUP (single, 1991 / LP MSG, 1992)

63Oh Jenny - BILLY MONTANA & THE LONG SHOTS (single1988)

64Off - KATHY BARNES (LP Body Talkin', 1978)
Original version by Hodges, James & Smith (LP What's On Your Mind, 1977)

65One Kiss Away - THE DOOLEYS (LP The Chosen Few1979)
Original version by Billy Ocean (LP Billy Ocean, 1976)

66Palm Of My Hand - THE PALE FOUNTAINS (single1983)

67Papa - PAUL ANKA (b side on single You're Having My Baby1974 / LP Anka, 1974)

68Please Don't Leave Me - PRETTY MAIDS (LP Sin-Decade1991)
Original version by John Sykes feat. Phil Lynot (1982)

69Rock Sugar - ROB GRILL feat. ANNIE McLOONE (LP Uprooted1979)

70Route 66 (Beatmasters Mix) - DEPECHE MODE (b side on single ''Behind The Wheel'', 1987)

71Sadness In Your Eyes - KIRKA (single1990 / LP Sadness In Your Eyes, 1993)

72Seeing You Again - DAN FOGELBERG (LP Exiles1987)

73. Serenade - STEVE MILLER BAND (LP Fly Like An Eagle, 1976)

74Seven Days - JOE COCKER (LP Sheffield Steel1982)

75Seventeen - ADRIAN GURVITZ (LP Il Assassino1980)

76She's Out With A Gun - VAN ZANT (LP Van Zant1985)

77Silence / I Met Her In Paris / Love - JIMMY JIMMY (LP Here In The Light1986)

78Sleep With Me - ERIC CARMEN (LP Tonight You're Mine1980)

79Slide Away - J.J. (LP Intro1990)

80Smile - CHRIS REA (b side on single Love's Strange Ways1983)

81Stay - BARRY MANILOW (LP Here Comes The Night / I Wanna Do It With You1982)

82Stay Loose - GORDON LIGHTFOOT (LP East Of Midnight1986)

83Stop Me From Starting This Feeling - LOU RAWLS (LP Love All Your Blues Away1986)

84Sun In My Eyes - SALLY OLDFIELD (LP Easy1979)

85Sweet Cherrie - MOVING PICTURES (LP Days Of Innocence1981)

86This House Is A House Of Trouble - SALLY TIMS & THE DRIFTING COWBOYS feat. MARC ALMOND (single1987)

87Tonight Is What It Means To be Young - FIRE INC / Nowhere Fast - FIRE INC / Never Be You - MARIA McKEE / Sorcerer - MARILYN MARTIN (OST Streets Of Fire1984)

88Total Eclipse (live) - KLAUS NOMI (LP Encore1983)

89We'll Make The Same Mistake Again - GOLDIE (single1979)

90What Does It Take - SANTANA (single, 1982 / LP Shango1981)
Original version by Jr. Walker & The All Stars (1969)

91When You Hold Me - AXIS (single1980)

92Why'd I Have To Fall In Love With You - MATTHEW FISHER (LP Matthew Fisher, 1980)

93Why Me - PLANET P PROJECT (LP Planet P, 1983)

94Why Won't You Stay (Come In, Come Out Of The Rain) - MELVIN JAMES (LP The Passenger, 1987)

95You & I - MADLEEN KANE (single, 1979 / LP Cheri, 1979)

96You Could Be Forgiven, The Speed Of The Beat Of My Heart - HORSE (LP The Same Sky, 1990)

97You Know What To Do - CARLY SIMON (LP Hello Big Man, 1983)

98You Left Your Mark On Me - MARTY BALIN (LP Balin, 1981)

99You Make Me Feel - BONFIRE (LP Don't Touch The Light, 1985)

100You're My Everything - SANTA ESMERALDA (LP Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood, 1977)



Just around the corner...

All Around The World - LISA STANSFIELD & BARRY WHITE  (b side on ''Time To Make You Mine'', 1992)
All I Really Need Is You - BLUE MAGIC (LP Welcome Back, 1981)
All Of The Good Ones Are Taken - IAN HUNTER (LP All Of The Good Ones Are Taken, 1983)
Black Butterfly - DENIECE WILLIAMS (LP Let's Hear It For The Boy, 1984)
Bobby Jean - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (LP Born In The USA1984)
Bonny - PREFAB SPROUT (LP Steve McQueen, 1985)
Break Them Down - GRAHAM PARKER & THE SHOT (LP Steady Nerves, 1985)
But Love Me - JANIE FRICKE (single, 1979)
Can You Hear Me - WILLIE & THE POOR BOYS (LP Willie & The Poor Boys, 1985)
Can't Get To Sleep Without You - SARAH JANE MORRIS (LP Sarah Jane Morris, 1988)
Caroline - ROBIN TROWER (LP Passion, 1986)
Do You Want Me - EL CHICANO (single, 1983)
Endless - TOTO (LP Isolation, 1984)
Endlessly - JOE LYNN TURNER (LP Rescue You, 1985)
Fine Fine Day, First Day Of Summer - TONY CAREY (LP Some Tough City, 1984)
Foreign Affair - MIKE OLDFIELD feat. MAGGIE REILLY (LP Crises, 1983)
Gabrielle - PAUL ROLAND (LP Danse Macabre, 1987)
Hello Detroit - SAMMY DAVIS Jr. (single, 1984)
How Can You Say That It's Over - THE TEMPTATIONS (LP Truly For You, 1984)
I Like The Rhythm - CARRIE LUCAS (OST Lambada1990)
I'm In Love With You - ATLANTIC STARR (LP We're Movin' Up1989)
If You Don't Understand - SHIRLEY BASSSEY (single, 1984)
Jukebox Babe - ALAN VEGA (LP Alan Vega, 1980)
Knife - ROCKWELL (LP Somebody's Watching Me1984)
Like A Fool - ROBIN GIBB (LP Walls Have Eyes1985)
Let Me Out - GREG ROLIE (LP Gregg Rolie, 1985)
Love In Common - FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS (LP Hot Number, 1987)
Love Is For Suckers - TWISTED SISTER  (LP Love Is For Suckers, 1987)
Main Attraction - SUZI QUATRO (LP Main Attraction, 1982)
Melancholy Man - THE MOODY BLUES (LP A Question Of Balance, 1970)
Number One Friend - THE SILENCERS (LP So Be It, 1995)
Numbers With Wings - THE BONGOS (LP Numbers With Wings, 1983)
Outside Looking In - DREAM SEQUENCE (single, 1982)
Path With The Heart - SALLY OLDFIELD (LP Strange Day In Berlin, 1983)
Runnin' - MASON RUFFNER (LP Gypsy Blood, 1987)
Save Me - HELEN REDDY (LP Play Me Out, 1981)
Shooting For The Moon - AMY HOLLAND (OST Teen Wolf1985)
Stay Awake - RONNIE LAWS (LP Solid Ground, 1981)
Sting Of The Gin - CHRIS SIMPSON (single, 1982)
Stranger - STEPHEN STILLS (LP Right By You, 1984)
Summer Of '42 Theme - MICHEL LEGRAND (OST Summer Of '421971)
Takin' A Chance On Love - SHARON REDD (LP Redd Hott, 1982)
Time For Laughter - LITTLE EDEN (LP Back To... Little Eden, 1987)
Tonight (Dancing With The Desperate) - NORMA LEWIS (single, 1985)
Tonight You're Mine - JIM CAPALDI (LP Fierce Heart, 1983)
Valentine - JOHN HUNTER (LP Famous At Night, 1984)
Where Have You Been All My Life - FOTOMAKER (LP Fotomaker, 1978)
White Fury - WINTER'S REIGN (LP The Beginning1987)
Whispers - MOON MARTIN (LP Street Fever, 1980)
Why Is It A Crime - SLIDE (LP Down So Long, 1989)
Without Love - SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY & THE ASBURY JUKES (LP This Time It's For Real, 1977)
Wish We Were Heroes - MELISSA MANCHESTER & DAVID GATES (LP Hey Ricky, 1982)
Woman Of The Rings - ERIC BURDON (LP Survivor, 1977)
Work For Love - MINISTRY (LP With Sympathy, 1983)
You - MARTI CAINE (LP Behind The Smile, 1978)
You're Going Out Of My Mind - T.G. SHEPPARD (LP TG, 1985)


Special exceptions::
In Dreams - PETE BARDENS feat. NEIL LOCKWOOD (LP Seen One Earth1987
DE # 32
No Money At All - BRENDAN CROKER & THE 5 O'CLOCK SHADOWS (LP Brendan Crocker & The 5 O'Clock Shadows1989)
The song fearures Mark Knopfler  on guitar. (NL # 46)


7 comments:

Anonymous said...

i follow mousikosdiavlosforum since 2006 and i've posted a couple of times here as well. congrats again lefteris for your work.

if i'm not wrong matthew fisher's song "why'd i have..." is the most popular in thessaloniki radio,correct?

LefterisLalos said...

Correct!

http://www.procolharum.com/mf_greece2.htm

Soon the list will be completed...

Thanks for writing!

Gladiola Frantic said...

What about "Never-Never" by Steve Kekana?
I love your work...Keep walking!

LefterisLalos said...

You're right!

Although ''Raising My Family'' was a hit in several European countries, ''Never Never'' was as far as I know only a major radio hit in Thessaloniki in 1982...

Thanks!

Anonymous said...

i'm the same anonymous from above.

noticed "never never comes" by classix nouveaux. was it really a hit only in thessaloniki? i'm surprised because if i'm not wrong it was a hit in many european countries. i'm a fan of this band and as i far as i know "guilty" and "is it a dream?" where their biggest hits actually.

LefterisLalos said...

The two songs you mentioned were hits only in the UK (''Guilty'' # 43 & ''Is It A Dream'' # 11)

Until ''Never Never Comes'' was released ''Is It A Dream'' was the ONLY Classix Nouveaux song to recieve any airplay in Hellenic radio stations.

'' Never Never Comes'' never reached any official Singles Top 40 chart, at least not in the countries I am refering to...

...meaning USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealnd, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Switzerland & Austria.

Each songs success in Hellas refers only in radio charts & radio air-play in Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Hellas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classix_Nouveaux#Singles

http://www.swisscharts.com/song/Classix-Nouveaux/Never-Never-Comes-126369

John Tsavalos said...

Please don't leave me was huge in Athens too, it was the most requested song for 4 or 6 consecutive weeks on Jeronimo Groovy sometime in 1992, I remember every single radio show playing it, maybe even twice on the same show