What is this and why?

  

C81 and up and on

What you’re reading, if you hadn’t already guessed for yourself, is a blog focusing on all the singles which topped the NME Independent Singles Chart from 1981 (when their chart launched) onwards. 

And why?

If you’re of a cynical persuasion, your first thought is probably "Why? Isn’t the indie chart a very antiquated concept? In the 21st Century, haven’t we accepted that all music has the ability to be groundbreaking and innovative, without being issued on small labels? And who cares about labels anymore anyway?"

Well, yes. I’m going to potentially cause some of you to click away by raising the obvious point that a lot of my favourite music of all time was actually issued by major labels. Also, it's my view that while indie snobbery (where singles issued in xeroxed sleeves by tiny labels were wowed over in favour of chartbound sounds) was definitely rife in the eighties and occasionally felt like a necessary reaction, it’s not something I feel much affinity for now. The idea that "the underground is where the best music can be found" is unbelievably restrictive and untrue, especially as most genres tend not to stay underground forever. 

But then again... a lot of my favourite singles of all-time were put out on indie labels and they were where the place where the initial spells were cast. I'm fascinated by the stirrings of ideas, the initial flawed fumblings of genres and even the groups who were supposed to be the future but failed to effectively represent any era, including the one they were spawned in. History doesn't always have to be written about the winners. 

Also, much of the material in the lower reaches of the charts has since become long-forgotten despite its presence on evening radio and the press at the time, making it ripe for reexamination in a way that other groups aren’t – for every Smiths or New Order hit there were a hundred groups who shoved out a couple of well-reviewed singles before finding they couldn’t forge any further ahead. None of these bands have ever had the luxury of a Sony or Universal reissue, and have instead slid into a weird cultural oubliette. 

Even the groups behind indie number ones are not necessarily remembered by most in the 21st Century. Many were genre-based or fanbase-driven flashes in the pan, a chance for an underground group to quickly peer up beneath the crack in the manhole into the mainstream, only for their heads to be stomped on by uncaring pedestrians rushing out to buy a Stars on 45 medley instead. 

Here’s how this is going to work:

• I’m using the NME indie charts for the purposes of this blog. They weren’t the only game in town by any means – most magazines during this period (even briefly including Smash Hits) ran an indie chart, and the official Independent Singles Chart is the one most would point to as the accepted record of events. That tended to weigh itself towards the biggest breakout hits of the day, though (including “Agadoo” and Renee and Renato’s “Save Your Love”) whereas the NME chart seemed to focus more on independent retailers and often gave more unexpected and leftfield material pole position. I have no idea how rigorous or accurate their compilation methods were, but they do offer a fair overview of what was going on at the time and give us the opportunity to talk about other groups besides The Smiths, New Order, Depeche Mode and the Cocteau Twins throughout the eighties. Chart pedants be damned, let's just try to make this interesting for everyone.

• This blog isn’t intended to offer an expert analysis on every single band it features. Some will be comfortably on my home territory and other acts won’t, and I’ll do my best with the research material I’m able to locate. There may be moments where you think “Huh, I love that band and I could write something far more insightful than that”. Fair enough - do it, continue the conversation and I’ll certainly have a read. Nobody is prevented from publishing their own material online (apart from the worst perverts). 

• As much as possible, I’ll try to be balanced and even handed with my opinions. There’s nothing more lazy, boring and predictable than point-and-laugh clickbait about what was cultishly popular in 1985. Everyone featured here had a significant underground following at the time their records reached the top of the independent charts, and while there may be moments where the hype outweighs the overall value of the track (in either my opinion or somebody else’s) for the most part they had something distinct to offer, whether that’s anything you or I appreciate or not. Moments may arrive where I feel I have no choice but to splutter in disbelief or clasp my hands to my eyes in wonder at the foreignness of the past and how you “couldn’t get away with that now” – I apologise in advance for these instances. Or actually, maybe I don’t. 

• As well as the number ones, brief footnotes will be added about the singles that were bubbling away in the rest of the indie chart while the single in question held down the top spot. These are literally just notes of interest rather than full-blown appraisals, and there’s every chance I might miss out one of your favourite climbers or new entries in the process – but do feel free to use the comments section to contribute where that applies.

• There's also a huge Spotify playlist of all the tracks which charted in the year we're presently focused on. You can access this on the right hand side of the page. Sometimes tracks won't be available - that's unfortunate, but please address your complaints to Spotify or the groups themselves who may very well have valid reasons (such as appalling royalties) for not including their tracks on there.

• And yes, of course this project is partly inspired by Tom Ewing's "Popular" blog, which focuses on every official British number one from 1952 onwards. It's one of the finest pop blogs online and I implore you to give it a read.

• And finally… I’ll add a list of what was number one at the time in the “real charts”, just so you can get a sense of what was going on above ground simultaneously. It might be helpful to have some visibility of the night sky as we navigate our way through the jungle.

And with that, we're off.