Telstar Records were formed in 1982 and would soon become a major player in the UK compilation market, especially in the early 90's with numerous house and dance albums. Their annual mainstay would be "The Greatest Hits of..." series, showcasing various hits from throughout the year. Typically each edition would contain a number of tracks found on the Now and Hits albums of that year but also a smattering of songs not found on other compilations.
I am not entirely clear on the exact release date of The Greatest Hits of 1985, other than it being November and apparently pre-dating both Now 6 and Hits 3 by a week or two. That would allow Telstar to steal a march on Now and Hits by having a couple of tracks available earlier to the eager compilation buying public.
The front cover advertises the fact that the compilation contains seven number ones, quite an impressive number for the time. Indeed, every song made at least the top ten and 21 made the top five.
Side 1 kicks off in style with Band Aid and Do They Know It's Christmas? It's possibly the oldest song on here, having been number one most of December 1984. It just squeaks in here by virtue of it still being number one the first week of January '85. It's a fantastic pop song, obviously aided by being for such a good cause, and has been imitated several times since but never bettered. Do They Know It's Christmas? was also not on any of the Now or Hits albums, making it an impressive exclusive at the time.
King are next with is-it-pop-or-is-it-new-wave smash Love & Pride. It was featured on Hits 2 and made #2 in February 1985. It's not a personal favorite of mine but there are far worse on here. Bronski Beat were still riding high in 1985, Jimmy Somerville having not yet ditched Messrs Bronski and Steinbachek for the Communards. And what a cracker this is, a storming medley of Love to Love You Baby/I Feel Love/Johnnie Remember Me, with guest vocals from Marc Almond. This #3 gem hadn't been included on Now or Hits but had previously been featured in Chrysalis and MCA's short-lived Out Now! series. More on that another time.
We then borrow from Hits 2 with all time classic You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) from Dead or Alive. It was Stock Aitken Waterman's first number one, their trademark hi-hats on full display here. Billy Idol follows with #6 hit, White Wedding, this one being culled from Out Now!! 2. It's a bit of an 80's classic, despite the best efforts of that bloody Wedding Singer movie.
One of the weaker songs on The Greatest Hits of 1985 is Nik Kershaw's disappointing Wide Boy. It did make #9 but it's not a patch on his earlier work. Alison Moyet had a surprise #2 hit in March with her cover of That Ole Devil Called Love. Not a favorite of mine but there's no denying Moyet's vocal prowess. Rounding off side 1 is Billy Ocean who was about a year into his comeback after a seven year chart absence. #4 hit Suddenly is a bit syrupy but has a nice melody. It was a staple at every good wedding in the mid-80's.
The Eurythmics get us started on side 2 with monster number one There Must Be an Angel (Playing With My Heart). Although this would also be featured on Now 6, as mentioned The Greatest Hits of 1985 was released earlier so this was quite the timed exclusive. Cherish from Kool & The Gang follows, a song I have always liked. It made #4 in May and would be their last UK top 10.
The song that conceived a million babies is next, Phyllis Nelson's moody Move Closer. A must have on every self-respecting romantic mix tape, it had topped the charts in April. We then lurch dangerously downwards with the dreadful Could It Be I'm Falling in Love by David Grant & Jaki Graham. It's insipid dross that had no business making #5. Avoid at all costs. Better is De Barge and the lively Rhythm of the Night. It had been a huge #3 smash in the US and just one went short in the UK, charting at #4 in March.
Underrated new wave gem Clouds Across the Moon from the RAH Band is next. I didn't realize this back in the day but apparently RAH was an acronym for Richard Anthony Hewson, so this was almost entirely a solo project. He realized his wife had a passable singing voice, stuck her on vocals, and the result was the so-bizarre-it's-brilliant Clouds Across the Moon.
Speaking of brilliant, closing out the side is the fantastic Live is Life from Opus. The Austrian band had been around for more than a decade with just one chart success in their home country (oh, and Switzerland) to show for it. They hit the jackpot with reggae-infused Live is Life and it made #6 in the UK as well as going to number one in several European countries. Diego Maradona's rhythm ball juggling would propel the song (and himself) to literal new highs in 1989.
Side 3 is probably the worst on here but it gets the ball rolling with perennial 80's favorite, Paul Hardcastle's Vietnam inspired 19. It hasn't aged particularly well but I can see why it was such a big hit, reaching the top of the charts in May in numerous countries including the UK.
Ah, and here's Go West. I just never got on board the Go West train. I found their music to be dull, run of the mill pop and was amazed they gained any kind of traction. Still, here we are and We Close Our Eyes did make #5 so I can't really argue with its inclusion.
Bryan Ferry was now in his post-Roxy Music days and hit #10 with slow burner Slave to Love. Honestly, it sounds just like the entire Avalon album so could have easily been a Roxy Music collaboration.
Wham! had issued a double-A side in December 1984 in an attempt to snag the Christmas number one. Last Christmas and Everything She Wants, the latter of which is found here, were held off by Band Aid and spent five frustrating weeks holding at #2 in the charts. It's a reasonable song... not their best but you know it's always going to be at least half decent with George Michael on song writing duty. Last Christmas has been reissued several times since and finally secured the number one spot it so coveted on New Year's Day 2021. Good things come to those who wait.
The totally forgettable Feel So Real from Steve Arrington is up next. Apparently it reached #5, his only top ten (and he'd only have one other top 40 in his entire career) but I didn't remember it.
We'd had Queen, Prince and King and here's Princess to complete music's royal household. Say I'm Your Number One is an early Stock Aitken Waterman number and it ain't half bad. It had hit the dizzy heights of #7 in the summer of '85 and was also included on rival compilation Out Now!! 2.
The Commodores' career had started to sink when Lionel Richie jumped ship to start his solo career in 1982 and, by 1985, they hadn't charted in the UK for five years. Nightshift, a lovely tribute to Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson who had both passed away the previous year, would reach #3 and was their biggest hit since Three Times a Lady back in 1978.
Foreigner had been huge in the US since 1977 but, up to 1984, had only charted three times in the UK. Monster rock ballad I Want to Know What Love Is - complete with Jennifer Holliday on backing vocals and Tom Bailey of the Thompson Twins on keyboards - shot to number one in January '85. Easily their most recognizable song, in the UK at least, it stayed top of the charts for three works.
Howard Jones' belting Things Can Only Get Better is next and what a cracker this is. The first release off Jones' stellar Dream into Action LP, it's like hearing the last wonderful gasps of new wave's glory years.
Beverly Hills Cop had been the highest grossing movie of 1984, quite impressive seeing how it wasn't released until December 1st. Harold Faltermeyer's synthpop laden theme song, Axel F, was a worldwide hit and here we find it on side 4. It's great stuff, one of those iconic riffs that is instantly recognizable.
Up next is Paul Young and Everything Must Change, a #9 hit back in January 1985. Young was still in good form at this point but his songs would start having more and more trouble charting from '86 onwards. It's followed by a nice change of pace with the surprise inclusion of Strawberry Switchblade's new wave gem Since Yesterday. It had previously been featured on Hits 2 earlier in the year.
Back to the soundtracks and it's another bone fide classic, this time courtesy of Ray Parker Jnr. and huge #2 hit Ghostbusters. Yes, it had been included on both Now That's What I Call Music 4 and The Hits Album but it's still a welcome addition here.
Less huge, if you'll pardon the pun, is David Cassidy and the diabolical The Last Kiss. It's bland, banal pop music that we'd hoped Cassidy had left behind in his Partridge Family days. Not quite saving the day but nonetheless an interesting inclusion is I Know Him So Well. From Tim Rice and half of ABBA, it is - along with One Night in Bangkok - probably the best known song from the musical Chess. Sung expertly by Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson, it topped the charts in early '85. You won't find it on any rival compilations from the time.
The Hip
Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas?
Eurythmics - There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart)
Opus - Live is Life
Commodores - Nightshift
Howard Jones - Things Can Only Get Better
The Tragic
Only four on the tragic list this time. I couldn't think of a fifth that was worthy of inclusion.
Nik Kershaw - Wide Boy
David Grant & Jaki Graham - Could It Be I'm Falling in Love Steve Arrington - Feel So Real
David Cassidy - The Last Kiss
The Missing
All of these were released prior to The Greatest Hits of 1985's release in November and should have been considered. Perhaps they weren't for licensing reasons.
Midge Ure - If I Was
A big number one hit that was on Now 6 released shortly after The Greatest Hits of 1985.
Baltimora - Tarzan Boy
Guilty pleasure... I think it's a fantastic pop song. Doesn't hurt that it made #3.
USA For Africa - We Are the World
Wasn't on any compilations at the time and would have been an amazing inclusion after Band Aid.
Talking Heads - Road to Nowhere
Had only charted in October and would make #6 in the charts. A great song from a cult band and, given its non-appearance elsewhere, would have been a great exclusive.
Stevie Wonder - Part-Time Lover
A #3 hit in September, it was a good return to form for Wonder and - you guessed it - wasn't on any rival compilations.
Review Breakdown
Music - 9/10 A top notch track selection. Yes, there were a bunch of number ones not included but the couldn't realistically all be on there. To have seven number ones, and every song a top ten hit, was quite the achievement.
Cover Art - 7.5/10 It's never going to rival some of the more daring Now That's What I Call Music covers but, actually, I really like the design here. The blue streaked backsplash and large fonts work very well. The artist photos aren't too big (a good thing) and they take a page out of the Now playbook by listing a few of the tracks, enticing the prospective buyer into flipping to the back looking for more.
Sequencing - 9/10 Each side starts off with a heavyweight number one (Band Aid, Eurythmics, Paul Hardcastle, Foreigner) and the whole album flows really well. Softer songs break up sections of higher tempo tracks, nicely sequenced together with other similar songs. Can't think of anything I'd change here.
Overall Score - 9/10