CHART BEATS: A JOURNEY
THROUGH POP

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Sep 24, 20204 min read

This Week In 1995: September 24, 1995

As if to prove my point last week that pretty much any song was fair game for a dance cover in the mid-'90s, this week in 1995, two new...

Sep 21, 20205 min read

This Week In 1980: September 21, 1980

The year had already seen some big musical movies in the form of Can't Stop The Musi c and Xanadu , and this week in 1980, another film...

Sep 17, 20204 min read

This Week In 1995: September 17, 1995

In the mid-'90s, pretty much any song or artist was fair game for a cheesy Eurodance cover. Often, faceless studio acts would take a big...

Sep 14, 20203 min read

This Week In 1980: September 14, 1980

From Gundegai to Kokomo, and New York to London, locations have provided the inspiration for hit singles for... as long as there have...

Sep 10, 20204 min read

This Week In 1995: September 10, 1995

The B-side used to be an important part of music. Even in 1995, when they were more likely to be bonus tracks on a CD single or...

Sep 7, 20204 min read

This Week In 1980: September 7, 1980

It's always surprising how some music legends haven't actually had that many hits in Australia. In terms of American female superstars, a...

Sep 3, 20203 min read

This Week In 1995: September 3, 1995

Australians can be stubbornly resistant to successful international artists when we want to be. Even if they notch up one smash hit after...

Aug 31, 20204 min read

This Week In 1980: August 31, 1980

Sometimes a record company has got to do whatever it takes to turn a song into a hit, even if that means misrepresenting the artist in...

Aug 27, 20204 min read

This Week In 1995: August 27, 1995

If you're a regular reader, you'll know I had little time for grunge and "alternative rock" in the '90s. But there's an exception to...

Aug 24, 20203 min read

This Week In 1980: August 24, 1980

Despite being only five years old at the time, I have some clear memories from 1980, one of which was starting school. I also remember...

Aug 20, 20205 min read

This Week In 1995: August 20, 1995

Of all the odd things to occur during the life of Michael Jackson, his short-lived marriage to Lisa Marie Presley must be among the top...

Aug 17, 20203 min read

This Week In 1980: August 17, 1980

Standing out from a famous family can be tricky, especially when one of your brothers is the most famous pop star in the world. But this...

Aug 13, 20204 min read

This Week In 1995: August 13, 1995

In the mid-'90s, it seemed like dance acts were trying to outdo each other with the bizarre and unexpected things they could turn into...

Aug 10, 20204 min read

This Week In 1980: August 10, 1980

The Olympic Games have always been a big deal in Australia, with the nation stopping for certain medal events and taking particular pride...

Aug 6, 20204 min read

This Week In 1995: August 6, 1995

Sometimes it just takes one song to change everything. This week in 1995, a new entry on the ARIA singles chart threw out the rulebook...

Aug 3, 20203 min read

This Week In 1980: August 3, 1980

Some artists are lucky to have a hit at all, while others visit the top 50 multiple times. And sometimes, a performer will be successful...

Jul 30, 20204 min read

This Week In 1995: July 30, 1995

Sometimes a song needs a well-timed re-release to find its audience, who missed it first time around. Or perhaps a remix to freshen up a...

Jul 27, 20204 min read

This Week In 1980: July 27, 1980

Sometimes even the most floundering of careers can get right back on track with one hit single — all it takes is the right song at the...

Jul 23, 20204 min read

This Week In 1995: July 23, 1995

Like all genres, dance music has its good songs and its bad. But what exactly did anyone do to deserve the cavalcade of crap that debuted...

Jul 20, 20203 min read

This Week In 1980: July 20, 1980

Sometimes a great soundtrack single can do wonders for an average film — especially in the '80s when movie songs were big business and...

A Journey Through Aussie Pop - green light.png

A Journey Through Aussie Pop is shining a light on classic Australian pop artists and releases from the 1980s, '90s and 2000s.

A Journey Through Stock Aitken Waterman is working its way through every single produced by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman in chronological order.

Chart Beats subscribers have access to exclusive content, including extended interviews and extra discussion we can't fit in the regular episodes. Click here for more info.

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About Chart Beats

Chart Beats: A Journey Through Pop has been looking back at music from the '80s, '90s, 2000s and 2010s since 2012. Run by freelance journalist and content creator Gavin Scott in Sydney, Australia.