In Summer 2022, I welcomed subscribers to mailing list by asking them the question “what was the first chart single you bought?”. Here’s a compilation of the responses I received.
Claire Norman: “The first single I bought for myself was Iron Maiden – Run To The Hills, 12 inch picture disc (vinyl), in the early 1980s. I can’t remember the B side but I do know I saw it and saved all my pocket money as a) I loved Maiden and b) it had amazing artwork with Eddie on it and I thought it was gorgeous! I can’t remember where I bought it from, but I suspect it might have been Woolworths.”
Henry Hopkins: “I don’t recall buying singles on cassette, only albums, so I think that makes my first chart single purchase… Rednex – Cotton Eye Joe, on CD from Virgin Music. Many years later I saw them perform during Freshers Week at Loughborough Uni. I’m not saying they were miming, but I don’t think there was a single string on that fiddle by the end of the gig.”
Kirsty Clegg: “Embarrassingly my first chart single was Boyzone – Key to My Life and it was on a cassette! Technically it was bought for me, does that count? I was all in on the Boyzone front at that point, until Westlife came in and then the rest is history.”
Mark Masters: “My first single was Julian Cope’s World Shut Your Mouth, on cassette. I bought it from Our Price in The Dolphin Centre (Poole), where Smiggle is now. My music has been good to me and so glad I can say that and not something like MC Hammer’s You Can’t Touch This.”
Lorraine Hunt: “The first single I bought was The Whispers – It’s A Love Thing. Vinyl all the way baby, 7 inch because at that time I wasn’t into getting the 12 inch version. I was 12 and it was from Woolworths I think. Although prior to that purchase I used to record the Top 40 on a Sunday night on cassette.
It’s funny how we go through stages. Mine started with disco/soul and funk, went through a little punk stage, travelled through ska, reggae and it was my ultimate weekend treat to borrow my friends’s brother’s brogues!”
Stewart Honeywill: “Brass In Pocket by The Pretenders on 7” vinyl single, 45 speed.”
Tracey Ricketts: “I think my first single was Madonna – Crazy For You. I remember my first album was Gary Numan – The Pleasure Principle and my first 12” record was Europe – The Final Countdown. They all would have been on vinyl and bought from Square Records in Wimborne.”
Matt King: “I 100% know what my first single was. Unfortunately, it was Peter Andre. Not even the famous track, Mysterious Girl. It was a track called Flava. I bought it on CD single from a store in Eltham, London. My second single was I’d Lie For You (And That’s The Truth) by Meatloaf and that was on cassette.”
John Jocham: “It was a 45rpm single on vinyl, the year was 1969 and it was Israelites by Desmond Dekker and the Aces, bought in Woolworths in Catford for 7s (35p in todays money!)”
Sam James: “My first single was Melanie C – I Turn To You on CD. This was purchased at Woolworths on Worcester High Street. £3.99! had £1 left from my fiver for a pack of Haribo Star Mix”
Alan Braithwaite: “Mine was Erma Franklin – Piece Of My Heart on 7” vinyl in the early 90s. It was the soundtrack to a Levi’s advert. My 2nd was worse, Jive Bunny and the Master Mixers or something, also on vinyl single.”
Gordon Fong: “Centrefold by The J. Geils Band. I’d love to say Secret Affair – Time for Action, that would have been the same time. I’m pretty sure it was purchased from Woolworths in Newton Aycliffe. As a teenager it was probably the video and the cover, rather than musicality that prompted the purchase.”
Lara Snell: “My first single I actually bought myself was Eminem – Cleaning Out My Closet on CD at HMV!”
Chris Harris: I can almost guarantee it would have been a cassette (due to my age) from Our Price or Square Records. It wasn’t my first single but I definitely bought Aqua – Dr Jones on cassette, (January 1998, according to Wikipedia!). The first would have been September 1997, cassette, Dario G – Sunchyme, still a banger!
Nick Brandum: “The Outhere Brothers – Boom Boom Boom. on cassette. Solihull actually had a bit of legendary HMV back in the day, so i spent a lot of time in there and am sure thats where I bought it from. I ain’t thought about that tune for 25 years, I love that you reminded me of it. Wayo, sir.”
Jackie Goddard: “You sent me down a rabbit hole with this question. I remember going to Woolworths and buying a David Bowie single. I thought it was John, I’m Only Dancing, but when I checked out the release date that would have been too early so it must have been Boys Keep Swinging which came out when I got my 1st Saturday job.”
Tom Clarke: “For me it’s a bit cliche, but it was Blink-182 – All The Small Things on CD in 2000. I think I bought it from HMV in Poole. I might still have my copy somewhere, I’ve searched but the oldest single I can find is their later single First Date.”
Dan Cresta: “Sadly my first single ages me, Rappers Delight by The Sugarhill Gang on vinyl in 1979 from Revolution Records in Windsor (RIP)”
Rachel Way: “Ace Of Base – Don’t Turn Around on cassette. Please don’t judge! I can’t remember where I bought it from, definitely a high street shop. Maybe Woolworths?”
Christophe Stourton: “My first single was Magic Fly by Space on vinyl in 1977, don’t have the copy any longer sadly. It was probably purchased in Godalming, I was only in the UK for a couple of years and that’s where we lived. I couldn’t buy much recorded music in Ghana, but plenty of live stuff, memories!!!”
Ed Shaw: “It was Band Aid – Do They Know It’s Christmas, probably the first record a lot of people my age ever owned. It came out Christmas 1984, about 3 years before I properly began collecting records. Purchased from John Menzies in Bournemouth town centre I believe, simply due to the weight of promotion going on about it. My second single was Kylie Minogue – I Should Be So Lucky. Kylie started me off on my serious music buying journey as I recall..”
Mark Kiteley: “The Stranglers – Golden Brown, purchased on vinyl from Woolworths, I was 11ish at the time. There were probably layers of meaning that were lost on me at the time. In fact they are probably lost on me now, but I still like the song so it’s all good.”
Theresa Robson-Rowell: “I think my first single was Bon Jovi – Livin’ On A Prayer on 7″ vinyl. Although my actual first was a swap, my Kermit The Frog for The Lion Sleeps Tonight by Tight Fit when I was 8ish! 😂”
Steve Loe: “Pet Shop Boys – It’s a Sin. It has a very deep meaning to me as i feel ashamed of my past. I want it as my funeral song but my wife says no! I bought it at Our Price, on 7″ vinyl.”
Steen Stones: “Iron Maiden – Aces High on CD from Woolworths. It was originally released in the best year ever, 1984! My birth year. I particularly loved Aces High because of the music mixed with the Winston Churchill speech, plus it made a comeback for me as the soundtrack to the game Carmageddon 2 (great soundtrack, by the way).”
Juli Harman: “Sadly I can remember… it was The Cat Crept In by Mud on 7″ vinyl!”
Lee Taylor: “My very first chart single was (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!) by Beastie Boys. I bought it on vinyl with some hard earned pocket money from a local record shop in Dudley. God I feel old!”
Brian McNulty: “My first single was A Nightmare On My Street by DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince on cassette. I was a HUGE Fresh Prince fan at the time and who didn’t love Nightmare On Elm Street? I still listen to it every now and then, though the tape is long gone.”
Hannah Partner: “My single was Wannabe on cassette. Like most young girls i was obsessed with the Spice Girls. I went on collect pictures of them, learn all the words. The song is still timeless now.”
Glen Long: “I think my first single was Stand and Deliver by Adam and the Ants and I probably bought it at Our Price.”
Richard Scullion: “The first single I ever bought (as opposed to nicked) was Rebel Rebel by David Bowie, vinyl of course, from Woolies a.k.a Woolworths where we all bought them back then!”
Tomas Skiotys: “Bomfunk MCs – Freestyler on CD. First group I saw live… memories.”
Jenni Wilkinson: “Oh my God, mine is so embarrassing, it was Ben by Michael Jackson, set me off on my uncool future. Bought from a shop in Wimborne that probably became Square Records. I also used to buy the cover LPs pre Now That’s What I Call Music, I got them every time they came out from Woolworths in Wimborne with my pocket money, dates me much.”
Jonathan Beal: “The year was 2001, the single was Papa Roach’s Last Resort, and it was on cassette. I loved that back then singles were released on both cassette and CD. CD was expensive though at £3.99, so my mates and I used to go cassette for 99p.
I bought the cassette at Martian Records, now defunct, but a fantastic store in my hometown, Honiton. I used to buy everything there, tab books, merch and amazingly, styluses for my Nan’s old record deck!”
Janine Coombes: “Breakout by Swing Out Sister was probably my first. I was soo cool! It was a vinyl single from WHSmith.”
Mark Passera: “This is very embarrassing, but hey ho… I honestly forget, but these are the first three 45 singles I bought; Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, The Ballroom Blitz by Sweet and Tonight’s the Night by Rod Stewart. I will let my self out now…”
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this article and hats off to Gordon who still has the first chart single he bought.
IMAGE
Liam Toms 