Chartfile
’THE POWER Of Love’ completed its speedy climb to the top of the singles chart last week to earn Frankie Goes To Hollywood their third number one single from only their third release. They therefore equal the record established by Gerry & The Pacemakers, who tripped to the summit with their first three singles in 1963.
However, the Frankies’ overall impact has been significantly greater than that of Gerry & The Pacemakers. The.Pacemakers’ first album ‘How Do You Do It’ peaked at number two, never quite getting the better of the Beatles.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s debut album ‘Welcome To The Pleasuredome’ has, despite falling short of expectations, spent a week at number one, and has already sold considerably more copies (350,000 or thereabouts) than the Gerry & The Pacemakers album managed in its entire chart career. Furthermore, it’s unlikely that the first three Pacemakers’ singles sold more than 1.5 million in total, whilst Frankie’s hat-trick has already netted sales of four million. As far as I can establish, only the Beatles and Boney M have registered a higher singles sale in a calendar year.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood have also earned the distinction of being the first act to plunder a trio of chart toppers in the same year since Blondie did so in 1980, though George Michael deserves an honourable mention for his two Wham! and one solo number one so far this year. George will undoubtedly have had further cause to celebrate on Tuesday, but whether ‘twas Wham! or Band Aid who pinched Frankie’s crown was unresolved at the time of writing. A full post mortem on the tussle can be found on the news pages.
FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD on the set of Brian De Palma’s film ‘Body Double’