World of Chig   

22.10.02


"From Lake Geneva to the Finland station"

#24 West End Girls Pet Shop Boys


[563] Writers: Neil Tennant & Chris Lowe. Producer: Stephen Hague.
23 Nov 85 – 15 weeks on chart – 2 weeks at #1 from 11 Jan 86


The first release of ‘West End Girls’ had flopped in 1984 and they were dropped by their record company, but eventually the Pet Shop Boys had their debut hit, and it went all the way to the top. It took its time getting there though. In their eighth week on the chart, the former Smash Hits writer and the bloke he supposedly met in a shop (although I’ve never quite fallen for that story) deposed Shakin’ Stevens’ ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ and a nation rejoiced.

West End Girls had entered outside the top forty, on the same day that Wham!’s ‘I’m Your Man’ entered at #2, with Whitney’s ‘Saving All My Love For You’ and Prefab Sprout’s ‘When Love Breaks Down’ also entering the chart that day. The PSBs moved 40-23-9-5-4-3-1-1. They were deposed by A-ha's ‘The Sun Always Shines On TV', and also made #1 in the States. A full year later, ‘West End Girls’ won the Best British Single award at the 1987 Brit Awards.

And then, Neil and Chris went on to become the most successful chart duo ever….but there’s no need to finish their story today, because an extraordinary coincidence has happened, and they have tomorrow’s #1 as well. I promise you I wrote the ‘tomorrow?’ question last night, BEFORE reading the conversation between Mike and Elisabeth in the comment box below. Made me smile, that did!

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