Living by numbers

It's been a while since I last posted an update regarding my quest to find all the 80s UK number ones on 7" and 12", though it's also been a good while since I bought any vinyl. I became slightly disillusioned after quite a few records arrived in less than perfectly playable condition. But then last week I came back to my hobby, hit my usual sites for buying vinyl online (not only number ones) and before very long, I was significantly poorer. I had what you might call "a bit of a splurge".

Among my most recent purchases - including some lovely picture discs by Kirsty MacColl (They Don't Know from 1979), Human League (Mirror Man from 1982), Paul McCartney and The Frog Chorus (We All Stand Together from 1984 ... I couldn't resist) and a much-coveted Band Aid Do They Know It's Christmas shaped picture disc (the 'One Year On' reissue from 1985) - I looked at how many 80s chart-topping 12-inches I still needed. Below are a few of my recent acquisitions.

All of these 12-inches are replacements for other copies that skip. I was pleased that every record in this batch plays perfectly - so my quest is moving closer to its conclusion. Of the 190 UK number ones of the 1980s, a total of 146 were issued on 12-inch in the UK. I now need just 17 to have all 146. I've cleaned all the dodgy ones (to no avail, in most cases). If all my 'skippy' ones played through without a hitch, I'd now only be looking for about nine remaining records. But I got myself into this hobby and I'm going to see it through until the bitter end!

And that bitter end may yet prove rather costly. Ignoring the annoying reality that a great many 80s 12-inches are simply the 7-inch version on a larger disc, most 12-inches can be bought for up to a fiver each - so that's not a problem. But there are at least two that are hideously expensive whenever and wherever I look: ABBA's The Winner Takes It All from 1980 and Survivor's Eye Of The Tiger (Special European Edition) from 1982. So if you or anyone you know has a copy of these records and is willing to part with them for a sensible sum - give me a shout!

In the meantime, if you'd like to hear some of these vintage 12-inches and other chart-topping 80s classics, you can listen to my 'Number Ones of the 80s' radio show via the apps on only80s.co.uk every Friday night from 11pm (UK time). Alternatively, you can search for the only80s page on Facebook and tune in via the 'Listen Here' function. That's my other hobby - and if you'd like to leave me a message with your 80s memories, stories and/or favourite tracks, I'd love to hear from you and include your comments and tracks in the show.