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I am now some fifty six years old, and I think back fourty of them years, I would think I had pretty cool taste in music.

But having kept the chart book I can look at my taste in music from 1980 to 1991, and how it changed, and was changed by work and who I mixed with.

Once I started to listen to John Peel, more "indie" stuff got in and I bought, then from 1982 I switched from chart music until March 1985 when I started work at the chicken factory, at which point I had a choice of listening to Peel or going to work at six the next morning, I couldn't do both.

So my tastes became more mainstream, and went dancy in 87 onwards once I started to go clubbing.

I seem to remember the rise of Soft Cell and Depeche Mode and all the Some Bizarre stuff ended my love with Heavy Metal in a single week, but looking back through 1981, I see Gillan.

In the week of 11th August 1981 there was:

Never Surrender by Saxon
Trouble Boys by Thin Lizzy
Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through by Jim Steinman
I'm Gonna Lover Her for Both of us by Meatloaf
ABACAB by Genesis
Burning for Love by Blue Oyster Cult
Can't Happen Here by Rainbow

and

Keep on Loving You by REO Speedwagon was in the top ten.

OK, not all heavy metal, but stuff was sneaking in.

So, not so cool and not soo cool so quick.

Here is the top ten from forty years ago:

1. Souvenir - OMD
2. Tainted Love - Soft Cell
3. Just Can't Get Enough - Depece Mode

4. Start me Up - Rolling Stones
5. Invisible Sun - Police
6. Passionate Fried - Teardrop Explodes
7. O Superman - Laurie Anderson
8. Quiet Life - Japan
9. The Wall - Ultravox
10. She's Got Claws - Gary Numan