Tag Archives: Billy Bragg

Off The Chart: 31 May 1988

Off The Chart: 31 May 1988

It’s episode 321 of Off The Chart this week, but sadly Dusty Bin couldn’t make it. It does mean we’re back at the start of the dexy though, so we’ll be looking at the UK singles chart from today in 1988! Join us to win two hours’ worth of obscure, forgotten and neglected hits, tracks from three new albums, a withering look at the day’s events, a hit from the South African chart and the top five singles in full. The referee’s decision is final.

  • Which collaboration between a huge Australian act and a huge US act fell short of the UK top fifty?
  • Who described their latest single as “an update of Bob Dylan’s Subterranean Homesick Blues“?
  • And which football team did badly in the chart but even worse at the tournament their record was for?

Tune in and find out!



Listen to Off The Chart on Noisebox Radio at 9pm every Tuesday! And don’t forget to tweet along using the hashtag #OffTheChart. If you’re not around, you can hear the show again on Noisebox Radio at 11am on Friday, or catch up on Mixcloud after that.

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Spotify playlists

If you’ve missed a previous edition they’re all on our Mixcloud page, or for a taster of the music we play, listen to our Spotify playlist Way Off The Chart including one track from each show!

We also have a Spotify playlist for our #ICEOTWF feature, including all (well, most) of the international hits we’ve played since the feature began in March 2017. There are all sorts of oddities in here, all of which were hits somewhere in the world but not in the UK!

Off The Chart: 23 March 1985

Off The Chart: 23 March 1985

We’re stopping off in 1985 on this week’s Off The Chart for another two hour examination of the week’s UK singles chart. We’ll have the usual selection of obscure and forgotten hits, three of the week’s new albums, a round-up … read more

Off The Chart: 1 October 1986

Off The Chart: 1 October 1986

It’s a special occasion on this week’s Off The Chart as we celebrate the birthday of all our listeners who haven’t told us when their birthday is! There’s cake for everyone – literally – and a host of hits large … read more

Off The Chart: 17 September 1988

Off The Chart: 17 September 1988

Smiley face T-shirts at the ready, we’re going back to this day in 1988 for another Off The Chart! Join us for two hours of forgotten and half-remembered hits, three of the week’s new albums, a review of the day’s … read more

Now Parlez 8

Now Parlez 8 artwork

Join Steve and Julian from Off The Chart as they dig another Now album out of the box! This time around they’re talking about Now That’s What I Call Music 8 and playing tracks from an original vinyl copy. Hit … read more

Sound of the Crowd – a Discography of the ’80s: Fourth Edition available now!

Sound of the Crowd - 4th Edition cover

Sound Of The Crowd: a Discography of the ’80sΒ is the ultimate record collector’s guide to the 1980s. In the era of multi-formatting, picture discs, coloured vinyl, multiple remixes, funny shaped records and tiny CDs you could lose down the back … read more

Off The Chart: 10 February 1984

Off The Chart: 10 February 1984

Come back to 1984 on this week’s Off The Chart for a spectacular display of how attitudes have changed in the past third of a century – and that’s just the first song. There’s the usual hatful of half-remembered hits, … read more

Off The Chart: 6 January 1986

Off The Chart: 6 January 1986

Happy New (old) Year! Come back to the first week of 1986 with Steve and Julian on this week’s Off The Chart and try to overlook the fact that it’s only three weeks since we did December 1985. Still, there’ll … read more

Virtual C90: November 2017

Virtual C90: November 1987

This month’s mixtape has new music from Morrissey, Tears For Fears, Billy Bragg, Bryan Adams and Europe! Plus new takes on old favourites by Pet Shop Boys, Midge Ure, Whitesnake and George Michael, and the usual mix of ’80s hits, … read more

Virtual C90: October 2017

Virtual C90: October 2017

This month’s mixtape has new music from Morrissey, Tears For Fears, Blancmange, Squeeze, Chris Rea, The Blow Monkeys, Billy Bragg, Gun and The Selecter! Plus new takes on old favourites by a-ha, Belinda Carlisle, The Fizz, The Christians and Inner … read more

Off The Chart: 27 May 1988

Off The Chart: 27 May 1988

We’re arriving back in 1988 this week on Off The Chart with two hours of half-remembered hits, vague reminiscences, a featured album of the week and the top five singles in full – all six of them. The launderette is … read more

Chart Watch and New Releases: 30 September 2016

The Beat feat Ranking Roger - Bounce

A strong week for ’80s acts as Bruce Springsteen‘s new compilation Chapter and Verse dΓ©buts at number 2 on the album chart, followed closely by Marillion‘s F E A R at number 4, with Billy Bragg and Joe Henry‘s Shine … read more