Request Chart 40 Years – 80s Flashback

As the Request Chart celebrates it’s 40th anniversary this year, and ahead of our big chart this weekend to find out the all-time most requested artists, we look back on some of the artists that patients at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital have been asking to hear over the decades:

1980s
The chart was started by long-serving member Keith Reeve and former member Steph Farley back in 1985. The very first request chart saw Madonna narrowly beat Wham! and Duran Duran to the top of the pile. Madonna would return to our annual top spot in 1987.

Our first ever number one song came from Sister Sledge with “Frankie”. Amazingly it was the only time the song ever made our request chart.

Another artist who established themselves as a firm favourite with patients was Chris De Burgh, who was the most requested artist of 1986 thanks to his track “Lady In Red” – which would go on to be a request favourite for many years to come.

Michael Jackson returned to the charts at the end of the decade with the “Bad” album which spawned many big hits, and made him a favourite with RNOH patients. He was our most requested artist of 1988 and 1989.

In 1988, Tiffany had our most requested song of the year with her cover of “I Think We’re Alone Now”

The decade ended with two fresh-faced stars from Neighbours battling it out on our request chart – with both Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan riding high in our request chart.