Mid-August, the part of summer that already knows it is ending. The songs at the top of the chart in the second week of August were the ones you would still be humming in a cooler month, the soundtrack to the last real stretch of the season. Here is what was number one the week of August 10 in every year of the 1980s.
The number one song the week of August 10, 1983 was "Every Breath You Take" by The Police, then in the middle of an eight-week reign at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. It was the defining radio record of that entire summer and the biggest American single of 1983. Across the decade, this same mid-August week was held at various points by Olivia Newton-John, U2, Tears for Fears, and Richard Marx.
1980 to 1983
Olivia Newton-John held the second week of August 1980 with "Magic," the "Xanadu" ballad still cruising through a four-week run at number one. In 1981 the week belonged to Rick Springfield and "Jessie's Girl," the soap-opera actor's breakout hitting its second week on top. By August 1982, Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" was still unmovable, and in 1983 The Police smothered the airwaves with "Every Breath You Take," a stalking love song that most of America heard as romance and played into the ground for two straight months.
1984 to 1986
Ray Parker Jr. ruled mid-August 1984 with "Ghostbusters," the theme to the summer's biggest movie. The film had opened in June and become a box-office monster, and its theme rode that wave to number one, though the song later drew a lawsuit from Huey Lewis over its resemblance to "I Want a New Drug," settled out of court years afterward.
The week of August 10, 1985 belonged to Tears for Fears and "Shout," in the middle of its three-week reign, part of a year in which the British duo landed two separate number ones.
And in August 1986, Peter Cetera held the top with "Glory of Love," the "Karate Kid Part II" ballad that launched his solo career after nearly two decades fronting Chicago.
1987 to 1989
U2 sat at number one the week of August 8, 1987 with "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," the second American chart-topper from "The Joshua Tree" and proof that a gospel-tinged rock band could rule pop radio. The album had already produced "With or Without You" earlier that year, making U2 one of the biggest acts on the planet by that August. In 1988 Steve Winwood held the week with "Roll With It," deep in a four-week run and his second solo number one. And in August 1989 the top belonged to Richard Marx and "Right Here Waiting," the piano ballad he wrote while separated from his wife-to-be, which spent three weeks at number one.
The honest bottom line
Mid-August is where the summer's biggest records show their staying power. Nothing on this list was a flash hit. "Every Breath You Take" ran eight weeks, "Magic" four, "Roll With It" four, and even the shorter reigns like "Shout" and "Right Here Waiting" held three. Radio in the second week of August was not looking for the next thing. It was locked onto the song of the season, and these are the records that earned that place by refusing to fade while the weather still held.
FAQ
What song was number one on August 10, 1983? "Every Breath You Take" by The Police, which was number one for eight consecutive weeks that summer and finished as the top single of 1983.
What U2 song was number one in August 1987? "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," the second number one single from "The Joshua Tree," which topped the chart in early to mid August 1987.
Did Ghostbusters lead to a lawsuit? Yes. Huey Lewis sued Ray Parker Jr. over the resemblance of "Ghostbusters" to "I Want a New Drug." The case was settled out of court.
What was the number one song in mid August 1989? "Right Here Waiting" by Richard Marx, which spent three weeks at number one across August 1989.
Why was Every Breath You Take number one so long? It combined a huge radio presence with strong sales, holding number one for eight weeks and becoming The Police's signature hit and the biggest single of 1983.
What was Peter Cetera's first solo hit? "Glory of Love," the theme from "The Karate Kid Part II," was Peter Cetera's first solo single after leaving Chicago, and it reached number one in August 1986.
This week was rebuilt from the charts themselves, see the method.
Part of This Week in 80s Music. Back to the week of August 3.