Diana Ross Chart Comparisons 1974-1993

[soren1974]

While Diana Ross's UK chart record is certainly impressive with 78 single entries, 21 Top 10-hits and 2 #1's, I am surprised that her chart history in such an important territory as Germany is very modest. She had no single hits prior to 1980 and only enjoyed one single in the Top 10 with Upside Down, and then just a further 3 Top 20-hits. In the Netherlands she enjoyed 9 Top 10-hits including a surprise No. 1 with A Brand New Day from The Wiz which was not a hit anywhere else.

Comparing the 3 markets show plenty of surprises. I'm Coming Out, for example, now her opening anthem, was less popular upon its release than My Old Piano, a song I believe she has never performed since recording it [[and the accompanying video). Endless Love was wasted on the Germans and never charted there. All Of You, a song Ross never performs despite its being a Top 20-hit in the UK, hit #7 in the Netherlands. Swept Away - a Top 20-hit in the US - mainly flopped in Europe. Touch By Touch proved another Dutch hit at #18 [[and also in Sweden where it hit #11) while one of her very best ballads, Missing You, could mysteriously only make an abysmal #76 in the UK charts.

The often condemned Eaten Alive surprisingly fared better than Chain Reaction in the Netherlands [[#17 vs. #40) - it was also a decent hit in Sweden at #14 where Chain Reaction failed to chart at all. As we know, Ross's hits dried up in the late 80s, but her comeback When You Tell Me That You Love Me was another one that fell cold on the Germans.

On a sidenote, it is also worth noting her popularity in Sweden where Diana [[1980) went #1 [[as did Upside Down), and all her RCA albums sold well: WDFFIL [[#6), Silk Electric [[#11), Ross '83 [[#7), Swept Away [[#10), Eaten Alive [[#3), Red Hot [[#12) - and even Workin' Overtime made a respectable showing at #22 while Force Behind The Power only made it to #43.

	UK	GER	NL	US
You Are Everything	5	-	13	-
Theme From Mahogany	5	-	4	1
Love Hangover	10	-	18	1
A Brand New Day	-	-	1	-
Ease On Down The Road	45	-	33	41
Upside Down	2	3	3	1
My Old Piano	5	15	2	-
I'm Coming Out	13	18	32	5
It's My Turn	16	-	-	9
Cryin' My Heart Out For You	58	-	-	-
Endless Love	7	-	10	1
Why Do Fools Fall In Love	7	17	1	7
Tenderness	73	-	37	-
Mirror, Mirror	36	-	24	8
Work That Body	7	-	15	44
It's Never Too Late	41	-	-	-
Muscles	15	-	10	10
So Close	43	-	-	40
Who [[Dutch single only)	-	-	44	-
Pieces Of Ice	46	39	-	31
Up Front	79	-	-	-
All Of You	43	32	7	19
Swept Away	-	63	36	19
Touch By Touch	49	-	18	-
Missing You	76	-	-	10
Eaten Alive	71	38	17	77
Chain Reaction	1	11	40	66
Experience	47	-	45	-
Dirty Looks	49	58	60	-
Shockwaves	76	-	-	-
Mr. Lee	58	-	-	-
Workin' Overtime	32	-	-	-
Paradise	61	-	-	-
When You Tell Me That You Love Me	2	-	4	-
The Force Behind The Power	27	82	-	-
One Shining Moment	10	-	-	-
If We Hold On Together	11	-	36	-
Heart [[Don't Change My Mind)	31	-	-	-

[sup_fan]

love comparing all of this data. gets me geek side hopping lol

anyone on here from the Europe market? share some details?

I will say that it seems that European audiences seem to be aware of an artist's catalog regardless of chart rankings. Audiences knew Diana and her catalog and appreciated all of it. they seem to invest more time in learning about their stars than americans

[soren1974]

anyone on here from the Europe market? share some details?

Yes, born in Denmark, living in the UK. I agree that the Europeans are much more faithful to their legends than the Americans seem to be.

[marybrewster]

I'm shocked that "If We Hold On" did nothing in the US, especially with how successful the movie LBT was. I think it one of her most heartfelt songs. Truly a gem.

I'm also a huge fan of "Chain" and "Lee", which also barely made a ripple here, but were most popular across the pond. I guess I should have been born in the UK.

[Boogiedown]

RE: the Diana Ross charting absence in Germany in the 70's ....How much freedom was there on those European charts for what became decreed as a national hit?

Weren't the airwaves Gov't controlled unlike the US where what rose to the top was through market competition and public preference...



genuinely asking, trying to understand how it worked ....

[soren1974]

RE: the Diana Ross charting absence in Germany in the 70's ....How much freedom was there on those European charts for what became decreed as a national hit? Weren't the airwaves Gov't controlled unlike the US where what rose to the top was through market competition and public preference...

I can comfortably say no to that. ABBA enjoyed 9 No. 1 singles in Germany, The Beatles 11 No. 1's for comparison. I think it might have more to do with her lack of appearing there for TV-shows.

[Boogiedown]

Thanks Soren , but I’m not sure what you’re saying no to?

[soren1974]

I'm saying no to your idea that the European charts were ruled by a government dictatorship.

[Ollie9]

“You Are Everything” wasn’t released as a single in the USA.

[soren1974]

“You Are Everything” wasn’t released as a single in the USA.

No, you are right. It was "My Mistake" [[pun intended). I shall edit my post.

[Boogiedown]

I'm saying no to your idea that the European charts were ruled by a government dictatorship.

because the Beatles had eleven #1?
how did it work then ?

[soren1974]

how did it work then ?

The same way - the more popular the records, the higher they go on the charts. Why are you assuming that the charts had to work differently than they did in the States [[I presume you are American)?

[Ollie9]

No, you are right. It was "My Mistake" [[pun intended). I shall edit my post.

I thought it might be soren.

[Boogiedown]

The same way - the more popular the records, the higher they go on the charts. Why are you assuming that the charts had to work differently than they did in the States [[I presume you are American)?

how were the records to be played chosen in the first place and popular according to who?

were there competing radio stations ? Trade magazines ?
educate me !

[florence]

Great thread, soren1974.

How were the German charts compiled - was it on sales only?

The UK chart was always sales only, in the US Billboard had a heavy airplay factor, while Cashbox and Record World in the 60s and 70s was sales only.

Record World stopped production in 1982 while by the late 70's Cashbox had begun to introduce airplay as a factor.

What was particularly noticeable was that in the 70s the bigger Diana singles [[also The Supremes) did better in CB and RW so she sold better than chart position in BB suggested - Reach Out And Touch, Remember Me, Last Time I Saw Him were all Top 10 in CB and RR [[also Supremes' Nathan Jones).

I'm wondering if quite a few of the singles which were released in the UK mostly also in the Netherlands did actually get a release in Germany?

I suspect the following may not have:

You Are Everything
Cryin' My Heart Out For You
Tenderness
It's Never Too Late
Work That Body
Up Front
Paradise
Experience
Shockwaves
Mr Lee
One Shining Moment
Heart

Interestingly Swept Away was never put out as a single in the UK but looked to have blanket coverage in Europe.

Missing You was an odd one in the UK.

As with the US they didn't put a lot of promotion into Diana's post 1983 singles [[even though she was with Capitol here not RCA) - Chain Reaction was a hit despite the record company not thanks to them, it broke in the clubs and discos and heavy rotation on video channels).

The one track they did try to break was Missing You, first released in December 1984 getting lost in the rush but re-promoted several times over the next few months eventually reaching #76 in Spring 1985.

I'm getting to see the top 200s for 1985 shortly and I want to see if Missing You knocked about the lower regions for a while, its sales may actually be higher than thought.

Surprised to see how well her RCA albums did in Sweden since the singles successes during this period weren't great - I think 3 Top 10s and a further 3 top 20s.

I think she had around 10 top 20 singles in Finland in this period.

How did she do in your native Denmark, very hard to get any info on that country although I believe Why Do Fools Fall In Love was big there {#4)?

She fared even worse in France, only 2 or 3 hits there.

[soren1974]

Great thread, soren1974.

How were the German charts compiled - was it on sales only?

Thank you! I have been reading so many great threads on this page for years and thought it was about time I actually joined in and participate And yes, re: German charts - that is clearly my impression they were based on sales.

I suspect the following may not have:

You Are Everything
Cryin' My Heart Out For You
Tenderness
It's Never Too Late
Work That Body
Up Front
Paradise
Experience
Shockwaves
Mr Lee
One Shining Moment
Heart

Having checked Discogs, Cryin' My Heart Out and One More Chance were German singles, as were Work That Body, Up Front, Experience, and Paradise.

Surprised to see how well her RCA albums did in Sweden since the singles successes during this period weren't great - I think 3 Top 10s and a further 3 top 20s.

And I am as well - Danish charts-stats are not widely available for some reason, but all her RCA-albums are easily found in 2nd hand shops. Upside Down, Fools, Chain Reaction, and When You Tell Me That You Love Me were big hits in my home-country.

As big a star as she is, I find her discography very fascinating with the big hits, then flops, then some hits being big in certain countries only etc.

[Levi Stubbs Tears]

European success often came because of music videos. The lack of Diana's in the late 70s/early 80s clearly hurt her success there [[as it did here in Australia).

A smash like 'Upside Down' could still get to #1 via radio play but others could not.

Here downunder 'My Old Piano' made the top ten [[though a superior song 'I'm Coming Out' did not) purely because it had a music video [[albeit a no frills one).

[Jaap]

"A Brand New Day" by "The Wiz Stars featuring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson" was not just a #1 hit in the Netherlands, but also in Belgium. The #1 of "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" in the Netherlands undoubtedly was helped by Ross visiting the Netherlands and appearing on the evening talkshow Mies, where she did not sing but showed the video, showing us "what Las Vegas looks like". Back then, unbelievable now, we only had two television channels, so almost everybody watched the interview -- I know all my friends, and I myself of course did. I clearly remember watching the interview. We didn't have a VCR, so I taped it with a cassette player, telling my family to shut up! But thanks to YouTube, we can now watch it anytime.

[jack020]

Forgot about this, thanks

[lucky2012]

I enjoyed this. The host was wonderful. Diana seemed very at ease and the audience seemed to adore her. Thank you, Jaap.

[florence]

I think My Old Piano only went top 30 in Australia

[Boogiedown]

Boy those Germans are a tough nut to crack.

I see just one universal HIT.
Upside Down

[jim aka jtigre99]

It seems many songs just seem to hit differently in different countries. Even in different regions in the US, some songs will be hits while in other areas they aren't played at all. I remember hearing I'm Still Waiting on her Everything is Everything LP and I thought that was the hit-it was but in the UK, not in the States.

[1382hitsville]

RE: the Diana Ross charting absence in Germany in the 70's ....How much freedom was there on those European charts for what became decreed as a national hit?

Weren't the airwaves Gov't controlled unlike the US where what rose to the top was through market competition and public preference...



genuinely asking, trying to understand how it worked ....

Hi Boogiedown,

I'm from the Netherlands and here we have:
The Dutch Top 40 is one of the four official charts in the Netherlands, the other three being the B2B Single Top 100, which is based entirely on pure sales and streaming, the Mega Top 30 from [[NPO 3FM) which, like the Dutch Top 40 also includes airplay data and the 538 Top 50.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Top_40

No involvement of government. Based on sales and radioplay.

[1382hitsville]

And to add, in Europe we have public broadcasters and in most countries commercial broadcasters.

The public broadcasters are part of the EBU:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe...dcasting_Union

Hope this clarifies and helps.