List of Retail Singles number ones


Retail Singles was a weekly music chart compiled and published by Canadian magazine The Record from 1983 to 1996 that ranked the best-selling songs in Canada. Whereas the singles chart of rival magazine RPM was based solely on radio airplay after September 1988, Retail Singles was based on a national sample of single sales reports given by Canadian retailers and rack jobbers. It was regarded in the music industry as the premier Canadian single sales chart for the duration of its publication. The chart was associated with Canada in the Hits of the World section of American magazine Billboard and was featured in Canadian newspapers such as the Montreal Gazette, Winnipeg Sun, and Edmonton Journal.
Retail Singles was first published in the January 10, 1983, issue of The Record, and was dated seven days later. The chart contained thirty positions through the week ending October 24, 1983. It expanded to forty positions on the week ending October 31, 1983, and to fifty positions on the week ending February 11, 1985. From the week ending January 22, 1990, until its discontinuation after the week ending April 1, 1996, Retail Singles contained forty positions. After thirteen years, 2,500 entries, and 193 number ones, The Record ceased publishing the chart due to a lack of sales reports owing to declining single sales in the country. It was succeeded in October 1996 by the Canadian Singles Chart, compiled by SoundScan.
American singer Madonna achieved the most Retail Singles number ones, followed by Phil Collins, Paula Abdul, Michael Jackson, and Mariah Carey. Five songs tied for the most weeks at number one, with 12: "Faith" by George Michael, " I Do It for You" by Bryan Adams, "Said [I Loved You...But I Lied]" by Michael Bolton, "The [Power of Love #Celine Dion version|The Power of Love]" by Celine Dion, and "Fantasy" by Carey. Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called to Say I Love You" is the best-performing song of the 1980s and Dion's "The Power of Love" is the best-performing title in Retail Singles history.

Chart history

No.Chart dateSongArtistWeeks at
number one
1January 17, 1983"Dirty Laundry"Don Henley1
2January 24, 1983"Mickey"Toni Basil5
3February 28, 1983"Pass the Dutchie"Musical Youth1
4March 7, 1983"Do You Really Want to Hurt Me"Culture Club3
5March 28, 1983"Billie Jean"Michael Jackson7
6May 16, 1983"Beat It"Michael Jackson2
7May 30, 1983"Flashdance... What a Feeling"Irene Cara6
8July 11, 1983"Electric Avenue"Eddy Grant5
9August 15, 1983"Every Breath You Take"The Police5
10September 19, 1983"Maniac"Michael Sembello2
11October 3, 1983"Sweet Dreams "Eurythmics1
October 10, 1983"Maniac"Michael Sembello1
reOctober 17, 1983"Sweet Dreams "Eurythmics2
12October 31, 1983"True"Spandau Ballet2
13November 14, 1983"Islands in the Stream"Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton9
14January 16, 1984"Say Say Say"Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson1
15January 23, 1984"Major Tom "Peter Schilling1
16January 30, 1984"Karma Chameleon"Culture Club7
17March 19, 1984"99 Luftballons"Nena2
18April 2, 1984"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"Cyndi Lauper6
19May 14, 1984"Against All Odds "Phil Collins3
20June 4, 1984"To All the Girls I've Loved Before"Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson3
21June 25, 1984"Time After Time"Cyndi Lauper3
22July 16, 1984"Let's Hear It for the Boy"Deniece Williams1
23July 23, 1984"Self Control"Laura Branigan3
24August 13, 1984"When Doves Cry"Prince2
25August 27, 1984"Ghostbusters"Ray Parker Jr.5
26October 1, 1984"What's Love Got to Do with It"Tina Turner1
27October 8, 1984"Missing You"John Waite3
28October 29, 1984"I Just Called to Say I Love You"Stevie Wonder11
29January 14, 1985"Do They Know It's Christmas?"Band Aid1
30January 21, 1985"Like a Virgin"Madonna3
31February 11, 1985"Easy Lover"Philip Bailey and Phil Collins6
32March 25, 1985"I Want to Know What Love Is"Foreigner2
33April 8, 1985"Shout"Tears for Fears2
34April 22, 1985"One Night in Bangkok"Murray Head1
35April 29, 1985"Tears Are Not Enough" sfn|Lwin|1997|p=70