This is one of a series of six threads which cover eighteen
years of Europarade hits. The others can be found here:
1976 to 1979 - http://ukmix.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=52561
1980 to 1982 - http://ukmix.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=52562
1986 to 1988 - http://ukmix.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=52564
1989 to 1991 - http://ukmix.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=52565
1992 to 1994 - http://ukmix.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=52566
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More recently known as the Euro Hit 40, the Europarade was a chart combining the weekly charts of various European countries into a single countdown..It was first compiled and aired in May 1976, and was broadcasted weekly on a variety of AM/FM radio stations around the continent until the beginning of 1994. The main weekly shows were those of TROS-Radio on Hilversum 3, and on SR-1 Europawelle - the former were the original compilers, but by the end of this period, responsibility had shifted to the latter - and the charts and other details which are now going to be presented in a series of these threads, each covering a three-year period, are primarily from notes made while listening to these broadcasts, and others, during these years.
Changes in the basis of compilation - and indeed the presentation of the weekly programmes - will be mentioned at appropriate points of the various threads. However, the main raw material for the chart was the top fifteen positions of each major country's weekly singles chart, combined on a points system. Each chart-topper received 15 points, each number two received 14 points, and so on down to each number 15 receiving 1 point.
Initially, only six countries were combined into the Europarade - Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain and the UK. During 1979, Denmark and Italy were added; during 1980, Austria and Switzerland; and in 1983 Ireland wa added. From that point on (and, therefore, the majority of the period covered here) the Europarade was a top 40 chart based on the charts of these eleven countries. 1983 was also the year in which the length of the chart was increased from a top 30 to a top 40.
I will try to update at least a couple of these threads with a couple of weeks each day if possible - but there is some incompleteness/uncertainty in the notes - so corrections and other observations will be very gratefully received. For at least part of this period, virtually all the constituent charts are now accessible in various places, so it may be possible to completely analyse the occasional chart into its points totals from each and every country - but to do this for every chart would involve far too much extra work. However, as some of the Europarade presenters used to mention every country in which each hit was charting, those details will usually accompany the weekly charts on these threads.
The first time I heard any part of the Europarade was on Sunday, 16th January 1983. As I found the show by chance on Hilversum-3 at around 11.40am (UK time), the number 20 hit by Musical Youth was playing - and when it became clear what I had discovered, out came the notebook, and I listed all the further tracks played and chart details mentioned. The major surprise was that the number one was a track I had never previously heard of! From the following week onwards, I was sure to tune in from the beginniung of the two-hour show (11.00pm UK time). The presenter was Ad Roland, and after beginning with the short "Eurovision" theme, it was then a straightforward run through all 30 hits, ending with the number one. The show then ended with short snippets of the American top 10, and a little more of America's number one. The jingles for this segment were in English, whereas those for the rest of the show were mainly in Dutch, although there were some in other languages too. In particular, there were multi-language introductions for the new entries - "MUZIK AUS DEUTSCHLAND!! NEU IN DER EUROPARADE" / "Et maintenant, musique de La France - Nouveau dans l'Europarade" and so on. This format remained unchanged for quite some time.
A few posts down, the charts will now begin, from the start of 1983.
