On Facebook, Tominthelibrary posted the first ever independent singles chart, from Record Week, published thirty-five years ago. The Wikipedia entry for the UK Indie Chart cites the following work as its source:
Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie hits : 1980-1989 : the complete U.K. independent charts (singles & albums). London: Cherry Red.
I was astonished that I either owned, or was familiar with, fourteen of the twenty. I went to my box of 45s, and found the number one, Spizz Energi’s Where’s Captain Kirk?
I bought singles in the mid to late 70s and early 80s, though many have been sold, lent or lost over the years. I was urged to list the contents, so here they are, with minimal metadata, no details of B sides, label etc:
Alternative TV Love Lies Limp
Alternative TV Action Time Vision
Buzzcocks Orgasm Addict
Buzzcocks What Do I Get?
Chelsea Right to Work
Dead Kennedys Too Drunk to Fuck
Guns for Hire I’m Gonna Rough My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend Up Tonight
Leyton Buzzards 19 and Mad
Misty in Roots Wicked Man
Protex Don’t Ring Me Up
Protex I Can Only Dream
Protex I Can’t Cope
Sham 69 Angels With Dirty Faces
Spizz Energi Where's Captain Kirk?
Stiff Little Fingers Alternative Ulster
Stiff Little Fingers Suspect Device
Swell Maps Loin of the Surf
The 101’ers Keys to Your Heart
The Boys You’d Better Move On
The Business Smash the Disco’s [Sic]
The Clash Bankrobber
The Clash Clash City Rockers
The Clash English Civil War
The Clash The Call Up
The Cure Killing an Arab
The Distractions Time Goes by So Slow
The Mekons Where Were You?
The Ruts In a Rut
The Tours Language School
The Users Kicks in Style