It is great that you are all interested in some Countdown Revolution, thank you Kyron for starting a discussion on this. I know, as you say Jason, it certainly ain't no Countdown, but it's still history and full of great memories. I only have the three episodes shown by Rage in 2008. I would dearly love to get some more full shows of this shown on Retro-January, and like most people, no Recovery, etc. If anyone happens to have full episodes of Revolution, I would be happy to pay well for copies.

I am, not totally bagging Countdown Revolution as I went to recordings of the show quite a lot in 1989 and had some really fun times there.

I even went to the taping of the show when Duran Duran were there in 1990 and it was FANTASTIC!

As I said, if they play 3 or 4 and they are the GOOD episodes then great. But there are some rage have played in the past that aren't of the best episodes that were filmed!

Like all things in life Jason, the emphasis should be on balance. I can't see the reason for the black hole that exists around the period 1987-93ish. It's not an accident, though what has motivated it eludes me.

How great that you were in the audience. Have you ever spotted yourself on film during a repeat?

Long live the revolution!!!

I went to about 5 tapings for Countdown Revolution and have spoted myself, yes :-) It was fun and my favourite tapings I went to were The Batdance Competition at The Metro where I saw Kylie, Collette and Martika AND the Duran Duran episode at the ABC studios which was CHAOS! It was so busy and + Duran + and Big Pig were FAB!!! But I ALWAYS wished I was there for Countdown instead :-( There is just no competition for me, Countdown FOREVER!!!

I assume Martika was there to perform her new single 'Toy Soldiers'? I guess back then she was just some random chick promoting a song? Did Duran Duran & Big Pig perform? If they did, did DD perform 'Violence of Summer' and Big Big do 'Justifier'?

Umm, 1989, didn't Duran Duran have "I don't want your love" that year? It was around the January Febuary'ish that had that song, Violence of Summer didn't come out until about November 1990, in which I think Countdown Revolution was nearly finished.

I'm actually rather curious to find out when Countdown Revolution finished. It may of not been the best music show, but certainly it was the last of the good from back then, but I also confess I was watching Video Hits a lot at the time, when they'd actually show then entire video clips without cutting into them.

From the top of my head, from the Countdown revolution period, this was roughly one of the top 40's I remember from about February 1990.

1. B 52's - Love shack
2. Belinda Carlisle - Summer rain
3. Deborah Harry - Sweet and low / Kiss it better
4. Milli Vanilli - Blame it on the rain
5. Peter Blakely - Crying in the chapel
6. Kylie Minogue - Tears on my pillow
7. Martika - More then you know
8. Johnny Diesel and the Injectors - Send me somebody to love
9. Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville - Don't know much
10. Bad English - When I see you smile
11. Technotroic - Pump up the jam
12. Michael Penn - No myth
13. Madonna - Dear Jessie
14. Rolling Stones - Between a rock and a hard place
15. Martika - I feel the earth move
16. Paula Abdul and the Funky Bunch - Opposites attract
17. Jason Donovan - When you come back to me
18. Kaoma - Lambada
19. Roxette - Listen to your heart
20. New Kids on the Block - Cover girl
21. Allanah Myles - Black velvit
22. Wild land - The sun
23. Kate Ceberano - That's what I call love
24. Elton John - Whispering whisper / Sacrifice
25. Wet Wet Wet - Sweet surrender
26. Adeva - I thank you
27. Starlight - Numero uno
28. Rococo - Italio house mix - (hotmix EP)
29. Milli Vanilli - Girl I'm gonna miss you
30. Lou Gramm - Just between you and me
31. Rod Stewart - Downtown train
32. Belinda Carlisle - La luna
33. Martika - More then you know
34. Grandmaster Chicken and DJ Duck - Check out the chicken
35. Hunters and Collectors - Turn a blind eye
36. Sidney Youngblood - Sit and wait
37. Roxette - Dangerous
38. Fleetwood mac - Saved me
39. Phill Collins - Something happened on the way to heaven
40. Tina Turner - Steamy windows

Hi Mark

Jason said earlier in the thread that the DD & Big Pig episode was from 1990, so I assumed it was an episode from October 1990, as DD and Big Pig both had singles released around the same time then. 'I Don't Want Your Love' was late '88.

Not sure where you got the Top 40 chart from Feb 1990 , but it's all wrong. Here's a website that has the australian singles and albums charts from June '88 to present. I have pasted a link below, that takes you straight to the chart 18 Feb 1990. Cheers.

http://australian-charts.com/weekchart.asp?cat=s&year=1990&date=19900218

This is correct. Duran Duran had 'All She Wants Is' (around Jan 1989) and 'Do You Believe In Shame?' (around May 1989) out in 1989; but I think Countdown Revolution started later than these (June 1989?).

I don't remember exactly when Countdown Revolution ended, but it would have been late (December?) 1990 or very early 1991. I think at the time I didn't realise it was ending (though it had long been on the decline), so maybe I missed the final episode, or they didn't announce it as such?

I think your right with CR starting around June/July '89. I remember songs like 'The Look', 'The Right Stuff', 'Express Yourself' etc. being in the first Top 10 when they played it during the show.

Yep, I was really off the mark, but that's how video hits played them, and that was one of the weeks I wrote down all the tracks. I guess Video Hits didn't use the ARIA chart. They must of used the Kent report, or Video Hits must of used their own research.

I definitely know though that both Countdown and Countdown Revolution used the ARIA charts, as their end of show countdowns used to match the red and blue printed charts I used to get from Homecraft/Brashs/Chandlers/K-Mart and etc.

Okay, we're talking early 90s here, but geez, these were still the days when new music was exciting to get into. Some how something died when Countdown Revolution folded, the Australian music scene, if not all music started getting quite questionable from about December 1992 onwards.

Michael,

Martika performed 'I Feel The Earth Move' and yeah, I guess she was there to promote the NEW single at the time and I guess for the BATDANCE competition they wanted as MANY guests as possible!. Kylie did 'Never Too Late' and Collette performed 'That's What i Like About You'. Judges there as well included Indecent Obsession who got BOOOODED big time!... Molly Meldrum and Tony Bartuchio (Whom I can't SPELL!)

There was also a cool dance routine to Donna Summer's 'This Time I Know It's For Real'. I remember the filming going on and on for hours. For an hour special we were LITERALLY there at The Metro for at least 4 hours!

With the Duran episode Duran did NOT perform :-( UNFORTUNATELY ... They were just there to promote 'Violence Of Summer' and 'Liberty'. The ABC studios had to open up a top floor and there were SCREAMING girls everywhere, it was LITERALLY mayhem of the highest form!... BIG PIG did INDEED perform 'Justifier' but no one was really interested to be honest with DURAN being there, he he he...

And I screamed out Nick Rhodes pretty much 70% of the time!!!

So late '89 for the Batdance Comp? Sounds a bit late, considering the movie came out in mid '89. Surely, I must have watched it back then or maybe it was shown on a Friday night?

Is this Top 40 chart from AMR or ARIA? What date of February 1990 is it?

It was shown on ABC as a special and not part of an actual normal episode. I can't remember what night. I think it was on a Sunday or something...

I don't get what you mean though, I went to it in 1989 and Batman came out in '89, so what do you mean my friend?

I got the impression that the Batdance special was shown late '89 going by the songs that were perfomed and I'm just saying if it was shown in late '89 isn't that a bit late considering the Batman movie came out in mid '89?

Hey, how was Janet Jackson? (I read your post on the rage messageboard). I liked your comment about them playing one of her songs and daring them to play it if they're NASTY!

He, He, He... Yeah, it was a good show :-)

Well done Jason for getting this episode on after asking for so many years. I will keep a look out for your appearance.

I will keep a look out too. Jason, can you remember what you were wearing/how you looked back then?

So Collette was on the Batdance competition episode too?

If that's the Nov 26th one, it seems a bit odd she'd be performing (presumably 'That's What I Like About You') then, because it had fallen out of the top 50 a week earlier. It would make more sense if she was performing on the Nov 17th episode... but then rage are airing Prince's 'Partyman' after the Nov 26th episode, which would suggest that the 26th was the 'Batdance' episode after all?

It still doesn't make sense why they would hold a Batdance competition 5 or so months after the movies release!

The first show last night, I already taped for performances back in 1989 when it was shown.

I never taped the whole show, as bands like Indecent Obsession were on also.


Still have it on VHS tape in my collection.

Although i suppose deemed retro, being that it is 25 years ago.

Revolution is not retro for me, i prefer the days when I was still in school

I suppose that will happen with us older Countdown lovers.

I am loving these CD Revolutions!!! Rage dated the first one on Sat night with the wrong year. It was obvkously Nov 89, not 90.Sambora and Jon Bon Jovi were the highlight & Indecent Obsession the low light! Icehouse were awesome too and the audio actually sounded live. Cool to see Tanya Lacy at the end too.

Actually, Indecent Obsession and Icehouse were the HIGHLIGHT and Bon Jovi the LOW LIGHT

Ha! We all have different tastes in music ☺ Indecent were just a bit to girlie for me.