BELINDA CARLISLE
(US, six Top 40 hits, two Top 40 albums)

Resolute ginger-minged ex-GoGo of 20 Woodbines a day-sound and great big jubblies who catapulted straight to No.1 with debut "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" ("ooh baby, do you know what that's worth?"), heralding the start of the exceptionally chronic year for music that was '88. Carlisle probably emerges from that tawdry 12 months with extra credit because her tunes and her fresh but semi- sexy, leathery image gave us the impression that she had good 'serious' artistic credentials compared to the glut of faceless soap stars and talentless pretty boys about to give the discerning ear a right old clumping. Third single "Circle In The Sand" ("and you complete the heart of me") remains a Gold station mainstay but opened the door to a distastrous second half of the year, not helped by the morbidly cack fascination with all these TV stars infiltrating the record stores and A-lists. Carlisle stuck steadfastly to her inoffensive, does-she-doesn't-she image and reappeared in '89 with the finely harmonised and melodic "Leave A Light On", ("I'll be there before you close the door") her strongest single to this day and a deserving recipient of a No.4 peak. Her status lowered slightly in the 90s, though she continued to gatecrash the Top 20 on reasonably frequent occasions despite never once changing her musical direction. It was all happy, slightly twee and traditional pop, so what you saw with Carlisle was what you got, apart from those hooters, sadly...

Biggest Hit: "Heaven Is A Place On Earth", No.1, 1988
Defining Moment: Misty recollection of a bra-less TOTP appearance...nice.

CARL CARLTON
(US, one top 40 hit, no Top 40 albums)

One demi-hit, unfeasibly titled "She's A Bad Mama Jama (She's Built, She's Stacked)" which we can guess the theme of, but can't remember. What can you tell us?

Biggest Hit: "She's A Bad Mama Jama (She's Built, She's Stacked)", No.34, 1981
Defining Moment: Not yet.

CARMEL
(UK, two Top 40 hits, one Top 40 album)

UNDERRATED TROUPE led by vocalist Carmel McCourt who hit their highest in '83 with "Bad Day", which we don't recall, and followed it up with "More More More" ("gimme gimme gimme, all your loving") a year later, which had an imaginative organ-esque and handclap intro. We only know it thanks to Now 2 (tape one side one, surrounded by Matt Bianco and Madness, no less). Short shelf-life suggests that the shallower end of the pop-digesting market failed to appreciate them.

Biggest Hit: "Bad Day", No.15, 1983
Defining Moment: They even made the Now 2 TV ad.

 KIM CARNES
(US, one Top 40 hit, one Top 40 album)

Hoarse and slightly mumsyish Yank woman destined to be known only as her who made a rod for her own back by doing "Bette Davis Eyes" ("she's precocious") and having nothing anywhere near as instantaneous to follow it up. Also sang the glorious total of two words on USA For Africa's poisonous anti-famine dirge "We Are The World".

Biggest Hit: "Bette Davis Eyes", No.10, 1981 

Defining Moment: The two words on the charidee plodfest were "when we" before Huey Lewis got lyricus-interruptus with "stand together as one". To be fair, they both completed the line together, but Carnes could barely be heard.

CASHFLOW
(US, one top 40 hit, one Top 40 album)

Sort of remember this lot, but the solitary outpouring of their creative reproductory system remains locked away somewhere. It was called "Mine All Mine/Party Freak". Got a copy?

Biggest Hit: "Mine All Mine/Party Freak", No.15, 1986
Defining Moment: None.

CASHMERE
(US, one Top 40 hit, no Top 40 albums)

Smiley Yank soul trio who briefly joined the nation's wannabe list with the rather pleasant "Can I" ("Can I get you back again?") in '85 which should have been much, much bigger. Annie Nightingale played it least twice on her Radio 1 request show in the years to come, long after they had returned to proper work.

Biggest Hit: "Can I", No.29, 1985
Defining Moment: Wore orange boiler suit things in the publicity pic which went with the Smash Hits reprinting of the words.

CENTRAL LINE
(UK, one Top 40 hit, no Top 40 albums)

Mind's a blank here. Released six singles over two years but only one made the Top 40. Anyone join their fan club? If so, drop us a line.

Biggest Hit: "Nature Boy", No.21, 1983
Defining Moment: Did they all meet at a Tube buskers' convention...?

PETER CETERA
(US, one Top 40 hit, no Top 40 albums)

Earnest, tanned Chicago point of focus with the burglar alarm larynx took a break from his multi-keyboarded proggers to issue the chivalrous tear jerker "Glory Of Love" ("I am a man who will fight for your honour, I'll be the hero that you're dreaming of") which inevitably sold bucketloads and guaranteed a permanent place on the thousands of sloppy compilations released since. As ballads go, it was genuinely heartfelt and Cetera's reputation for sounding like he actually means every word he sings was further enriched.

Biggest Hit: "Glory Of Love", No.3, 1986
Defining Moment: Producing a song which not one woman in the world hates.

CHAMPAIGN
(US, one top 40 hit, one Top 40 album)

DYSLEXIC YANK collective with bi-gender vocalists who had one enormous hit in '81 with "How 'Bout Us" ("some people are made for each other") which was a mixture of gospel and archetypally sentimental American balladeering. It was also not very good.

Biggest Hit: "How 'Bout Us", No.3, 1981
Defining Moment: That's your decision.

CHANELLE
(US, one Top 40 hit, no Top 40 albums)

Archetypal Yank soul lass with one hit and a new career somewhere else, possibly advertising perfume.

Biggest Hit: "One Man", No.16, 1989
Defining Moment: None.

CHANGE
(US, three Top 40 hits, two Top 40 albums)

Kinda average band with male and female co-warblers, who did goodly achievements in '84 with the nicely hummable "Change Of Heart", considering they had been AWOL for four years since the Luther Vandross-led "Searching". If you were a diehard, we'd like your contributions.

Biggest Hit: "Searching", No.11, 1980
Defining Moment: That neat, albeit brief, comeback trick.

TRACY CHAPMAN
(US, one Top 40 hit, two Top 40 albums)

DEADPAN MISERABLE cow of dramatic album-sale proportions whom everyone had to pretend to like. "Fast Car" was the solitary foray on to the airwaves, but both her long-players went to No.1. Gifted, dreadlocked, mysterious and downright scary, her mournful low tones were the perfect accompaniment to long, sobby nights-in after you'd just been ditched by your other half. Almost unheard album track "Baby Can I Hold You Tonight" was, years and years later, respectfully taken into the Top 10 by Boyzone, in what was their finest moment, though that ain't saying a lot, really. Amazed she decided to keep her first name.

Biggest Hit: "Fast Car", No.5, 1988
Defining Moment: Defining Moment: Dark green album covers, we think...

CHARLENE
(US, one Top 40 hit, no Top 40 albums)

One hit ultra-wonder of yardstick first-Caucasian-on-Motown fame, whose only waxing was the confusing "I've Never Been To Me" ("I've been undressed by kings") which had the nerve to bring Adam Ant's chart-topping days to a sad end and contained surrealist overtones of which Dali would have been proud. Never darkened our doors again, and remains one of the decade's most shrouded sorts.

Biggest Hit: "I've Never Been To Me", No.1, 1982
Defining Moment: Is 'Me' perhaps a holiday resort? That would clear it all up.

OLIVER CHEATHAM
(US, one Top 40 hit, no Top 40 albums)

Barely scraped past the 40 mark once, and we know sod all. Your assistance, as ever, would be much obliged.

Biggest Hit: "Get Down Saturday Night", No.38, 1983
Defining Moment: Nope.

CHERELLE
(US, one Top 40 hit, one Top 40 album)

Yet another cloned US soully blubberer who teamed up with Alexander O'Neal on the smoochalong "Saturday Love" in early '86. Could have led to greater things, but her subsequent releases without the O'Nealster flopped like good 'uns.

Biggest Hit: "Saturday Love", No.5, 1986
Defining Moment: None.