PAUL SIMPSON
(US, one Top 40 hit, no Top 40 albums)

Some sort of Yank dance production geezer who put Adeva's voice on his one hit "Musical Freedom (Moving On Up)" which we don't recall and scarcely see a reason to.

Biggest Hit: "Musical Freedom (Moving On Up)", No.22, 1989
Defining Moment: Not ruining Adeva's career.

JOYCE SIMS
(US, five Top 40 hits, one Top 40 album)

Nuclear-lunged Yank singer of outstanding quality and more than admirable success, in that all five of her releases made the Top 40, even if the only one anyone remembers (including us) is the melodious, roaring "Come Into My Life" ("I've got something left to show you, come into my life") which got her to No.7 in '88, within a Top 10 which contained Bros, Dollar and was topped by the godforsaken Tiffany. That was a week when the caring punter could be very grateful for Sims, whose primary moneyspinner was as a heftily-employed back-up singer.

Biggest Hit: "Come Into My Life", No.7, 1988
Defining Moment: The song.

SINITTA
(US, six Top 40 hits, one Top 40 album)

Dwarfish, toothy and slightly butch sort of no long-standing merit whatsoever whose brand of typical, of-its-time chuckaway pop was briefly entertaining and phenomenally pro-genetic engineering. The evidence is thus: the pro-Adonis anthem "So Macho" ("he's got to be big and strong, enough to turn me on") got her going on a re-release in '86, despite its political incorrectness towards less-than-perfectly toned fellas, and on a double A-side with a song called "Cruising" that no-one ever heard. It painfully shot to No.2, though Chris de Burgh's presence at the top made it a case of devil meets deep blue sea, so had it got to No.1, it wouldn't have increased the agony too much. Exhibit B of her crusade for ultra-perfect partners came in '87 with the pointlessly engaging discotheque bilge "Toy Boy" ("he's my plaything and I love him, I dress him up looking fine") and Exhibit C quickly followed in the shape of "GTO" ("he's got a big red GTO"). So far she had managed three Top 40 hits which slagged off puny men, camp men, older men and men who couldn't afford flashy cars. Coincidence, clearly. Or maybe not. Maybe Sinitta was working on some bizarre project to rid the world of cerebral men who didn't have time for the gym. Doubt it though. "Cross My Broken Heart" in '88 was absolute trash, and a dodgy version of "Right Back Where We Started From" ("love is good, love can be strong") hardly enhanced her serious artiste credentials either. Not that she ever aspired to any. The decade (and more or less her entire career) ended with "Love On A Mountain Top" ("drinking love from a fountain" - euuugh) which was one step too far. Inoffensive to look at but her alienation of practically every branch of blokedom, unwitting or not (of course it was unwitting - did she write the songs?) was her downfall, as there was only so much of this dross an audience could take. Now in the process of a relaunch, and a fully paid-up member of the God squad, therefore rendering her utterly sexless.

Biggest Hit: "So Macho/Cruising", No. 2, 1986
Defining Moment: "I don't want no seven stone weakling or a boy who thinks he's a girl..."

SISTERS OF MERCY
(UK, three Top 40 hits, one Top 40 album)

MYSTERIOUS AND MOODY Andrew Eldritch,  accompanied by his side-kick Gary Marx, formed arguably one of the leading lights in the UK Goth movement. Joined by Wayne Hussey, they released their first album "First, Last and Always" in '85. Within two years, Hussey was gone and wanting to use the name, "Sisterhood" for his own new musical project. Eldritch, however, was having none of it, and in a move to prevent his erstwhile bandmate from using the name, he petulantly released an EP under the "Sisterhood" pseudonym. So - no bitterness there, then. In '87, he recruited female bassist Patricia Morrison and released the first - and most successful - of a trio of singles lifted from the album "Floodland". The choral "This Corrosion" ("I bled all I can, I won't bleed no more") with its remarkably upbeat chorus (something of a rarity in the doom and gloom of Gothdom) rose to the heady heights of No. 7 in the singles charts, heralding a run of Top 40 hits that would continue into the 90s. "Dominion" ("when I meet the fear that lies inside") came next, with a similarly catchy chorus, though this was generally more in-keeping with the moodiness of the genre than its predecessor, followed by the final single of the "Floodland" trilogy - "Lucretia My Reflection ("hot metal and methedrine" - what?!!), which continued the trend set by the previous two singles of repeating one line of the chorus three or four times in succession (listen to them - you'll see). Morrison's influence in all three releases was a joy to the ear and gave a pleasing depth to Eldritch's dark vocals, so her departure from the group was a real loss. The Sisters continue under Eldritch's tender care, whilst Morrison is now a permanent member of the new line-up of The Damned, and is the coffin-partner of their lead singer, Dave Vanian.

Biggest Hit: "This Corrosion", No. 7, 1987
Defining Moment: Those choruses...

SKIPWORTH AND TURNER
(US, one Top 40 hit, no Top 40 albums)

Unremarkable Yank male duo who took the unremarkable tweefest "Thinking About Your Love" ("if you're hurt I'm hurting too") to non-heights in '85, later to be covered all the way to the Top 5 by the unremarkable soul pretender Kenny Thomas in '91. Unremarkable, then.

Biggest Hit: "Thinking About Your Love", No.24, 1985
Defining Moment: Being unremarkable.

SLY FOX
(US, one Top 40 hit, no Top 40 albums)

Bi-racial blokey duo of serious one hit wonder status with their pounding, anthemic "Let's Go All The Way" ("sitting with the thinker, trying to work it out") which clambered its merry way to No.3 in '86, heralding a brief but spectacular career. Lots of odd "zinninninner" sounds in the opening bars, and constant remember-this-one? and what-happened-to-them? factor keeps the song alive.

Biggest Hit: "Let's Go All The Way", No.3, 1986
Defining Moment: Being one of the first one hit wonders people recall.

SLY AND ROBBIE
(Jamaica, one Top 40 hit, one Top 40 album)

Respected producer bods whose momentary chart foray of '87 with "Boops (Here We Go)" did them few favours.

Biggest Hit: "Boops (Here We Go)", No.12, 1987
Defining Moment: Being hired by everyone else.