RADIO HEART FEATURING GARY NUMAN
(UK, one Top 40 hit, no Top 40 albums)

Almost totally invisible cluster who had one poxy, eponymous placing at No.35 in '87, despite (or maybe because of) the presence of the feted blue-lipsticked aerofanatic whose career was already over, barring the odd loop-the-loop. If you joined the fan club, tell us more.

Biggest Hit: "Radio Heart", No.35, 1987
Defining Moment: Not singing about locking car doors.

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

Nicely harmonised but ultimately worthless Yank poppies who make the play-offs for the best one hit wonder, the jinglesome "Let My People Go-Go" in '87. Their subsequent disappearing act was somewhat swift.

Biggest Hit: "Let My People Go-Go", No.18, 1987
Defining Moment: Nicking a Wham! gimmick.

TONY RALLO AND THE MIDNIGHT BAND
(US/France, one Top 40 hit, no Top 40 albums)

Barely noticed combo whose No.34 hit in '80 was arguably one of the least compelling achievements of the whole decade, enhanced further by its re-appearance on an ahead-of-its-time megamix which made No.75 for one whole week. Difficult to match, that. No knowledge of the personnel, and not exactly climbing the walls to find out, either.

Biggest Hit: "Holdin' On", No.34, 1980
Defining Moment: None.

ROLAND RAT SUPERSTAR

(UK, two Top 40 hits, no Top 40 albums)

NOW FIRMLY enshrined as BBC director-general Greg Dyke's finest
 achievement, the pink-nosed, wisecracking rodent saviour of TV-AM capitalised on his early morning kiddywink following by inevitably gatecrashing the charts, firstly with the painful "Rat Rapping" ("scratch!") in '84, followed by a deliberately woeful, straight-down-the-line version of "Love Me Tender". Both singles were, you'll be not shocked at all to learn, produced by Pete Waterman. The rat's chief stooge Kevin the Gerbil's own pop career was less successful, and the two were later snapped up for princely sums by the Beeb, which got a mention on the Six O'Clock News (no dumbing down of the BBC's world events coverage there then) and started a flirtatious liaison between the rat and Samantha Fox, which was a load of bollocks. Dyke thought up this puppet and controlled Channel 5, and now spends all your TV licence money. Think on.

Biggest Hit: "Rat Rapping", No.14, 1984
Defining Moment: "Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaah, rat rapping!"

RAW SILK
(US, one Top 40 hit, no Top 40 albums)

Yank soullie female troupe who persuaded us to "Do It To The Music" in '82, to the extent that we did until it peaked at No.18. What we were meant to actually 'do' we're not sure, but we can hazard a guess. Nothing further.

Biggest Hit: "Do It To The Music", No.18, 1982
Defining Moment: Doing the washing up to the, er, music.

RAZE
(US, two Top 40 hits, no Top 40 albums)

Little notion on this one, but it was early '87 when "Jack The Groove" hit  No.20, so we can take a wildish stab at the genre and the crapness. One more hit called "Break 4 Love" trailed in to No.28 at the very beginning of '89. Not our cuppa.

Biggest Hit: "Jack The Groove", No.20, 1987
Defining Moment: None.

REAL ROXANNE WITH HITMAN HOWIE TEE
(US, one Top 40 hit, no Top 40 albums)

Poor-as-they-come Yank rappette with vomit-orange hair and nonentity scratch pal who briefly sandblasted a nation's eardrums with the dreadfully self-indulgent "(Bang Zoom) Let's Go Go" ("we're gonna rock from the night to the afternoon, we're gonna bang, zoom, take you to the moon") which combined typically cocky chants with tuneless attempts at soulful interludes, all surrounded by of-its-time scratch beats, the insipidity of which knew no bounds. Best remembered for its surprising ending - heretically chosen samples of Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd singing 'the wabbit kicked the bucket', which provided some form of relief.

Biggest Hit: "(Bang Zoom) Let's Go Go", No.11, 1986
Defining Moment: Trying to drag international cartoon icons down several levels.

RED BOX
(UK, two Top 40 hits, no Top 40 albums)

Gurning, solemn twosome responsible for the flutey, percussion drizzled "Lean On Me (Ah-Li-Ayo)" ("from the very very young to the very very old, everybody now say 'aye'") which was a huge No.3 hit in '85 and remains quite listenable due to the big synchronised drumming and the flag waving lunacy of it all. The follow up "For America" ("urelei-urelei-urelei-urelei-urelei urelei-ay, urelei-urelei-urelei-urelei urelei-USA") was irritating to the ninth degree, but still got to No.10. Nothing followed afterwards, to many people's lasting relief. One of the hits is always featured on cheapo compilations which are only available via late-night telly advertising.

Biggest Hit: "Lean On Me (Ah-Li-Ayo)", No.3, 1985
Defining Moment: "Are we happy, are we scared, are we shouting, never heard..."

SHARON REDD
(US, four Top 40 hits, no Top 40 albums)

We can't remember this Yank sort, which is a shame as she showed remarkable staying power with four hits in two and a half years, three of which never got into the Top 30. We'd like to know more, as we feel she deserves it. Her only album was rather predictably titled "Redd Hott", so its inability to sell is merited.

Biggest Hit: "Never Give You Up", No.20, 1982
Defining Moment: None yet.

REDHEAD KINGPIN AND THE FBI
(US, one Top 40 hit, no Top 40 albums)

Bigshot rap connoisseur who only had one hit, but it was arguably the best commercial chantfest of '89, in that it combined good pop approachability and a decent message without ever overlapping into preaching or brutal overtones. That knacker-grabbing tune of serious arm flailing ability was "Do The Right Thing" ("do the right thay-ye-ying") which reached No.13 and still sounds top-hole. Who the FBI were isn't abundantly clear, but we'll say they were good in case there's a contract out on us somewhere.

Biggest Hit: "Do The Right Thing", No.13, 1989
Defining Moment: Being the best of the time.

REDSKINS
(UK, one Top 40 hit, one Top 40 album)

Nondescript duo whose only hit was "Bring It Down (This Insane Thing)" in '85, and the lack of enthusiasm which we remember Bruno Brookes having as he announced it really sums it up.

Biggest Hit: "Bring It Down (This Insane Thing)", No.33, 1985
Defining Moment: Obscurity.

RE-FLEX
(UK, one Top 40 hit, no Top 40 albums)

Another major occupant on the shortlist of great one hit wonders, this bunch of sci-fi take-offs did goodly deeds with the progressive "Politics Of Dancing" ("you know you can't stop it when you start to play, you've gotta get out the way") which peaked at No.28 in early '84 and should have got much higher. Wonderful.

Biggest Hit: "Politics Of Dancing", No.28, 1984
Defining Moment: "The politics of dancing, the politics of oooooooh feeling good..."

REGGAE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
(UK, one Top 40 hit, no Top 40 albums)

Not the faintest notion on this little lot. The name is probably ironic, with not a violin or kettle drum or bassoon in sight, as the hit was somewhat frivolously entitled "Minnie The Moocher" ("she was a low-down hoochie koocher"), which very nearly never made it. Any more for any more?

Biggest Hit: "Minnie The Moocher", No.35, 1988
Defining Moment: None yet.

REM
(US, one Top 40 hit, three Top 40 albums)

The 80s, which they started under the name of Cans Of Piss, were very much a training ground for REM, with their albums selling and their place assured on many a late night discerners' show, but commercially they were underachievers of some note, with even the buskers' favourite "The One I Love" ("a simple prop to occupy my time") failing to make any impact on its initial '87 release. The Great British Public finally acquired some taste in '89 by permitting "Orange Crush" ("follow me, don't follow me") into the Top 40 (just) in '89, as Michael Stipe ripped his shirt open for the very first time on TOTP. They were one of the greatest bands of both the 80s and the 90s, but for very differing reasons, and with highly contrasting levels of success. Their music in the 80s was assured, professional and cerebral, a trait which would take about ten years to be noticed. More fool us.

Biggest Hit: "Orange Crush", No.28, 1989
Defining Moment: Try '91, '92,'93, '94...

RENE AND ANGELA
(US, one Top 40 hit, no Top 40 albums)

Undistinguished gawping vocal duo whose one ever-so-quick bit of prosperity was the forgettable "I'll Be Good" in '85. Funnily enough, it wasn't.

Biggest Hit: "I'll Be Good", No.22, 1985
Defining Moment: Er...

RENEE AND RENATO
(UK/Italy, one Top 40 hit, no Top 40 albums)

Rejoice and celebrate the appearance of this camp-as-wigwams pair in late '82, crooning along to their heart's content with the glucose-devilled "Save Your Love" ("save your love my darleeeng, save your love") where lardarse Renee asked his rough totty, via a Romeo and Juliet balcony set video, to only have adoring feelings for, er, Roma and for him. All jolly good fun, inoffensive and singable, we're sure you'll agree. Then it went to No.1 for four weeks, and suddenly became the most hateful single since, ooh, the Goombay Dance Band nine months earlier, albeit with the added role of preventing Shakin' Stevens from getting there, enabling us to choose between the devil and the deep blue sea. Sometimes, just sometimes, things can go extremely pear-shaped. Eighteen years on, the emotion on hearing it is either continued wall-punching detestability or chuckling affection. We favour the former.

Biggest Hit: "Save Your Love", No.1, 1982
Defining Moment: "Save your love for a-Roma and-a for-a meeeeeee!"