Album · Spandau Ballet
Parade by Spandau Ballet
Parade is an album by Spandau Ballet, released in 1984. 3 songs from it have charted on rock radio countdowns, with 7 countdown appearances in total. The biggest is “Only When You Leave”, on 5 lists with a best position of #56.
Parade, Spandau Ballet's fourth album, came out on Chrysalis on 25 June 1984 with Jolley & Swain producing, and it's the sound of a New Romantic band trying to fill an arena. Gary Kemp, the group's guitarist and songwriter, wrote with the big halls in mind, and the band wanted the record to catch how they sounded playing together on stage. Since they would spend the tour marching themselves around the globe, Kemp made a parade the theme, right down to the sleeve's international cast of characters.
Tony Hadley croons like a man addressing the back row, Steve Norman's sax glides over the top, and Martin Kemp and John Keeble keep it all gleaming. It went to number two in Britain in its first week, though most critics heard a paler rerun of True. "Only When You Leave" won the reviewers over and led a run of four top-20 singles, but its stumble in America soured things with the label, and the band changed companies and producers for Through the Barricades.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs from Parade on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Only When You Leave | 5 | #56 | – | 1984–2003 | |
| 2 | Round and Round | 1 | #680 | – | 2003 | |
| 3 | Revenge for Love | 1 | #75 | – | 1984 |
Only songs that appear on at least one countdown are listed. Release data from MusicBrainz.