105b. The Sugarcubes - Birthday (One Little Indian)

Three further weeks at number one from 12th December 1987The way "Birthday" sold in late 1987 was downright peculiar, even by cult indie standards. In a similar fashion to This Mortal Coil's "Song To The Siren" - with whom it possibly shared a few fans - it kept selling modestly week in week out, selling a thousand copies here and there. While other indie records were swift fanbase sellers in their debut week then ebbed away, "Birthday" kept on reaching new listeners who were intrigued by its sound. Such records always tend to bubble back up to the top of the NME Indie Charts during quiet weeks, and the Christmas 1987 period served Bjork and company well, allowing them to take the prize away from The Smiths during the entire festive season.Here's what was going on lower down the charts.Week One6. Barmy Army​ - Sharp as a Needle (On-U Sound)​Peak position: 3More On-U Sound shenanigans, this time of the football kind - an entire track built around Liverpool FC football songs and chants,…