Flashback: "Trojan Horse" in France (1979)

Last month, I posted an article about the chart performance of "You're the Greatest Lover" in France (click here to read it). Unlike Benelux and German-speaking countries, the land of cuisine, wine and haute couture was a difficult market for Luv'. 

Recently, French record chart specialist Eric Stéphane has put the chart run of "Trojan Horse" online. The aim of his "Charts singles Top 50 en France" blog is to show the chart performance of singles before the launch of Canal + Top 50 (the first significant French record chart based on sales (in association with the SNEP (French recording industry association), Nielsen and IPSOS).

Before the Canal + Top 50 publication in November 1984, only industry insiders knew the real record sales. The public could only rely on unofficial lists.

Eric's work is very accurate. In addition to record sales by the SNEP, it combines numerous sources (Sonopresse, RTL, NRJ, Salut les copains, Hit magazine, Podium, Salut, Europe 1, CIDD, France Inter, Gold magazine, Journal du Show-Biz, Sapac, Cogedep, Radio Monte-Carlo, Radio Andorre, l'Express, VSD, Disc action, Show mag). 

According to his elaborated calculation, "Trojan Horse", reached #22 on the Top 50 in June 1979, spent 10 weeks on the hit list and sold 85 526 copies in France. The single sold 1 million copies worldwide (including 480.000 copies in Germany, 200.000 copies in the Netherlands (platinum certification), 100.000 copies in Belgium (gold certification) and 50.000 copies in Austria (gold certification). 

Screenshot of the "Charts singles Top 50 en France" blog mentioning Luv'

Chart run of "Trojan Horse" in France:

1st week (May 13th, 1979)

Position: #49

Sales: 5962

Link: http://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2018/08/13-mai-1979.html

2nd week (May 20th, 1979)

Position: #34

Sales: 7339

Link: http://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2018/08/20-mai-1979.html

3rd week (May 27th, 1979)

Position: #33

Sales: 7551

Link: http://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2018/08/27-mai-1979.html

4th week (June 3rd, 1979)

Position: #30

Sales: 8623

Link: http://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2018/08/3-juin-1979.html

5th week (June 10th, 1979)

Position: #23

Sales: 10 529

Link: http://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2018/08/10-juin-1979.html

6th week (June 17th, 1979)

Position: #23

Sales: 11 295

Link: http://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2018/08/17-juin-1979.html

7th week (June 24th, 1979)

Position: #22

Sales: 10 104

Link: http://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2018/08/24-juin-1979.html

8th week (July 1st, 1979)

Position: #31

Sales: 9 140

Link: http://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2018/08/1-juil-1979.html

9th week (July 8th, 1979)

Position: #33

Sales: 8 081

Link: http://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2018/08/8-jul-1979.html

10th week (July 15th, 1979)

Position: #47

Sales: 6 902

Link: http://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2018/08/15-jul-1979.html

Dutch article about Trojan Horse in France (1979)

Prior to Eric's research, another French website named "InfoDisc.fr" (updated by Daniel Lesueur and Dominic Durand) tried to compile data to show the actual chart performances before Canal + Top 50. According to this site, Trojan Horse entered the singles charts on April 20th, 1979, spent 11 weeks on the hit list and reached #38.
Link: http://www.infodisc.fr/Tubes_Artistes_L.php

Luv' performed Trojan Horse once on French television. On May 13th, 1979, they appeared on Top Club (a popular show hosted by Guy Lux on Antenne 2). Luv's single was also supported by the French leading radio station RTL. It even peaked at #24 on the Hit Parade RTL (based on listeners' requests and the choices of the station).

Luv's Trojan Horse also generated publicity in the French youth press.

Article published in "SUPER Disco" (1979)

Source: Charts Singles Top 50 France, The Story of Luv' (Peter Boonstra)