December's overall top ten sees nine of last month's ten still up there. Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley are the only newcomers — in at number 10 at the expense of David Byrne and The Talking Heads.

It is interesting to note that, worldwide, Kate Bush is more popular than Wham! This is as predicted. Though Wham! had two singles in the UK top ten for the bulk of December, they did not have the global momentum.

Hugh Padgham tops the UK singles lists with his co-production of Paul McCartney's Spies Like Us and through his continuing association with Phil Collins.

Narada Michael Walden romped away with the US singles award and will doubtless have a brilliant chart year.

Robin Millar had a decisive victory in the UK albums section with both Sade albums.

As I have pointed out before, one good album or single will rarely be enough to prosper in these surveys. It is essential to have a constant flow of chart entries with singles backed up with rock-solid album success.

This is born out by Bob Clearmountain's year in particular. His US success was due to the Bryan Adams album, its five hit singles, two Hall and Oates LPs and their singles, plus his contribution to the new Simple Minds album. It may be the middle of the year before the likes of Nile Rodgers, Clearmountain and Knopfler are dislodged from their lofty perches.

Lionel Ritchie's new LP should see him established for the rest of the year if the two year plus tenure of Can't Slow Down is anything to go by.

Gus Dudgeon would have edged Langer and Winstanley out of the World Top Ten had Elton John's new album not been such a slow starter in the US. Nikita, however, has yet to be released as a single over there. (Wrap Her Up was the album's single in the US.)

It is highly unlikely that any producer will make the monthly charts with less than 200 points, though Reggie Lucas managed it this month with his UK albums total.

The UK Christmas market was dominated by records which do not qualify for the producer charts (such as Television compilations and Greatest Hits) — hence the low scoring. This is a purely British phenomenon. America's only concession to the season of goodwill was the brief album chart entry of Alabama's Christmas album (a feat not recognised in these columns).

Individual performance of the month must go to Aled Jones who contributed to the BBC label's three album entries and the hit single from The Snowman. In all, nearly 800 points for the golden tonsilled lad from the valleys.