On this day in 1982: Irene Cara was at #1 on the U.K. singles chart with ‘Fame’, which was based on the hit TV series about a New York drama school. Cara (who played the role of Coco Hernandez in the original movie) won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and the Golden Globe Award for the same.

“Fame” rose to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in America two years earlier in August 1980. It also reached #1 on the Billboard dance chart  for one week in 1980. The song was re-released in the United Kingdom in 1982 following the airing of the Fame television series. It hit #1 on the U.K. singles for three weeks in 1982. It has over sold 1.07 million copies in the U.K.

Here’s what was happening on the U.S. singles chart on this day in 1982:

1 1 DON’T YOU WANT ME – The Human League (A&M)-20 (3 weeks at #1) (1)
2 2 ROSANNA –•– Toto (Columbia)-14 (2)
3 3 HURTS SO GOOD –•– John Cougar (Riva)-13 (3)
4 5 EYE OF THE TIGER –•– Survivor (Scotti Brothers)-7 (4)
5 6 LET IT WHIP –•– The Dazz Band (Motown)-13 (5)
6 12 HOLD ME –•– Fleetwood Mac (Warner Brothers)-5 (6)
7 7 LOVE’S BEEN A LITTLE BIT HARD ON ME –•Juice Newton (Capitol)-11 (7)
8 9 TAINTED LOVE –•– Soft Cell (Sire)-27 (8)
9 11 ONLY THE LONELY –•– The Motels (Capitol)-13 (9)
10 10 CAUGHT UP IN YOU –•– 38 Special (A&M)-12 (10)