Unfortunately, once again I must lead off this week's edition by acknowledging a passing. On Thursday, we lost Donna Summer. She was one of the most prominent voices on the radio when I was between the ages of 7 and 9, so she's definitely become ingrained in my musical conciousness. And what a voice it was. It could wail, it could rock, it could coo, and it was almost always sexy as anything. R.I.P.
This week, we look back at May of 1984. A few days before this countdown aired. Austrailia introduced a one-dollar coin. Three years later, my country would follow. The U.S. has made several attempts at this, but none have caught on. Personally, I like it. And the toonie too. But I digress. Here's what was on the charts 28 years ago.
40 - "Almost Paradise," Mike Reno and Ann Wilson
39 - "Eyes Without a Face," Billy Idol
38 - "Who's That Girl," Eurythmics
37 - "Modern Day Delilah," Van Stephenson
36 - "Love Will Show Us How," Christine McVie
35 - "Stay the Night," Chicago
34 - "My Ever Changing Moods," The Style Council
33 - "A Fine Fine Day," Tony Carey
32 - "Run Runaway," Slade
31 - "It's My Life," Talk Talk
We start with a Can-Am duo and an American group. Loverboy's Mike Reno teamed up with Heart's Ann Wilson for this power ballad about finding true love that was one of the six Top 40 hits produced by the Footloose soundtrack. Just big cheesy eightiesness, made for couples' skates at the roller rink. And Chicago are here with their most uptempo 80s hit, a song that's probably as close to hard rock as they ever game. Peter Cetera tries to convey lustful urgency for once, instead of his usual puppy love. He doesn't quite pull it off, but I give him credit for the effort. And he gets even more points if he really did perform the stunts in the song's car chase-laden video. I doubt that's true, though.
Then we have two British solo singers. Billy Idol cracked the U.S. Top Ten for the first time with this midtempo rocker about disillusionment with life and love. It has a slow-burning energy, and the bridge in which he sings about going to Las Vegas in a stolen car while "reading murder books and trying to stay hip" is particularly intense. His best song by far. And Christine McVie had her second and final solo hit with this catchy pop-rocker about staying faithful. It's pretty bare-bones lyrically, but I have to say, I like it better than any of the Fleetwood Mac singles she sang on. And I must specifiy singles, because "Songbird" rules.
A whopping four British bands are in this section. Eurythmics picked up their fourth American hit with this icy number in which Annie Lennox witheringly calls out her cheating lover. I tell you, there's no one else who can truly put across the meaning of a line like "Dumb hearts get broken just like china cups" nearly as effectively as Annie. Another great one from them. The Style Council, the group formed by Paul Weller after the breakup of The Jam, are here with their one American hit. this soul-inflected pop-rocker that seems to be about trying to stay sane and true in a complicated world. I think that's it. Whatever, it's a great song. Still, I can't believe The Jam didn't hit even once in America. I mean, not even "A Town Called Malice." How is that possible? Slade had been a dominant chart force int the U.K. for over a decade, but they hadn't done anything in America until Quiet Riot's hit cover of "Cum on Feel the Noize" brought attention to them. Capitalizing on this, the signed a new U.S. record deal, and it paid off with this beat-heavy rock anthem. The lyrics are pretty nonsensical, but it's still an amazing singalong earworm. Here in Canada, the folky cover version by Great Big Sea is probably better known these days, but for my money, the original kicks its ass several times over. And New Wavers Talk Talk had their only American hit with this atmospheric statement of ownership of one's existence. This too has been famously covered since, by No Doubt in 2003. They did pretty good with it, but again, the original wins easily.
Rounding out this section are two American solo men. Nashville's Van Stephenson made his one foray into the Top 40 with this pop-rocker that compares a modern heartbreaker to the Biblical vixen who seduced Samson and then sheared off allvin of his strength-giving hair. He really commits to the hair-cutting metaphor, but it comes off kind of strained when he talks about how her scissors are "laser sharp" instead of razor sharp. Still, I like it. And Tony Carey returns from last time singing about his mysterious Uncle Sonny. Another forgotten song worth checking out.
30 - "It's a Miracle," Culture Club
29 - "You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)," Joe Jackson
28 - "Jump (For My Love)," The Pointer Sisters
27 - "Rock You Like a Hurricane," The Scorpions
26 - "White Horse," Laid Back
25 - "Miss Me Blind," Culture Club
24 - "Self Control," Laura Branigan
23 - "No More Words," Berlin
22 - "Borderline," Madonna
21 - "The Heart of Rock n' Roll," Huey Lewis and the News
We begin with Boy George and company, who appear twice in this section. First, there's a song that seems to be about reality not living up to one's expectations. Can't really tell. Definitely their weakest single to that point, and as such, it ended their streak of six consecutive Top Tens. And later, they return from last time with a song in which George tells someone, "Bet you got a good gun/Bet you know how to have some fun." Whatever could that mean?
Then we have three solo singers. Englishman Joe Jackson had his last Top 40 hit with this jazzy pop tune about waiting on a prospective lover to figure out what she needs. And of course, he's convinced that he's the one who can meet those needs. Good song, but unfortunately, Joe, I know from experience that playing that game doesn't always work. But I hope it did for you. Laura Branigan had the second-biggest hit of her career with another song that was originally a hit for an Italian. But at least this one was written in English right from the start. It's a dance-rocker about looking for sexual adventure among "the creatures of the night," and it was accompanied by a video, directed by Oscar-winner William Friedkin, that was considered shocking for its time, depicting as it did what appeared to be an Eyes Wide Shut-style masked orgy (though the participants were clothed). Anyway, I liked the whole thing at the time, and the song still holds up. And Madonna had her very first Top Ten hit with this deceptively bright-sounding plea for a lover to treat her better and return the love she has for him. Simple, but perfect. A clear classic to these ears, and to me, the best thing she's ever done.
Next are the American groups. The Pointer Sisters had what would be their last Top Five hit with this lusty bit of synth-disco in which one of them just outright says "Come on and jump on me." Calm down, ladies. I've grown to appreciate the song with time, but I don't think I liked it much when it was first out. Berlin returns from last time with their pulsing bit of synthpop relationship drama. I still want to remember them for this and "Sex (I'm A)" instead of...what was that other song they had? Yes, it's working! And Huey Lewis and his band continued their run of hits from breakthrough LP Sports with this jaunty pop number that covers the same basic lyrical ground as Billy Joel's "It's Still Rock n' Roll to Me." I like the former better, but still, I give Huey credit for going back into the studio and adding Toronto and Montreal to the list of cities he gives shoutouts to for the Canadian release. That was nice of him.
We close this section with two bands from mainland Europe. German metallers The Scorpions picked up their first American pop hit with this song about sex and lust and looking for "love at first sting." An enduring slab of dumb, catchy hard rock. Hard to resist, and good for accompanying fighter jet demonstrations at the Springfield Air Show. And Danish synth-pop duo Laid Back had their only American hit with this spare-but-effective dance track that recommends riding white ponies instead of white horses. It also has a bit of advice regarding wealth accumulation that involves the word "bitch," but that was censored on the countdown. Incidentally, "Rock You Like a Hurricane" also contains that word, and was also censored. I guess Europeans really liked that word in 1984. And Americans didn't.
Tomorrow: boat-rockin', poppin' and lockin', and "Motorin'!"
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