Finishing up '86.
20 - "Your Love," The Outfield
19 - "No One is to Blame," Howard Jones
18 - "Take Me Home," Phil Collins
17 - "Nothin' At All," Heart
16 - "Bad Boy," Miami Sound Machine
The second half begins with The Outfield, returning from last time with their biggest hit. I wonder what happened when Josie got back from vacation.
Next is British synth man Howard Jones' biggest U.S. hit. It's a spare ballad in which he describes how it feels to be attracted to someone but unable to do anything about it with a series of metaphors. It's like, among other things, being able to look at a menu but not being able to eat, being the fastest runner but not being permitted to win, and putting together a puzzle and finding that the last piece doesn't fit. I'm not sure this works for everyone, but I find it an extremely well-crafted pop song, defintely in my Top 100 of the decade.
Phil Collins had his fourth and last hit from No Jacket Required with this oddly catchy tune that he says takes the point of view of a patient in a mental institution. Apparently, this patient is resigned to his fate, for he sings "There's no point escaping, I don't worry anymore. It's probably between this and "In the Air Tonight" for the title of my favorite Phil solo hit.
Then it's Heart, also with the fourth single from their then-current album. It's a standard corporate semi-hard rocker about how great Ann Wilson thinks her current relationship is. Bland and undistinguished. But better than "These Dreams."
This section is wrapped up by Gloria Estefan and company with their second Top 40 hit, a peppy, fluffy pop song about being in love with a guy who's no angel. Although the way this song portrays him, I'm guessing he's more of the unpaid parking tickets type than some murderous drug dealer.
15 - "A Different Corner," George Michael
14 - "West End Girls," The Pet Shop Boys
13 - "There'll be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)," Billy Ocean
12 - "Move Away," Culture Club
11 - "Crush on You," The Jets
This group is led off by the first single credited to George Michael alone in the U.S. (in Britain, "Careless Whisper" was just him, but credited to Wham! in America). It's a spare-yet-lush ballad about being afraid of how much he loves someone and how much it would hurt to lose them. A timeless emotion, conveyed very effectively. Clearly, he was going to do just fine without Ridgeley.
The Pet Shop Boys return from last time with their ode to the females of a certain part of London. This song makes me think of the British superlative "smashing" for some reason.
Next is Billy Ocean with what would be his second American charttopper, a ballad about the songs that make us think wistfully of lovers past and present. I'm not sure if it screams "Number One" to me, but it's pleasant enough. Many worse songs have hit that particular spot.
Then it's the final American hit for Culture Club, a synth-soul tune on which Boy George basically tells a would-be lover that he's not good for them. Not quite up to their best hits, but still very good. It was this same year that George appeared on The A-Team. By then, both cultural institutions were clearly losing steam, and neither helped slow the other's decline.
This bunch is closed out by Minnesota's Tongan-American Wolfgramm siblings with their first hit, a lite-funk tune about an infatuation made public. This isn't really my kind of thing, but I appreciate that it's well put-together and serves its purpose.
They're the Top Ten, they're the Tower of Pisa.
10 - "What Have You Done for Me Lately," Janet Jackson
The most successful Jackson sister returns with her first hit, on which she gives a shout out to the soap opera One Life to Live. My mother used to watch that. Yes, you needed to know that.
9 - "Be Good to Yourself," Journey
The San Francisco arena-rock franchise had its last Top Ten with this reminder to treat oneself nicely, because "nobody else will." That's a bit of a dark attitude to have. Still, I like this better than most Journey, because at least it rocks a bit.
8 - "Is it Love," Mr. Mister
The band the French might have called M. Monsieur had their third and last Top Ten with a song that wonders if it is love that whoever they're singing to is after. Well, on the off chance it's me, I'll answer, "yes, it is, thank you." As for the song, just plain uptempo soft rock, nothing special.
7 - "Something About You," Level 42
This jazz-influenced British pop group had their biggest American hit with a song about how nice it is to find love in an imperfect world. Or something. Whatever. It's pleasant, it's catchy, good for them.
6 - "All I Need is a Miracle," Mike and the Mechanics
Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford and his not-really-auto-repairmen had their second hit with a song that promises if the titlular improbability happens and singer Paul Young (not the "Everytime You Go Away" guy, a different one) gets a second chance with the l's biover he wronged, he would do much better by her. Did he get that opportunity? We never find out. I don't care enough that it matters, though. But still, a fair pop song.
5 - "I Can't Wait," Nu Shooz
The first and biggest hit by these spelling-challenged Oregonians was this poppy bit of frivolity about impatience for contact with one's significant other. It's one of those songs that seems like it would be hard to resist, but I'm somehow immune to its charms. I don't know why.
4 - "If You Leave," Orchestral Manoevres in the Dark
OMD's biggest American hit was this suitably achy midtempo synthpop ballad from the soundtrack of the John Hughes teen flick Pretty in Pink. Andy McCluskey drips desperation in every line. I like this better than "Don't You (Forget About Me)." as far as Hughes movie songs go.
3 - "On My Own," Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald
The ex-Doobie and the woman who sang "Lady Marmalade" teamed up on this Burt Bacharach/Carole Bayer Sager number on which they portray participants in a dying relationship. It's pretty good, I suppose, but I'm still surprised it hit #1.
2 - "Live to Tell," Madonna
Ms.Ciccone scored her third #1 with this ballad from the movie At Close Range, which starred her then-husband Sean Penn. It's a dark, mysterious tune about secrets and what happens when one decides to tell them. Definietly in the upper tier of Madge's hits.
And on top of the heap 26 years ago was...
1 - "The Greatest Love of All," Whitney Houston
This song was originally written in 1977 for the Muhammad Ali biopic The Greatest (in which he played himself), and became a hit for George Benson. But it was launched into international smash hitdom when it became Whitney's third American #1. We all know it: children are the future, they can't take away your dignity, and the title refers to "learning to love yourself. " It's big, it's emotional, it's probably her signature song.
This week's NotCaseys were "Invisible Touch" by Genesis, "Love Touch" by Rod Stewart, "One Hit (To the Body)" by The Rolling Stones, and "Dreams" by Van Halen. And there were three LDDs this week. First, a girl who was choosing to pursue a modelling career instead of college after graduation despite her parents' objections dedicated Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" to them to let them know she still appreciates all their love and support. Then, a soldier who had been through some rocky times with his fiancee before he deployed overseas requested Journey's "Faithfully" to show that he still loves her and has always been true. And lastly, another teenage girl sent Carole King's "You've Got a Friend" out to the boy who was her boyfriend for a couple months but then became her platonic best friend.
But this week's not over. Because this week's 70s chart happens to hit a sweet spot in 1971 that I wasn't able to cover last year, you'll be getting some bonus BGC action sometime this week. Maybe one entry, maybe two. Watch for it, and get excited.
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