Before we continue, I of course have to acknowledge the death of Prince Rogers Nelson. I am just stunned. He was a musical force of nature that could just sweep you up at the height of his powers, and fortunately that lined up with the time that I was just really understanding the power of music. RIP to one of the absolute greatest.
So now we complete our journey through a week in what happens to be the year Prince truly became a cultural phenomenon, 1984.
20 - "Lucky Star," Madonna
Madge's second hit in the land she would later adopt as home. Bubbly perfection.
19 - "Locomotion," Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
OMD's fifth Top Ten is a somewhat Caribbean-flavored pop tune that seems to be about travelling the world trying to find oneself. Their poppiest tune to date, and still catchy as all get out.
18 - "It's Raining Men," The Weather Girls
Plus-sized singers Martha Wash and Izora Rhodes were brought together by disco singer Sylvester in 1977, who dubbed them Two Tons o' Fun. In 1982, the ladies recorded this song about an occasion when Mother Nature decides to help out her fellow single women and arranges for a deluge of attractive males to flood the Earth. The song inspired a meteorological name change, and while at the time it was only a minor sub-Top 40 hit in the U.S., it went to #2 here, and it has since become a popular song in gay culture and at bachelorette parties worldwide. It's also, apparently, Homer Simpson's favorite song. Separated from its current familiarity, it's just a joyous dance tune, regardless of how much you would enjoy the weather event it describes. And I'm sure no one will be surprised that I am bestowing upon it an Uneasy Rider. Hallelujah!
17 - "Someday," The Gap Band
Another U.K. hit from the American soul-funk outfit, a semi-cover of a Donny Hathaway song about a brighter future for African-Americans. Stevie Wonder's contributions on backing vocal and harmonica lift it above being just very good. A solid earwormy jam.
16 - "It's a Miracle," Culture Club
The sixth home Top Five for the Boy and his band. This one is uptempo pop-soul about dreams and people and places that lack authenticity. It was originally written about the group's first U.S. tour and originally titled "It's America" Make of that what you will.
15 - "Don't Tell Me," Blancmange
Formed in 1979 and named after a milky gelatin dessert, this Middlesex synthpop trio picked up three Top Tens in the early 80s, the last of which being this jaunty breakup song that sounds a lot like early Depeche Mode. Catchy nostalgia, but inessential.
14 - "The Caterpillar," The Cure
The previous year, Robert Smith and his gothy new wavers had scored their first U.K, Top Ten with the deceptively cute "The Lovecats." Their immediate follow-up single was also inspired by the animal kingdom, comparing a lover to the insect that eventually becomes a butterfly and flies away.
Again, kind of silly on the surface, but there's depth below.
13 - "Just Be Good to Me," The SOS Band
This Atlanta funk band had their only U.S. Top 40 in 1980 with "Take Your Time (Do It Right)," but their biggest British success would come here with this synth-heavy blast about not caring if a lover has others as long as he's treating you right. I think both of their personal bests are very worthy hits.
12 - "Robert De Niro's Waiting...," Bananarama
The London trio had already scored two Top Tens alongside Fun Boy Three and three on their own when they released their biggest hit to date, in which the ladies state that their preferred alternative to dating is watching the films of the star of Raging Bull and Mean Streets. Though I'm guessing their favorite would be The Godfather Part II, because it's the one that features him "talking Italian." One of their better offerings.
11 - "In the Heart," Kool and the Gang
From their poppy 80s period, this lite-funker about expressing love wasn't released as a single at home, but went Top Ten here. Snooze-inducing. "Cherish" at least inspires annoyance. This inspires nothing.
10 - "Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)," Scritti Politti
The breakthrough hit by former Leeds art student Green Gartside was this catchy synthpop tune about longing. The title was inspired by the Burt Bacharach classic "I Say a Little Prayer," which was Aretha's biggest U.K. solo hit. This song would scrape into the Hot 100 Stateside, but his follow-up, "Perfect Way" would be the one that would give him the most success there. I'd say the latter is better, but not by much. Both are terrific.
9 - "Nelson Mandela," Special AKA
After three members of Coventry ska stars The Specials left to form Fun Boy Three, the rest of the group carried on with new additions and a slightly modified name. Their biggest hit in that incarnation was this horn-laden anthem that was the first time many people around the world (including me when I was exposed to it on an episode of Friday Night Videos) were made aware of South Africa's most famous anti-apartheid leader and political prisoner. The song mentions his then-"Twenty-one years in captivity" and his leadership of the African National Congress, and helped make the anti-apartheid movement a cause celebre in pop, which would lead to the all-star song "Sun City" and a 1988 concert celebrating Mandela's 70th birthday that was broadcast worldwide. So this song did a lot of good, and it's a good song too.
8 - "Ain't Nobody," Rufus and Chaka Khan
Chaka and company had scored several hits over a decade in America, but their only hit in Britain came at the end of their run with this slick funk about finding true love. It's pretty obvious here why Melle Mel wanted to rock ya, Chaka.
7 - "Glad it's All Over," Captain Sensible
London-born Raymond Burns adopted a new moniker when he joined the punk band The Damned in 1976. In 1982, he picked up a solo #1 with a cover of "Happy Talk" from the musical South Pacific. His only other Top Ten was this poppy anti-war song inspired by the end of the Falklands war. This is what I find interesting about the British charts. There can be some incredibly silly stuff that makes you mock their taste, and yet at the same time they contain some truly bold political statements that would not get very far on American radio.
6 - "People are People," Depeche Mode
The first U.K. Top Five, and eventual American breakthrough, for the synthpop legends. Still an effective anti-prejudice message. Somehow I don't think this will ever be on the playlist at a Donald Trump rally.
5 - "I Want to Break Free," Queen
Freddie and company had their lucky thirteenth U.K. Top Ten with this pop-rock tune about trying to carry on after a breakup. It's one of their best, but it fell short of the Top 40 in the States, because its video, which featured the band in women's clothing, was deemed too controversial by MTV, and many radio stations followed that lead by banning the song. A damn shame. Your loss, America.
4 - "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)," Phil Collins
The song everyone remembers from a movie no one does. It went #1 in the States, but only #2 here. But two subsequent covers would make it to the top 16 and 21 years later. I think Phil got the shaft here.
3 - "A Love Worth Waiting For," Shakin' Stevens
The last of the Welsh retro-rockers three #2s (to go with his four #1s) was this Latin-tinged midtempo ballad about being willing to let a lover go until she figures out that you're the best thing she could ask for. Not sure that works out very often, but I like the song. Reminds me of Marty Robbins.
2 - "You Take Me Up," Thompson Twins
Although this didn't make the Top 40 in the U.S., it was the band's highest-charting U.K hit, just missing the top spot. It's a slightly Caribbean-flavored love song with some intetesting instrumentation, featuring as it does solos on both harmonica and the keyboard/wind instrument known as a melodica. I hadn't heard it before, and I found it really cool. It might be my new favorite of theirs.
And topping the charts in the Home Countries 32 years ago was...
1 - "Hello," Lionel Richie
Apparently the world was looking for Lionel, as this song topped charts around the world, even if the blind girl's bust of him wasn't the best likeness. Unfortunately, I think his claim to having the biggest hit of all time with that title was just usurped. But Adele has broken so many records and will probably break many more, so he shouldn't feel too bad.
Another one down. The time machine will spin again soon.
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