The summer of 1984. In Canada, it contained the entire Prime Ministerial reign of John Turner before his humbling by Brian Mulroney in September. While we basked in his charismatic magnetism, we were listening to stuff like this.
Bonus Track: “Boys Just Want to Have Sex,” Exude
This L.A. synthpop group recorded this tongue-in-cheek parody of Cyndi Lauper’s fun breakthrough hit, and after it got significant local airplay, they were signed by the Canadian arm of A&M Records. It was a big hit in Australia, and this week it fell out of the Top 50 here from its peak of #44. Disputes with record labels stunted the song’s success, and later attempts at more serious records fell on deaf ears. But this was their one moment of glory, and while it isn’t very clever, that kind of reinforces the message. A neat artifact.
50 - “Walk Away,” The Box (CanCon!)
Montrealer Jean-Marc Pisapia was in the original lineup of Men Without Hats, and while the band he formed when he left those guys didn’t reach that level of international success, they did manage eight Canadian Top 50s, beginning with this song that features spoken verses describing a woman’s rough work day, from waking up late and missing the bus, to spilling coffee on important paperwork, to ending with getting stuck in traffic. A cool little trifle.
48 - “Young Thing, Wild Dreams (Rock Me),” Red Rider (CanCon!)
The fourth hit for these Torontonians (and last before singer Tom Cochrane got top billing) was this synth-drenched dance rocker about the desire for adventure of some kind. It tries a little too hard to be a hit, in my opinion.
45 - “Boys (Do Fall in Love),” Robin Gibb
The Bee Gee’s last North American solo hit was this New Wavey track that sees him affecting a deeper voice than usual for most of it. I remember not caring for it much at the time, but now, I hear it as a solid, catchy genre piece.
44 - “New Romance,” Holly Woods and Toronto (CanCon!)
The seventh and last hit for this band was this cover of a 1980 U.S. hit for the band Spider. Decent rock, but not in the same league as greater moments like “Your Daddy Don’t Know.”
41 - “Where Do The Boys Go,” Men Without Hats (CanCon!)
The second home hit for the safety dancers was this swirling synthpopper about walking around in circles and pondering the location of young human males. Catchy nonsense at its finest.
39 - “New Girl Now,” Honeymoon Suite (CanCon!)
The first and best hit for the pride of Niagara Falls. Simple, hooky corporate hard rock about fighting off a clingy ex. This could be a template for the songs that made Bon Jovi multiplatinum superstars.
36 - “Meet Me in the Middle,” The Arrows (CanCon!)
The first of a handful of hits for these nondescript Toronto New Wavers is a bouncy rocker about hoping your crush will give you a sign of interest before you go all rushing in like a fool. Appropriately, it’s neither good nor bad in any perceptible way.
30 - “Lovers in a Dangerous Time,” Bruce Cockburn (CanCon!)
The biggest home hit to this point for the socially conscious folk-rocker was this muscular groove-rocker about finding personal connection in a world that seems to be crumbling around you. The loose, jammy Barenaked Ladies cover is more famous now, but this communicates the theme better. And it has one of the great underheard lines in all of rock in “Gotta kick at the darkness till it bleeds daylight.”
28 - “High on Emotion,” Chris DeBurgh
This pop-rocker about the exhilaration of romance didn’t make the Top 40 in the U.K. or U.S., but got up to #11 here. I think we got it right. It’s quality radio pop for the time, and infinitely more listenable than the viscous “Lady in Red.”
25 - “Original Sin,” INXS
The Aussies’ first #1 at home is another one the other two Triple Crown nations whiffed on, while we pushed it into the Top 20. It’s got funky production from Nile Rodgers and backing vocals from Daryl Hall, so there was certainly muscle behind it. Did the lyrics that seem to rail against prejudice against interracial couples hinder it in some territories? My hunch is yes.
21 - “Wouldn’t it be Good,” Nik Kershaw
The Brit from Bristol’s first hit was Top Five at home and Top Ten here. A terrific song about wanting to trade places with someone you assume has it easier than you. Not sure how it stayed out of the Top 40 in the States, but it did.
Top Ten in a bed, and the little one said...
10 - “Jump (For My Love),” The Pointer Sisters
The Pointers want you do a trick for their affection. This does make you want to ask how high.
9 - “The Reflex,” Duran Duran
It’s still both ironic and wrong that we denied them a Triple Crown after they made the video for this in Toronto. We bruised it, even after they asked us to try not to.
8 - “Almost Paradise,” Mike Reno and Ann Wilson
The Footloose power ballad teamed the singers of Loverboy and Heart, but even though the former was from Vancouver and the latter lived there for a time, this didn’t qualify as CanCon. If it had, I bet it would have got even higher than #3.
7 - “Eyes Without a Face,” Billy Idol
Billy’s haunting regret ballad was a deserving cross-border Top Ten. Britain held it to #18. Sometimes, they got no human grace.
6 - “Sister Christian,” Night Ranger
We did right by this classic bit of cheesy hypersincerity, pushing it to #1 where it only made #5 at home. This is the defining power ballad of the decade, I don’t care what anybody says.
5 - “Time After Time,” Cyndi Lauper
And now one of the great ballads period. Her first #1 at home, her second here. Britain got it to #3, but that’s okay. If they’re lost and they look, they will find it.
4 - “Dancing in the Dark,” Bruce Springsteen
#2 in the U.S., #3 here, #4 in Britain. Two three four. I think I’ll call that a “Ramones.”
3 - “Let’s Hear it for the Boy,” Deneice Williams
Like I said last time, a cross-border #1 that Britain held a spot short. Still worth cheering about.
2 - “Self Control,” Laura Branigan
Wow, we gave this sultry rocker of forbidden lust the #1 the other two didn’t. And we did the same for “Gloria.” Excessive appreciation for Laura Branigan is a little-known Canadian trait.
And at the top up here way back when was...
1 - “Oh Sherrie,” Steve Perry
Another song that we were alone in taking to the top. Not as proud of this one, but it’s solid pop rock, and Steve does what he does with that voice as well as he ever has. I can at least stand by it.c
Britain is up again next time. Join me then.
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