October 1983. Britain’s Labour Party select a new leader, Neil Kinnock, in the hopes that he can lead them to victory over the Tories. Four election losses later, they gave up and tried a guy named...John Smith. He died before he could get his shot, paving the way for some guy named Tony Blair, who I think had some success. Meanwhile, on the chart...
40 - “Gold,” Spandau Ballet
Back from our last visit to ‘83. Still standing so tall as primo New Romantic Pop.
39 - “Tears on the Telephone,” Hot Chocolate
The penultimate first-run Top 40 for the Brit-funk vets was this upbeat lament about a non-in person breakup. Solid radio pop, but their best days were behind them,
38 - “I’m Still Standing,” Elton John
Sir Elton’s first home Top Five of the decade. Apparently, he drank so much during the making of the video that it’s amazing he was still standing.
37 - “There’s Something Wrong in Paradise,” Kid Creole and the Coconuts
Evolving from Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannnah Band, August Darnell’s retro-tropicalists were a much bigger deal in Britain than they were at home. Their sixth hit was this Afro-Caribbean groove that seems to be about a decadent island dictator who is about to get his comeuppance from his previously oppressed subjects. This isn’t one of their biggest hit, but it’s a great reminder of the refreshment they contributed to pop.
36 - “Confusion,” New Order
The fifth hit from the remainder of Joy Division was this electro-dance tune about making someone unsure whether you can be trusted. There’s a lot of Kraftwerkiness in this, but they were starting to find their own unique voice.
35 - “Love in Itself,” Depeche Mode
The eighth hit for the boys from Basildon was this goth synth business about affection not being sufficient. Some interesting piano work distinguishes it from much of the band’s similar oeuvre.
34 - “Give it Up,” K.C. and the Sunshine Band
The track that for some reason gave the disco machine the #1 here they couldn’t get in their heyday. It was so much like what they were that in this era, it was almost refreshing. I’m glad they waited before they gave it up for good. And listening to it now, I’m hearing a part that sounds quite a bit like a bit from Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al.” People accused Paul of cultural appropriation, but he have also snuck in lifting from Harry Casey? Sounds unlikely, but...
33 - “Dr. Heckyll and Mr. Jive,” Men at Work
One of the Aussies’ lesser hits, this tune about a modern nutty professor peaked between 26 and 31 on the three charts we cover here. Impressive consistency, and pretty dead on as far as what this deserves. It deserved to be heard everywhere, but not for too long.
32 - “Midnight at the Lost and Found,” Meat Loaf
One of the four hits here in the decade where he was a non-entity at home, this is a rock song about lonely people cruising in a singles bar. It wasn’t written or produced by Jim Steinman, but it does try to capture that essence in sound and in lyrics about Captain Video and “silver bullets in the jukebox.” A solid track to keep up his character.
31 - “They Don’t Know,” Tracey Ullman
The wonderful, girl-group retro Kirsty MacColl cover that cave the actress/comedienne her biggest international hit. A triple Top Ten that really should have gotten a Triple Crown. If I could make it happen by picking a winner to strip, I would by gleefully demoting “Seasons in the Sun.”
30 - “In Your Eyes,” George Benson
The jazz guitarist’s second Top Ten here was this overwrought soul ballad. It’s one of those achingly sincere and too slick love songs that I just don’t get.
29 - “Superman,” Black Lace
The first hit by the Yorkshire cheese-pop outfit was this would be wedding floor-filler on which singer Alan Barton commands dancers to simulate flying like the Man of Steel, as well as feigning sleeping, sneezing, kissing, hitchhiking, and other things. Harmless, unhip camp.
28 - “Blue Hat for a Blue Day,” Nick Hayward
The third hit for the former Haircut One Hundred frontman was this pop lament for a dissolving marriage. What it has to do with headgear or the American states of Virginia and Minnesota is unclear. Good stuff, but I still haven’t heard anything on his own that equals “Love Plus One.”
27 - “What I Got is What You Need,” Unique
The only hit for these New Yorkers is apparently an example of “post-disco.” Apparently, that involves Gap Band-style funk synths, Chic-esque female vocals, and early rap. Sounds good to me. As does the name of the group’s mastermind, Deems J. Smith. If I need an alias for any reason in the future, I might go with that. Don’t tell anyone.
26 - “Wings of a Dove,” Madness
Their second biggest returns. Still joyous gospel-pop.
25 - “The Sun Goes Down (Living it Up),” Level 42
The first Top Ten for the boys from the Isle of Wight. It’s looser and more free-sounding than most of their other stuff. You can hear personality. Maybe the fact that two members of Earth Wind and Fire produced it has something to do with that. Regardless, I wasn’t bored after ten seconds, as is typical of my Level 42 listening experience.
24 - “Rebel Run,” Toyah
Ms. Wilcox’s penultimate Top 40 was this dramatic rocker about fighting authorities in an Orwellian dystopia. Pretty much what I would have expected given the details. And I mean that in a good way.
23 - “68 Guns,” The Alarm
The Welsh band’s breakthrough hit was this tough rocker about youthful unrest and idealism, based on a book singer Mike Peters had read about street gangs in Glasgow. A great little teen angst singalong.
22 - “New Song,” Howard Jones
Howard’s first hit, and still one of his best. We can never get enough reminding to keep an open mind and be less cynical, and those 80s synths are a sweet candy coating for the medicine.
21 - “Never Say Die (Give a Little Bit More),” Cliff Richard
It’s the inescapable Sir Cliff, this time with a poppy bit of advice on how to win her back. Although suggestions like “If you want her back, it’s a full attack” seem a bit dodgy an open to misinterpretation.
In Part Two: multiple reminders that one-hit wonders in America aren’t necessarily that at home, and a leading light of a scene I didn’t know existed.
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