The other half.
20 - “Magic Touch,” Loose Ends
The London soul band’s second hit is decent enough sexy lite-funk. And a rare case where a sax solo works better than you thought it could.
19 - “Cry,” Godley and Creme
The third hit by 10cc members-turned-video directors Kev and Lol was this great synthrock ballad with an iconic video (directed by guess who). But only Canada made this a Top Ten. I guess we turned out to be the ones who knew how to ease their pain,
18 - “Would I Lie to You,” Eurythmics
Dave and Annie blend hard rock and soul and create attitudinal magic. Top Five in North America, but only #17 here. That’s a deceptive indicator of the song’s quality. So it might be said that you would lie to them.
17 - “We are the World,” USA for Africa
The Yankee response to “Do They Know it’s Christmas” won a Triple Crown, and topped the charts in at least thirteen other countries. A dated record, but there’s still a magic to the mini-duet between Stevie Wonder and Bruce Springsteen. It could have only happened then and there, and I’m glad it did.
16 - “One More Night,” Phil Collins
Phil’s first real syrupy slow jam was denied a Triple Crown by Britain, who held it to #4. That was nice of them. Phil’s head was too big for it here. And this sax solo is superfluous.
15 - “Kayleigh,” Marillion
The Aylesbury prog band had their biggest hit when this went to #2. It’s a ballad that singer Fish wrote about the good times he has with past lovers who he didn’t appreciate at the time. His voice kind of reminds me of none other than Phil Collins here, and which makes me compare it to Genesis’ pop period. And it’s better than anything from that catalogue.
14 - “Slave to Love,” Bryan Ferry
Ferry’s first solo hit after the breakup of Roxy Music was this lush, sensual ballad. It has a stuttery, urgent beauty. It’s probably best known these days as the song playing at the end of Kingsman: The Secret Service when the Swedish princess gives Eggsy his, um, reward.
13 - “I Want Your Lovin’ (Just A Little Bit),” Curtis Hairston
The only hit for this North Carolinian was this basic bit of uptempo R&B/pop. He’s clearly better than this neutered funk. I wonder if his work with the B.B.&Q. Band is better. They did have a couple of Brit hits themselves, so I may have cause to find out.
12 - “The Unforgettable Fire,” U2
The Irish quartet’s third Top Ten was this darkly atmospheric rocker apparently inspired by a museum exhibit about the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The music and lyrics create a sense of trying to find something to hold onto in the face of impending doom. It hasn’t been played to death here like many of their other hits, so it’s fresher and easier to appreciate for me.
11 - “I was Born to Love You,” Freddie Mercury
The first single from Freddie’s one true solo album was this exuberant dance-rocker about the joy of finding a soulmate. Not lyrically or musically groundbreaking, but it more than gets by on his charm and conviction. My conclusion from this was that he was born for Queen, and vice versa.
10 - “Don’t You (Forget About Me),” Simple Minds
The Scots’ Breakfast Club smash was held to #7 here, denying it the Triple Crown. I think that works. It’s a very good pop song, but it isn’t reflective of the band. They’d lean more pop after this, but this is an outlier even compared to that material.
9 - “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” Tears for Fears
Another Triple Crown rejection, by a single place. But it was still the highest they ever got. You can’t always get everything you want. Thinking about it, a Tears for Fears version of “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” would have sounded more in character.
8 - “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore,” Jimmy Nail
Newcastle native James Bradford got his nickname after stepping on a spike while working in a glass factory. Shortly after that, he took up acting, and he landed a role in the hit sitcom Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. He was also a musician and singer, and his fame helped him launch a successful recording career, which began with this Top Five cover of a 1978 Rose Royce hit. This is a stark, sparse version that reflects the song’s theme, and Jimmy, pardon the pun, nails the vocal. This is not a Don Johnson situation. That bar is cleared with miles to spare.
7 - “A View to a Kill,” Duran Duran
Again the Brits block a bid from one of their own for a Triple Crown, and again by a single place. This one is the most unjust to me. There was no one at the time more suited to do a Bond theme, and they produced one of the best. It would make me dance into the fire.
6 - “Walls Come Tumbling Down,” The Style Council
The sixth Top Ten for Paul Weller’s second band may be the best combination of his socially aware rage and the big R&B sound he was now favouring, It’s like Northern Soul meeting punk about a decade late.
5 - “Feel So Real,” Steve Arrington
The Ohioans biggest hit was this chunk of danceable soul. It’s got a spark that I can’t quite identify, but it places it above the average of this genre.
4 - “Rhythm of the Night,” DeBarge
Motown’s big 80s family had their biggest success here with this playful, Latin-tinged Triple Top Five. It’s as plastic as you’d expect from a Diane Warren composition, but the performance makes you forget that it won’t biodegrade.
3 - “I Feel Love,” Bronski Beat and Marc Almond
Jimmy Somerville’s crew teamed up with Almond of the recently disbanded Soft Cell on a cover of the Donna Summer classic that also integrates John Leyton’s 1961 #1 “Johnny Remember Me.” Both songs and singers make strange combinations, but it all somehow makes fantastic sense, and the two of them are clearly having a ball.
2 - “Move Closer,” Phyllis Nelson
This Jacksonville singer found no mainstream success at home, but this sexy slowdance ballad went all the way over here. I’m sure it closed many a school disco, and led to a great deal of after-hours action. It achieves its goals spectacularly.
1 - “19,” Paul Hardcastle
The London DJ and producer had an unlikely hit by setting audio clips from an American TV documentary on the Vietnam War to dance beats. It also got to #2 in Canada, but was held to #15 in the U.S., landing slightly before the moment when films like Platoon and Full Metal Jacket brought that conflict back to the forefront of American pop culture. It’s also notable for being probably the first place many people heard the term “post-traumatic stress disorder.” A lot of people chose to purchase this for repeated listening, but I’m not sure if what they got out of it could be reasonably called pleasure. It’s like holding a history class in Studio 54.
We’re back in Canada next time. See you then.
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