# 85-81
and the countdown of the TOP 100 SINGLES OF THE 1980s continues with numbers85-81!
85. NO SOUVENIRS – Melissa Etheridge(Melissa Etheridge)
Island Single #99176 (US)/ #486 (UK)
Chart Debut: June 1989
Chart Position: #95 US/ #9 Mainstream Rock (US)
Though it’s only coincidence that Melissa Etheridge’s “No Souvenirs” ends up right after Tracy Chapman and Pat Benatar – it’s interesting to think that Melissa’s blend of rock and folk is pretty much Pat meets Tracy. Melissa takes the Benatar school for hard guitars (sometimes) and meshes them with her own folksy lyrics of lost loves and political wrongs. “No Souvenirs” was the fist single from her second album Brave And Crazy that came out a few years before she took over the world as the lesbian queen of rock. Though I know for a fact the female gay population was all over Melissa from the minute she uttered “Bring Me Some Water” in early 1988, way before declaring “Yes I Am.” But the lesbians weren’t the only ones loving up Mel, for the critics were on her side as well, and between the write ups and my old pal Rhonda Fisher, I jumped on the Etheridge wagon as well.
The thing I truly love about “No Souvenirs” and Melissa’s music is her ability to create a complete story within the forms of a four minute rock song. This single does it brilliantly as she walks us through the unresolved love affair where she is the Romeo calling from a jackpot telephone, wondering why her lover left her with nothing – no souvenirs – no shoes, no jackets, no blues, your cars for sale, you forward your mail, you’re growing your hair, you don’t wanna know where I’m calling you from, or how come…” but Mel still holds on, “If you want me you can call me, in the night you know where I’ll be…” I love the fact that Melissa was/is able to write complete albums about heartbreak and lost love without ever once giving a gender to the characters – is she singing for a boy, for a girl, does it really matter? Either way it touches the soul and we can or will all relate at one time or another. That’s great songwriting. See the video.
84. I WANT CANDY – Bow Wow Wow(Berns/Feldman/Goldstein/Gottehrer)
RCA Single #13204 (US)/ #238 (UK)
Chart Debut: June 5, 1982
Chart Position: #64 US/ #9 UK
The brainchild of Malcolm McLaren who brought us the Sex Pistols, Bow Wow Wow retained members of Adam Ant’s The Ants and teenage sexpot Annabella. This little ditty with its jungle drum beat forged its way all the way to the top 10 in the UK, and though not nearly a hit here, its still one of those songs every one seems to remember.
Co-written by Richard Gottehrer, whose band The Strangeloves did the original in the 60s. Richard would go on to produce the first two Blondie and the first two Go-Gos album putting himself into his own little niche in the 70s and 80s pop world.
The Strangeloves’ version of “I Want Candy” used the word candy as not only a noun but also the name of the girl the singer was lusting after. In the Bow Wow Wow version with the gender switch this version created its own life. To this day, with the gender switch the line “I like candy when its wrapped in a sweater,” has been argued as a condom reference in which case the candy Annabella is after is wrapped inside said condom… mmm? Candy on the beach there’s nothing better. Watch the video here!
83. SWEET DREAMS (ARE MADE OF THIS) - Eurythmics(Annie Lennox/Dave A. Stewart)
RCA Single #13533 (US)/ #DA2 (UK)
Chart Debut: June 18, 1983 (US)/ February 12, 1983 (UK)
Chart Position: #1 US/ #2 UK
Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox took the US by storm with this single. The title track from their second album, I doubt anyone who isn’t transfixed the minute that opening synth line begins. I recall the first time I saw the video with Annie in her shaved orange haircut, her whip, her man’s suit. I had never seen anything like it and I loved it! Though to this day I have to wonder about the cow??? See the video here.
82. GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN – Cyndi Lauper
(Robert Hazard)
Portrait Single # 37-04120
Chart Debut: January 28, 1984 (US)/
January 14, 1984 (UK)
Chart Position: #2 US/ #2 UK
If I wasn’t so in love with so much music of the 80s Cyndi Lauper would probably take up half this list. As it is, she does make a few appearances and here is the first.
Cyndi’s debut single “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” has all the hiccupy fun and versatility as it did back in 1983 when it was first released. Originally a song called “Girls Just Want To Have Sex” written by Robert Hazard – I do believe Cyndi changed a few uncredited lines to make it a tad more commercial.
“Girls” is one of those songs that you swear you are sick and tired of hearing, until out of nowhere the song plays and you are immediately on your feet and singing along.
Cyndi with her thrift store clothes, dyed hair and effervescence, captivated me right from the beginning, and all you have to do is listen to any one of her albums to hear the real talent in her. As it turned out, her main competition at the time of her debut was a little lady named Madonna. Madonna took the world by storm, but Cyndi is the one with more talent than Lady Esther can ever hope to buy with the billions of dollars she’s made. Meanwhile, Cyndi still pumps out fairly good songs with strong voice and her hyper and loveable charisma firmly in tact. Relive the video here!
81. IN THE AIR TONIGHT – Phil Collins(Phil Collins)
Atlantic Single #3824 (US)/ Virgin Single #102 (UK)
Chart Debut: July 11, 1981 (US)/
January 17, 1981 (UK)
Chart Position: #19 US/ #2 UK
Before anyone gets on me about actually being a fan of Mr. Phil, let me just say that I am not a particularly big fan but there is something eerie and captivating about this single and every time I hear it, I have to turn it up and sing along. Plus who doesn’t love that drum roll in the middle of the song?
The video featured Phil sitting alone in a dark room with images coming in through the window and at the end of the video his head explodes, which I must admit was rather disturbing to me as a little kid.
But the story and rumors behind the song are what really intrigue me. As the urban legend goes Phillip as a little boy witnessed a man drown one of his mates from school prompting him to write this creepy little tune. Years later, Phil invited the man to a concert, sang the song directly to him and the man went home and killed himself out of guilt. This is all of course completely made up and never really happened, but it has kept the song alive for over 20 years and every now and then when the song is played you’ll hear someone tell the story.
As for a real story, did I ever tell you about a friend of a friend of a friend’s mother who was shot in her car after grocery shopping? As it turned out, the gun shot she heard was really her can of biscuits exploding from the heat, and the brains she felt falling out of the back of her head was the dough that hit her when the can exploded… true story! I swear. Watch the freaky video here.
Well, it's no urban legend or rumor that I will be back tomorrow with our list, as we continue on with numbers 80-76!
Labels: Bow Wow Wow, Cyndi Lauper, Eurythmics, Melissa Etheridge, Phil Collins, Top singles of the 1980s
posted by swivek @ 2:37 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home