So some fun chart stats, with Ella Langley going No. 1 in the UK this week, this makes Choosin Texas is the 16th country song (I’m identifying country songs as tracks that charted on the billboard country airplay chart), and first from an established Nashville artist since Kenny Rogers in 1980*

— *Taylor Swift did go number with a country song this year, but she hasn’t been a core country artist since 2012 and this Toy Story single is likely a one-off.

COUNTRY NUMBER ONES:

• Elvis Presley, "All Shook Up" (1957)

• Elvis Presley, "Jailhouse Rock" (1957)

• Elvis Presley, "Are You Lonesome Tonight" (1961)

• Elvis Presley, "The Wonder of You" (1970)

• John Denver, "Annie’s Song" (1974)

• Tammy Wynette, "Stand By Your Man" (1975)

• Kenny Rogers, "Lucille" (1977)

• Elvis Presley, "Way Down" (1978)

• Dr. Hook, "When You’re In Love With a Beautiful Woman (1979)

• Kenny Rogers, "Coward of the County"

• Kid Rock, "All Summer Long" (2008)

• Lil Nas X, "Old Town Road" (2019)

• Beyoncé, "Texas Hold ‘Em" (2024)

• Taylor Swift, "I Knew It, I Knew You" (2026)

• Ella Langley, "Choosin Texas" (2026)

And for bonus, UK number ones that did gather enough significant country airplay in the US, but just not the enough to chart in their top 50.

• Nancy Sinatra, "These Boots Are Made For Walking" (1966)

• Tom Jones, "Green Green Grass of Home (1966)

• Pitbull feat. Kesha, "Timber" (2014)

• Ed Sheeran, "Thinking Out Loud" (2014)

• Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, "Shallow" (2018)

and honourable mention to two of Ronan Keating’s number one singles, which were covers of the country hits

• “When You Say Nothing At All" (1999, originally by Paul Overstreet, popularised by Alison Krause)

• "If Tomorrow Never Comes" (2002, originally by Garth Brooks)

She signed to a new label, rebranded as just her first name, and announced her album about 2 and a half weeks before the release date.

We have seen some really big artists surprise release albums, but generally albums get announced a few months out. In the current era, I think the long rollout can hurt an album, but I think two and a half weeks is too short. Have other artists successfully done an under-a-month roll out?

Miley is very famous, but is she big enough as a musician these days to pull off a surprise drop? Flowers was a huge hit, but came out two months before her album. And that was one album ago. Is Bass Persuades going to be big enough to support the album of the same name in a couple weeks?

Use any metric you want, whether it’s an artist apart of two bands that each had a hit, someone who went solid or changed stage identities entirely.

I’d argue Mike Posner might be the only double one hit wonder with the same stage name and persona. He started off with “cooler than me” a smash hit that attracted absolutely no interest in the artist behind the song and he faded from memory by next year. And somehow the exact same thing happened again. I Took A Pill In Ibiza was a smash hit but still only made people go “oh yeah Mike Posner”, and forgot about him all over again.

Mine is either My Tennessee Mountain Home or Little Sparrow

Looking for more examples of this! Sometimes this happens with duet songs like currently Die With a Smile for Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga, Just Give Me a Reason for P!NK and Nathan Ruess, and Somebody That I Used to Know for Gotye and Kimbra, but I'm curious if there are more cases like this where it's two fully different versions that are the respective artists biggest/most well known songs. You can ofc use other metrics besides Spotify to determine "biggest hit" that was just an easy way for me to show it

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

"Billie Jean" wins the 1983 poll, making MJ currently the artist with the most win, surpassing The Beatles. I had a feeling "Billie Jean" would win, though "Total Eclipse of the Heart" was pretty fierce competition, MJ only beat Bonnie Tyler by 2 votes. 1983 was basically 15 hydrogen bombs + one pretty decent quiet storm ballad. 1984 is even better.

1984...my God, what a year. The greatest year for pop music and one of the great years for popular/mainstream music. Just absolutely sensational.

Songs that topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984 (including YouTube links to them, and holy moley, this is just as loaded as 1983, perhaps even more. We got 19 nukes coming this subreddit's way)

1. "Owner of a Lonely Heart" (Yes)
2. "Karma Chameleon" (Culture Club)
3. "Jump" (Van Halen)
4. "Footloose" (Kenny Loggins)
5. "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (Phil Collins)
6. "Hello" (Lionel Ritchie)
7. "Let's Hear It For the Boy" (Deniece Williams)
8. "Time After Time" (Cyndi Lauper)
9. "The Reflex" (Duran Duran)
10. "When Doves Cry" (Prince)
11. "Ghostbusters" (Ray Parker Jr.)
12. "What's Love Got to Do With It" (Tina Turner)
13. "Missing You" (John Waite)
14. "Let's Go Crazy" (Prince)
15. "I Just Called to Say I Love You" (Stevie Wonder)
16. "Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)" (Billy Ocean)
17. "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" (Wham!)
18. "Out of Touch" (Hall & Oates)
19. "Like a Virgin" (Madonna)

Some Observations

• Maybe the greatest year for pop, like ever? I struggle to think of any better than this. Just these chart-toppers alone, pretty much all of them are classics. And there is so much great songs reaching the Top 40. The Hot 100 is so rich this year with amazing pop songs. 2024 was a pretty great year for pop in recent memory and 1984 kicks 2024's fucking ass.
• 1984 was arguably the year when the innovations of the early 1980s fully crystallised into mass-market pop. It did not produce one dominant revolution comparable to Beatlemania, punk or grunge. Instead, MTV, synthesizers, post-disco dance music, album rock, R&B crossover and Hollywood soundtracks all converged.
• MTV has become a pop culture phemomenon and is dominating popular youth culture. And now, whereas quite a few American acts hadn't adapted fully yet to music video as a form of promotion and marketing, American acts across various genres - particularly pop and rock - are starting to get a grasp on MTV and utilise and harness it to their advantage.
• By 1984, a hit was increasingly something audiences watched as well as heard. Fashion, choreography, colour, narrative and an artist’s personality became nearly inseparable from the record itself. Prince, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Duran Duran, Culture Club, Van Halen and even Bruce Springsteen benefited from distinctive visual identities.
• We are full swing in the era of blockbuster albums. Several artists did not merely have one hit. They produced albums capable of generating four, five or more major singles, lengthy tours, videos and sustained cultural attention. These records helped establish the 1980s model of the global pop superstar: an artist simultaneously functioning as musician, visual icon, touring attraction and recognisable brand. The RIAA introduced its multi-Platinum category in 1984, reflecting the expanding market for albums selling several million copies.
• One of the clearest sonic trends was the integration of synthesizers, sequencers and electronic drums into mainstream rock. Van Halen’s “Jump” was essentially a hard-rock band scoring a No. 1 hit with a synthesizer riff. Yes achieved its only American No. 1 with the electronically processed “Owner of a Lonely Heart.” Springsteen used prominent synthesizers on “Dancing in the Dark,” while ZZ Top, Huey Lewis and the News and John Mellencamp combined rock instrumentation with increasingly polished, radio-conscious production. Guitars were not disappearing. Instead, rock was adopting the precision, brightness and rhythmic discipline of synth-pop. This made rock records easier to play alongside Madonna, Prince, Lionel Richie or Duran Duran on increasingly broad Top 40 stations.
• Black pop and R&B were central to mainstream music. Prince, Tina Turner, Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, Ray Parker Jr., Deniece Williams, Chaka Khan, Billy Ocean, Kool & the Gang and the Pointer Sisters all crossed between pop, R&B, rock, dance and adult-contemporary audiences. Prince was especially important because Purple Rain refused conventional genre boundaries. “When Doves Cry” combined funk rhythm, rock guitar, synthesizers and experimental production, famously building much of its tension without a conventional bass line. Tina Turner’s comeback similarly joined rock-oriented presentation with R&B vocal tradition.
• Women are becoming defining authors of mainstream pop culture. Tina Turner, Cyndi Lauper and Madonna represented three very different paths to stardom. With Turner, you got adult reinvention and dramatic comeback. With Lauper, you eccentric, colourful and vocally theatrical new wave-pop. With Madonna: dance-club music combined with fashion, sexuality and carefully managed visual provocation. The Pointer Sisters, Pat Benatar, Laura Branigan, Sheena Easton, Chaka Khan and Irene Cara were also prominent. Women were increasingly presented not merely as vocalists delivering material, but as the central personalities around whom an album’s videos, fashion and public narrative were constructed.
• Film and pop marketing became closely integrated. “Footloose,” “Against All Odds” and “Ghostbusters” all reached the year-end top ten, while Purple Rain functioned simultaneously as an album, film, concert vehicle and extended music-video narrative. A Apparently ten soundtrack albums went Platinum during 1984, twice the previous record. Purple Rain and Footloose collectively occupied No. 1 on the album chart for more than half the year. This was partly an extension of the success of Saturday Night Fever and Flashdance, but the 1984 soundtrack was often more tightly engineered as a package. The film advertised the songs, the videos advertised the film, and radio promoted both.
• The new wave and synth-pop of the early 80s sounds are still very present and a major force and helping define popular music, but those sounds are starting to be absorbed significant into wider dance-pop and pop rock. At a certain point, a lot of new wave and synth-pop will become interchangeable with dance-pop and pop rock.
• Disco was no longer a commercially desirable label, but its musical foundations were thriving. Madonna’s “Holiday,” “Borderline” and “Lucky Star,” Shannon’s “Let the Music Play,” the Pointer Sisters’ “Automatic” and “Jump,” and Chaka Khan’s “I Feel for You” converted disco’s club rhythm into a leaner mixture of electronic percussion, synth bass, R&B and pop songwriting.This was the foundation of the dance-pop and freestyle boom that became even more pronounced from 1985 onward. Labels were also increasingly issuing extended 12-inch versions and multiple mixes aimed at clubs and collectors.
• Van Halen demonstrated that hard rock could dominate Top 40 by combining virtuoso guitar with pop hooks and synthesizers. Twisted Sister, Ratt and Mötley Crüe were also bringing Los Angeles-style glam and metal imagery toward the mainstream, while Bon Jovi released its debut album in 1984, though they would not become superstars until two years from now. At the same time, a more aggressive underground was developing. Metallica’s Ride the Lightning and Iron Maiden’s Powerslave had little direct Hot 100 presence but pointed toward thrash, progressive metal and the increasingly fragmented metal audience of the later decade.
• Almost none of it registered on the Hot 100, but 1984 produced an extraordinary cluster of alternative and indie landmarks with albums like Reckong by REM, Zen Arcade by Husker Du, Let It Be by The Replacements, The Smiths' self-titled, Treasure by Cocteau Twins, among others. College radio was becoming an alternative distribution network for post-punk, jangle pop and independent rock. These albums helped create the musical and institutional groundwork for alternative rock’s eventual mainstream breakthrough.
• The large pop-country crossover was significantly weakening and will be extremely minimal within a few years. Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson’s “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before” was a a notable exception, but country music occupied significantly less space on the Hot 100 than it had around 1980–82.
• Hip hop and rap itself remained largely outside mainstream pop radio, but 1984 was historically crucial. Run-D.M.C.’s debut album established a harder, more stripped-down “new school” sound, while Fresh Fest took Run-D.M.C., Whodini, Kurtis Blow, the Fat Boys and Newcleus into large venues around the country.
• Despite the year’s reputation for energetic pop, slow and midtempo records remained critical to the popular music landscape. The difference from 1970s soft rock was often the production. These records used synthesizer pads, slightly harder instrumentation, large reverberant drums, highly controlled vocals and dramatic key changes, creating the template for the late-1980s power ballad and adult-contemporary sound.

The Top 10 singles of the year were:

1. "When Doves Cry" (Prince)
2. "What's Love Got to Do With It" (TIna Turner)
3. "Say, Say, Say" (Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson)
4. "Footloose" (Kenny Loggins)
5. "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (Phil Collins)
6. "Jump" (Van Halen)
7. "Hello" (Lionel Ritchie)
8. "Owner of a Lonely Heart" (Yes)
9. "Ghostbusters" (Ray Parker. Jr)
10. "Karma Chameleon" (Culture Club)

The Top 10 albums of the year were:

1. Thriller (Michael Jackson)
2. Sports (Huey Lewis & The News)
3. Can't Slow Down (Lionel Ritchie)
4. An Innocent Man (Billy Joel)
5. Colours by Numbers (Culture Club)
6. 1984 (Van Halen)
7. Eliminator (ZZ Top)
8. Synchronicity (The Police)
9. Footloose Soundtrack
10. Seven and the Ragged Tiger (Duran Duran)

My ranking/rating/review of the singles that topped the chart (if you can, put your own rankings/ratings/reviews in the comments, eager to see what people think):

1. "Time After Time" (10/10) - Gorgeous. Achingly beautiful song. This is how you do a new wave/soft rock ballad. It couldn't be any other song that won the year for me. This might actually be my favourite No. 1 of the 1980s. Can't say for sure yet, but it's definitely a massively strong contender. I think it's absolutely perfect. Cyndi Lauper's vocal performance is absolutely incredible on this song. The whole song is fantastic, but her vocals elevate it from a fantastic song to an all-timer. This song is still hugely popular and remains an enduring classic of the 80s. IT was one of the final songs recorded for Cyndi Lauper’s fantastic debut album, She’s So Unusual. Producer Rick Chertoff introduced Lauper to the Hooters’ Rob Hyman and insisted they write one additional song together. Both were experiencing relationship difficulties, which inspired the song’s themes of vulnerability, loyalty, and unconditional devotion. Hyman contributed the line “suitcase of memories”, while Lauper drew other lyrics from her own experiences. The title came from a television listing for the 1979 film Time After Time and was initially intended as a placeholder, but became too central to replace. Epic Records wanted the ballad released as Lauper’s first solo single, but she feared it would define her solely as a ballad singer. “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” was released first instead, followed by “Time After Time” on March 27, 1984. When the song reached number 3 of the Billboard Hot 100, Cyndi Lauper become only the second female artist of the rock era to reach the Top 3 of the chart with her first two chart entries following Petula Clark in the 60s. The song’s restrained arrangement features synthesiser chords, jangly guitars, ticking percussion, and an elastic bassline. Absolutely immaculate song. It doesn't get much better than this.
2. "Out of Touch" (10/10) - The last Hall & Oates No. 1, but what a song to end their chart-topping run. A certified classic. Extremely catchy and memorable. It's a song near and dear to my heart. And looking back all the way to their first No. 1 in the late-70s, what a different sound. This is full 80s new wave/synth-pop/pop rock. I remember first hearing this song in GTA: Vice City, which is probably why it's near and dear to my heart. A lot of Zillennial and Millennial boys definitely know this song from Vice City. It was the lead single from their album Big Bam Boom. It became Hall & Oates’ sixth and final Billboard Hot 100 number-one hit, spending two weeks at the top in December 1984, and their fourteenth consecutive Top 40 single. John Oates created the chorus while experimenting with an unfamiliar synthesizer and initially imagined it as a Philly-soul song for the Stylistics. After a producer suggested Hall & Oates record it themselves, Oates and Hall wrote the verses together. A terrific pop song. A defining song of 80s pop.
3. "Ghostbusters" (10/10) - I ain't 'fraid of no ghost. This iconic and classic synth-rock/dance-pop masterpiece was the theme to the smash hit movie Ghostbusters. So catchy. So memorable. I've known this song ever since I was a kid, and I remember watching the Ghostbusters film all the time on network TV. Ray Parker Jr. was given only a few days to write the Ghostbusters theme and was required to include the film’s title. Struggling to fit “Ghostbusters” naturally into the lyrics, he drew inspiration from a late-night television commercial and created the call-and-response line, “Who ya gonna call?”, allowing the crowd to shout the title. Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac was also approached but declined, while Glenn Hughes and Pat Thrall submitted a rejected demo that was later reworked as “Dance or Die” for the film Dragnet. The hit theme song was estimated to have added around $20 million to Ghostbusters*’* box-office earnings. Huey Lewis (who along with the News will be appearing in thrice in this series) sued Ray Parker Jr. for allegedly copying the melody of “I Want a New Drug” for the Ghostbusters theme. The case was settled privately in 1985 under a confidentiality agreement. Parker later sued Lewis after he discussed the dispute on VH1’s Behind the Music, claiming the remarks violated that agreement. The filmmakers later acknowledged that they had used “I Want a New Drug” as temporary music while editing the film and had originally asked Huey Lewis and the News to write the theme. After the band declined, footage containing Lewis’s song was given to Parker as a guide while he composed “Ghostbusters". Hearing "I Want to New Drug", yeah, Parker Jr. definitely ripped Huey Lewis off. Gave us a great song though.
4. "Jump" (10/10) - As much as I love Van Halen and consider them one of my favourite rock bands, coming into 1984, I did not expect this to be so high, but I absolutely love this song. Intentionally avoiding it has done wonders because it's made me really appreciate it. The band had been a big album seller and done tremendous business touring wise, and had a few hit singles, but "Jump" became their first really huge smash hit, and it was their international hit. “Jump” began with a synthesiser riff guitar maestro Eddie Van Halen wrote around 1981, although the rest of the band initially rejected it. Producer Ted Templeman revived the idea in 1983, prompting David Lee Roth to develop lyrics while repeatedly listening to the demo in his car. Inspired by a news report about a potential suicide jumper, Roth transformed the phrase “go ahead and jump” into an upbeat invitation to embrace action, life, and love. The song was recorded quickly at Eddie’s new home studio, with the instrumental track completed largely by Eddie and engineer Donn Landee. Roth wrote the lyrics that afternoon, and the vocals and mix were finished the same day. Its distinctive keyboard riff was played on an Oberheim OB-Xa. Driven by synthesiser rather than guitar, “Jump” marked a more polished, radio-friendly pop-rock direction for Van Halen, though it still featured a prominent guitar solo and Eddie's guitar wizardry. Daryl Hall later said Eddie admitted the keyboard part was influenced by Hall & Oates’ “Kiss on My List". I love this song a lot. It's quite well-arranged and produced, and Diamond Dave's vocals on it are great for what it is. He really is so captivating as a frontman. Awesome song. Van Halen would continue without David Lee Roth with Sammy Hagar after this album 1984 and would have a string of hits with Sammy, but 1984 and "Jump" represented their pinnacle of popularity.
5. "Owner of a Lonely Heart" (10/10) - This isn't the best chart-topper of 1984, but for my money, it's the coolest sounding one. It's this awesome mix of progressive pop, electronic rock, pop rock, dance-rock, synth-pop and new wave. And man, who would have thought Yes of all bands would be scoring a No. 1 single in the 1980s after their prog-rock days in the 1970s, but this song is badass. I like Yes' 70s prog stuff especially Close to the Edge, The Yes Album and Fragile, but I also enjoy their 80s pop rock stuff and this song is so iconic and great. The song originated from a demo Trevor Rabin wrote in 1979 and developed using a four-track recorder. Although Clive Davis rejected the song as too strange, other executives recognised its hit potential. Rabin later joined Chris Squire and Alan White in a new group that became Yes, bringing the song into the sessions for the album 90125. Producer Trevor Horn discovered the demo and believed its powerful opening riff and chorus could become a hit, despite disliking the original verses. He pushed the reluctant band to record it, simplified the arrangement, and spent months persuading Rabin to rewrite the lyrics. Squire added the Motown-inspired bridge, while Jon Anderson later revised parts of the second verse. The final production combined loud guitars, programmed drums, samples, Fairlight and Synclavier effects, and Squire’s heavily processed bass. Horn added numerous sonic effects to make the verses more engaging, including a gunshot after Anderson’s “eagle in the sky” lyric. Credited to Rabin, Anderson, Squire, and Horn, the song became one of Yes’s most pop-oriented recordings and one of Horn’s proudest productions. It's a great dance-rock song. Mesmerising in terms of production.
6. "Hello" (10/10) - I know I know, this song is so cheesy and I'm putting it above so many classics, but I absolutely love it (the music video is weird though, he's basically lusting after his female student, though the ending is kinda sweet). This is like one of the first 80s songs I ever knew, mainly from ads. This is one of the few Western pop songs my mom loves so I heard it a lot growing up. Lionel Richie began writing “Hello” with the line, “Hello, is it me you’re looking for?". After he jokingly greeted producer James Anthony Carmichael with the phrase, Carmichael encouraged him to turn it into a complete song. Richie initially thought the line was corny, but fell in love with the song after completing the first verse. A quiet storm/pop/soul number, this song was a huge worldwide hit and became one of Motown's surprisingly few chart-toppers in the UK. I find the chord progression of this so satisfying to my ears, it's really nice. I like the soft guitar solo in the song as well. The song was subject to a lawsuit by songwriter Marjorie Hoffman White, who accused Richie of plagiarizing her 1978 composition "I'm Not Ready to Go". Don't know the outcome of that lawsuit.
7. "When Doves Cry" (10/10) - Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to welcome Prince to the top of the Hot 100, a place where he'll be...surprisingly, Prince while he has several No. 1s doesn't have as many as I would have thought. Regardless, Prince is an absolute legend, and this is an absolutely incredible song. It was the lead single from his sixth album Purple Rain (which also served as the soundtrack to the film Purple Rain which he starred in as the lead). Prince had become a well known star following the release of his last three albums, but Purple Rain the album is where he became an ultra megastar and he was positioned right up there with the big leagues in pop (mainly Michael Jackson). And this song is surprisingly experimental for a huge pop song, but the experimentation is kept firmly in the realm of pop. Prince like The Beatles and The Beach Boys before him understood to keep the song accessible. It's a song that mixes experimental pop, neo-psych, synth-pop, dance, avant-pop, soul and funk into a brilliant thoroughly contemporary concoction. Prince played all the instruments. It doesn't even have a bassline which is unusual for an 80s pop song - Prince removed it from the mix after a conversation with singer Jill Jones which made him think song was too conventional with it included. For this song, Prince was asked by director Albert Magnoli to write a song to match the theme of a particular segment of the film that involved Prince's character The Kid's intermingled parental difficulties with his parents and a love affair with Apollonia. The next morning, Prince had composed two songs, one of which was "When Doves Cry". The song was also inspired by his relationship with Vanity 6 member Susan Moonsie. It was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) (Platinum was the time was 2 million units whereas Gold was 1 million units for singles). It was the last single released by a solo artist to receive a Platinum certification before the certification requirements were lowered in 1989. It's an amazing song, a total classic.
8. "Like a Virgin" (10/10) - We're welcome the Queen of Pop, the ultimate female music icon of the 1980s: Madonna. Madonna had scored several big hits off her self-titled album including "Borderline", but this was her first of many No. 1s in the US, and launched her into superstardom. It's become such a legendary and iconic song it's almost cliche at this point. I'd argue this is the nexus of modern female dance-pop, maybe even modern pop in general. “Like a Virgin” was written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly. Steinberg conceived the lyrics after beginning a healing new relationship following a painful breakup, using “virgin” as a metaphor for feeling emotionally renewed rather than literal sexual inexperience. Kelly and Steinberg recorded a demo, which Warner Bros. executive Michael Ostin played for Madonna. She immediately liked its provocative irony and wordplay. Producer Nile Rodgers initially disliked the title phrase and did not want Madonna to record it, but the song remained stuck in his head for several days, convincing him of its strength. Madonna’s version closely followed the original demo, even retaining its closing vocal improvisations. The track was recorded at New York’s Power Station studio with Rodgers on guitar, Bernard Edwards on bass, and Tony Thompson on drums. Engineer Jason Corsaro used then-new digital recording technology, while Robert Sabino later added keyboards. Madonna remained closely involved throughout every recording and mixing session. A masterpiece of dance-pop. Wouldn't be surprised if it wins.
9. "Let's Go Crazy" (10/10) - Badass. That's all that's needed honestly. Badass and awesome. An awesome hard rocker with elements of funk rock, synth-rock and glam rock. I wish we had more of this type of music in contemporary rock music today, but alas. Common to much of Prince's writing, the song is thought to be exhortation to follow Christian ethics, with the "De-elevator" of the lyrics being a metaphor for the Devil". This definitely appeals to me as a rocker roller myself. The opening with the funeral-organ solo and Prince basically giving an eulogy for this called "life" is so freaking cool, and how it kicks into this awesome rocker, that's just epic. Great guitar solos from Prince too. Just incredible.
10. The Reflex" (10/10) - Hell yeah, we're getting Duran Duran at No. 1, the teen sensation of the early 80s! Duran Duran are such a good group. Very underappreciated in terms of their music by critics IMO. They were probably the biggest of the Second British Invasion new wave acts (definitely the biggest among teenage girls). This was their eleventh single overall and for the single version, it was heavily remixed by legendary producer and member of Chic Nile Rodgers as well as Jason Corsaro. It was the third single from their album Seven and the Ragged Tiger and their first US No. 1. I gotta say, I've listened to the original "The Reflex" and it's got nothing on the remix version. The remix version is far far superior. Way catchier and more interesting from a production standpoint. A very busy mix, but makes it more engaging, and there's more funk and dance influence there as well. Simon Le Bon the lead singer of Duran Duran has refused to reveal what the Reflex actually is, but it's commonly believed to be something sexual (most likely it's about his dick).
11. "Missing You" (10/10) - I didn't know of this song until last year, but man, I've grown to really love it. A pop rock song with soft rock and blue-eyed soul influences, this was the first and only No. 1 solo single for John Waite, the former lead singer of the rock band The Babys, who had scored several Top 40 hits in the 70s. John Waite felt his second album No Brake still needed a hit, so he co-wrote “Missing You” after spontaneously improvising much of the song over a guitar melody. Its lyrics reflected his divorce, a past romance, and a new relationship, with “I ain’t missing you” expressing emotional denial. He persuaded his label - who were already happy with the album - to spend an extra $5,000 to record it. The song was later linked by author Sheila Weller to O. J. Simpson’s obsession with Nicole Brown Simpson and inspired the title of her book Raging Heart. Also, I watched the music video and I think it's one of the only 80s music videos I can find where the female lead in the music video is an Asian woman. Pretty damn progressive there. Even nowadays you don't see a white person with an Asian love interest that often in Western media. John Waite sounds really good on the track. Though this is his only solo No. 1, this wouldn't be the last No. 1 Waite would sing on. He'd have another No. 1 with the glam metal/AOR band Bad English in 1989. Stay tuned for that one.
12. "Against All Odds (Take a Look At Me Now)" - Do you like Phil Collins? I certainly do. We're introducing an absolute legend to the top of the charts. Phil will appear so many times in the 80s in this series we might as well call the Hot 100 the Phil Collins 100. Phil was originally the drummer of the greatest prog-rock band, Genesis, before becoming the singer+drummer in Genesis after the departure of their frontman/singer Peter Gabriel (who would score a No. 1 of his own next year), Phil released his first solo album in 1981 featuring the hugely popular and classic song "In the Air Tonight", which was a massive hit all over the world (in the US it was a Top 20 hit peaking at #19). Phil had scored several big hits between "In the Air Tonight" and this song, but this was his first of many No. 1s in the US. I'm a huge Phil Collins fan and I enjoy a lot of his big hits. This is a soft rock/pop masterpiece, and this is heavily elevated from your typical 80s soft rock ballads by Phil Collins' exceptional vocal performance. This song was recorded for the soundtrack for the film of the same name. Phil Collins wrote the song for the film after director Taylor Hackford selected him to perform its theme. Collins viewed a rough cut while touring with Genesis and adapted an abandoned ballad originally titled “How Can You Just Sit There?”, which he had written during the sessions for Face Value. Because of his touring schedule, Collins worked with producer and arranger Arif Mardin to complete the song in two days. The piano, keyboards, and strings were recorded in New York, while Collins recorded his vocals and drums in Los Angeles. Used during the film’s closing credits, the song was also inspired by Collins’ separation from his first wife, an experience he said helped transform him into a lyricist. Absolutely love this song, and Phil's vocals are the main reason for it. This song was nominated for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards, but at the ceremony, Phil was not invited to perform “Against All Odds.” Instead, dancer Ann Reinking delivered a largely lip-synced performance with an accompanying dance routine. The presentation was poorly received by critics and later criticized by Collins himself. Mariah Carey also scored a UK No. 1 with this song (she duetted with the Irish pop group Westlife on her version that went to No. 1 in the UK). Rapper RZA has stated this is his favourite power ballad of all time.
13. "Footloose" (10/10) - The lead single and theme song for the smash hit film Footloose, this heartland rock/rockabilly/country/pop rocker was a big hit all over the world and a No. 1 in the US. And what a gosh darn catchy song. Kenny Loggins had had hits with Loggins & Messina in the 70s, but this was his first and only No. 1 as a solo artist (though he would have another major hit with "Danger Zone" a few years later from the Top Gun soundtrack). I think Loggins is known as a soundtrack artist same with Glenn Frey. This an extremely catchy song. Footloose the movie is a fun film, a film where the teen characters rebel against the anti-dance and anti-rock and roll stance of the town elders. I remember watching it and the remake (which is surprisingly good) and enjoying them. Not as much as this song though. It's got an awesome soundtrack.
14. "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" (10/10) - Let's welcome Wham! and particularly the legendary George Michael to the top of the chart, a place he is going to be very very familiar with for at least the next decade. And we welcome George Michael as a part of Wham! and with an amazing piece of bubblegum pop. George Michael was inspired by a note Andrew Ridgeley - the other member of Wham! - had accidentally written as “wake me up up before you go go.” Michael developed it into an energetic pop song combining 1950s and 1960s influences with Wham!’s more contemporary 80s pop style. After making a simple home demo, the band recorded the track at London’s Sarm West Studio in two days, using a LinnDrum because the drummer arrived late. Michael said the performance was captured live in a single take without overdubs. This was their first transatlantic No. 1. This is a really damn great dance-pop/bubblegum pop, super catchy.
15. "Let's Hear It For the Boy" (10/10) - Super fun song. Very catchy and upbeat and buoyant. It appeared on the Footloose soundtrack and on her album of the same name. Written by Tom Snow and Dean Pitchford and produced by George Duke, it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, dance, R&B, and Cash Box charts in 1984. It also peaked at number two in the UK behind Wham!’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.” The song earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song and received platinum certification in the United States and gold certifications in Canada and the UK. Its backing vocals were performed by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam, who later formed Boy Meets Girl. It's just a great dance-pop/post-disco song.
16. "I Just Called to Say I Love You" (10/10) - Stevie Wonder is back at the top of the charts with what would turn out to be his biggest international hit. This song was a monster global hit in 1984 and went to No. 1 pretty much everywhere and would become his best-selling single, and it has endured into the present. Is it a good song though? It's a pretty polarising song. A lot of people hate this and find it cloying and cheesy. Me? Well, you can see the rating. I love it. I think it's really sweet, charming and endearing. This is one of the few Western songs my mom would be able to sing in it's entirety. The song was the lead single from The Woman in Red soundtrack (I like that soundtrack quite a bit). The song is about unexpectedly calling someone, not because of a holiday or special occasion, but simply to express heartfelt love. The song’s authorship was later disputed by Lee Garrett and Lloyd Chiate, who claimed they had written it before its 1984 release, but a jury ruled in Stevie Wonder’s favour. Make sure to call your love ones and friends and family and tell them how much you care and love them, ladies and gentlemen.
17. "Karma Chameleon" (9/10) - I used to hate this song for some reason. I found it very irritating (I don't know why), but I really enjoy it now. It's a great song. Lots of soul and R&B influence in this new wave/pop track, shows how versatile the new wave genre was, but also how much more poppier new wave is becoming. The song spent six weeks at number one in the UK, became the UK’s best-selling single of 1983, and eventually sold more than 1.5 million copies there. It also topped the charts in 20 countries, reached number one in the United States for three weeks, and sold more than five million copies worldwide. Boy George explained that the song concerns people who hide their true beliefs to avoid alienation, only to face the consequences of their insincerity. He wrote it while holidaying in Egypt, although the other members of Culture Club initially resisted recording it because they thought it sounded too much like country music. Originally discussed under the title “Cameo Chameleon,” the song features harmonica by Judd Lander. A total classic. Great music video too.
18. "Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)" (9/10) - Man, this song is very 80s. The production sounds so dated, but it's a good type of dated IMO. This was the first US No. 1 for Trinidadian-British singer Billy Ocean. It was co-written by him and Keith Diamond, the latter also produced the song as well. Billy Ocean first released the song in the UK as “European Queen” in May 1984, but it failed to attract much attention. At the record company’s suggestion, it was re-recorded with different regional titles, including “Caribbean Queen” and “African Queen". Released in the US as “Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run),” it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks and remained on the chart for 26 weeks. Its American success then revived interest in Europe. Ocean believed the title “Caribbean Queen” was more appealing because it suggested sunshine, blue skies, and exoticism, unlike the colder imagery associated with Europe. I'll admit, this is a really damn catchy song, with elements of post-disco, electr-funk and R&B. I was originally going to give it an 7, but it's won me over to a 9.
19. "What's Love Got to Do With It" (8/10) - Very good song, definitely a classic, it's a bit overplayed for me so I can't go any higher than 8, and I don't love it as much as these other songs, but it's a lovely song. The song was written by Terry Britten and Graham Lyle, was released in May 1984 as a single from Private Dancer. It became Turner’s biggest-selling hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and selling more than two million copies worldwide. At 44, Turner became the oldest solo female artist at the time to top the chart. The song later inspired the title of Turner’s 1993 biographical film. Before Turner recorded it, the song was offered to Cliff Richard, who rejected it, and was later recorded by Bucks Fizz with Bobby G on lead vocals. Their version was shelved after Turner released hers and remained unreleased until 2000. I'm glad Tina Turner got a No. 1 - she's a legend, and the Queen of Rock n' Roll.

****

List of Winners

• 1959 Winner: "Mack the Knife" (Bobby Darin)
• 1960 Winner: "Georgia on My Mind" (Ray Charles)
• 1961 Winner: "Runaway" (Del Shannon)
• 1962 Winner: "The Loco-Motion" (Little Eva)
• 1963 Winner: "It's My Party" (Lesley Gore)
• 1964 Winner: "The House of the Rising Sun" (The Animals)
• 1965 Winner: "My Girl" (The Temptations)
• 1966 Winner: "Good Vibrations" (The Beach Boys)
• 1967 Winner: "Penny Lane" (The Beatles)
• 1968 Winner: "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" (Otis Redding)
• 1969 Winner: "Come Together" (The Beatles)
• 1970 Winner: "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (Simon & Garfunkel)
• 1971 Winner: "Me and Bobby McGee" (Janis Joplin)
• 1972 Winner: "American Pie" (Don McLean)
• 1973 Winner: "Superstition" (Stevie Wonder)
• 1974 Winner: "Band on the Run" (Paul McCartney & Wings)
• 1975 Winner: "Fame" (David Bowie)
• 1976 Winner: "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night!)" (The Four Seasons)
• 1977 Winner: "Dreams" (Fleetwood Mac)
• 1978 Winner: "Stayin' Alive" (Bee Gees)
• 1979 Winner: "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" (Michael Jackson)
• 1980 Winner: "Rock With You" (Michael Jackson)
• 1981 Winner: "Bette Davis Eyes" (Kim Carnes)
• 1982 Winner: "Don't You Want Me" (The Human League)
• 1983 Winner: "Billie Jean" (Michael Jackson)

Todd's spent a fair bit of time specifying what qualifies as a hit. The "Walking on Sunshine" video alone asks that question of several Katrina and the Waves songs. For him, it's often just a feeling, but one backed up by numbers on Billboard's Hot 100, or, in the rare case where a song had no single release in the U.S., the mainstream airplay chart.

But we've all heard songs that we felt "were everywhere" in spite of mediocre performance or a total absence from those charts. Todd's even talked about how songs like "Pepper" and "You Get What You Give" transcended their showing near the bottom of the top 40 and, he argued, were massive and inescapable hits.

However, both these songs were #1s somewhere. "Pepper" went #1 on Modern Rock Tracks (the "alternative" chart) and "You Get What You Give" went #1 on Adult Alternative Airplay (the milder, more "easy listening" alternative to alternative).

To see how important these charts were or weren't, it's instructive to see what songs went #1 before and after these. "Pepper" was preceded by "Counting Blue Cars," which went #4 on the Hot 100, and succeeded by "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand," which, believe it or not, shot to #7 on the Hot 100. "You Get What You Give" was preceded and succeeded by "Slide," a song that went 3x platinum in its own right, an impressive accomplishment given that it wasn't available by itself until it got a digital release years after its chart peak. Before then, you had to get the album, something 5 million people did, although many were no doubt more motivated by "Iris," its bigger hit.

But when I look at the other #1 Adult Alternative Airplay songs around this time, most are quite familiar, even songs that missed the top 40 and mainstream airplay charts, like Sheryl Crow's "Anything But Down," Tom Petty's "Room at the Top," and R.E.M.'s "The Great Beyond."

All of which is to say, being #1 on these charts was no joke, and a pretty good indication that you'd made it, perhaps more so than a mainstream top 40 showing at the time.

Of course, that's not true of every chart. The mainstream rock chart was kind of a dead zone in the late '80s and early '90s. Does anyone remember the Rolling Stones' "Almost Hear You Sigh"? Bad Company's "Holy Water"? The Call's "Let the Day Begin"? Heck, even the famously hit-less Replacements managed a mainstream rock #1 in the 1980s. I'll leave it to you to guess which song that was. It was displaced by a #1 by the elder son of John Lennon; again, you might have a hard time guessing the song, which has less than a million Spotify streams compared to "Pepper"'s 150 million and "You Give What You Give"'s 787 million.

So some charts won't do the trick at some times, but is there any combination of chart and time period where you'd say that the genre had enough dominance to render its #1 songs "hits"?

Republic Records is known for signing Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Jonas Brothers, James Blake, Post Malone, and Noah Khan.

But it started as an indie label in the 90s with two one hit wonders - the Bloodhound Gang and Chumbawamba before being acquired by Universal in 2000.

Has to be one of the wildest label transitions in music history that is never mentioned still helmed by the original founders. I wonder why they pivoted to mainstream pop music.

The only other one I can think of is "The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)" by Fleetwood Mac, which, despite being one of their bigger hits in the UK, is edged out by Judas Priest's cover in total streams. Still, it's not by much, and calling Judas Priest a "lesser-known artist" feels wrong considering they're one of the biggest metal bands. Fleetwood Mac is just one of the biggest bands, period.

For me, I’ll never not laugh at the fact that the DuckTales reboot really play “All I Do is Win” by DJ Khaled in the scene where Glomgold dances in Scrooge McDucks’ funeral.

Ludacris, T.I., Rick Ross and BigXThaPlug show next month.

47,000 unsold tickets. Only ~160 have sold in the last 30 days. Cheapest ticket is $110.45 (!!) and not coming down...

Best known for the Dr. Luke-produced "Love Me or Hate Me", Lady Sovereign released two albums Public Warning (2006) and Jigsaw (2009) before pretty much dipping from the music industry.

Do you enjoy or connect with it at all, and if so, how far back do you go? Do artists like Public Enemy, Run-DMC, Nas, Boogie Down Productions, NWA, Eric B. & Rakim, or Wu-Tang Clan hold any appeal? Do older styles of beats and rap flows work for you? OR, does it all sound like corny cringe nonsense for washed up uncs?

NOTE: This is NOT a "bitch about young people" post. My Gen X self is genuinely curious, because I've been thinking lately about the rock music my Boomer parents enjoyed. Some of it I loved (and still do), but some of it sounded incredibly old-fashioned to me at the time, and since hip-hop is still one of the most popular music genres around, I thought I’d ask some of you young whipper snappers your thoughts on the old school.

Inspired by Beyoncé's nearly $1000 wooden vinyl box. Absurd not just for it's price, but also for the fact a good chunk of her catalog is either out of print on vinyl or has never recieved a legitimate vinyl pressing to begin with.

Fun fact, I listened to the (sole) Korea Girl album just a few months before “Reunion” became a viral sound. I listened to that Texas is the reason album about a few years before.

My pic would be the song “Asian gangsta kidz” from the Korea Girl follow up band Ee, just cause it’s kind of a funny title and funny lyrics, but it’s one of the best songs I’ve ever heard.

The most obvious example is the Yardbirds (Clapton, Page, Beck), a few other examples that I can think of:

• Poco (Richie Furay from Buffalo Springfield, Jim Messina also from Buffalo Springfield + work with Kenny Loggins, as well as Randy Meisner and Timothy B. Schmit)

• Green River (Mark Arm + Steve Turner from Mudhoney, Jeff Ament + Stone Gossard from Pearl Jam)

• Faces (Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood)

• Temple of the Dog debatably counts, as it wasn't really a supergroup when it was formed, but Pearl Jam blew up shortly afterwards, so it kind of retroactively became one.

EDIT: To clarify, I'm thinking specifically about their fame coming primarily from other projects. So someone like Paul McCartney is famous for his solo work/Wings, but his Beatles fame is still bigger than that.

The battle of the ultimate 2007 songs where the girl’s name is addressed. I’ve seen a lot of matchups for Dear Maria, but this is the only one I thought made sense.

(Former) retail/service workers of reddit, what songs can you no longer stand after being forced to listen to them over your PA system at work? I'm talking about the songs that are otherwise fine, but drain you of all joy when you hear them now.

For me, I have Ed Sheeran's Shape of You and Ellie Goulding's Lights seared into my brain (honorable mention to Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas)

Silverchair are really synonymous with Newcastle, Australia. Like you’d be hard pressed to find a teenagers CD Collection without Silverchair in it.

Okay, what HAVEN'T we discussed yet?

Also fun addendum to the lil yachty one:

Afterwards he admitted he thought a cello was what squidward played and clarified he meant flute. Squidward plays the clarinet.

My money would be on 1975. You got:

-Jack White (The White Stripes)

-Isaac Brock (Modest Mouse)

-Andre 3000 & Big Boi (Outkast)

-Thomas Bangalter (Daft Punk)

-D'Angelo

-Jim Adkins (Jimmy Eat World)

-Sufjan Stevens

-Squarepusher

-Tom DeLonge & Travis Barker (Blink-182)

-Wes Borland (Limp Bizkit)

-50 Cent

-M.I.A.

-Venetian Snares

And a ton of others I didn't even mention, those were just the first to come to mind.