As 1982 moved into ’83, the Top 40 quickly became the dominion of a couple of dozen high-profile R&B/pop/rock acts.
Still, there were the occasional hits that spawned the question, “Who sings it?”
Country performer Sylvia – not to be confused with the R&B artist whose “Pillow Talk” predated her fame as a hip-hop entrepreneur – crossed over to the pop Top 20 with the ditty “Nobody.”
About the same time, choreographer Toni Basil earned her MTV and AT40 moment with the chart-topping “Mickey.”
And that hit spawned Weird Al Yankovic’s hilarious I Love Lucy spoof, “Ricky.”
Some artists in this set are better known in group contexts.
Bill Champlin, who hit the Hot 100 and the AC chart with “Sara,” became Chicago’s lead singer in the ’80s after Peter Cetera went solo.
Jim Capaldi, a co-founder of the rock band Traffic, hit the Top 40 in 1983 with “That’s Love,” featuring the synthesizer support of former bandmate Steve Winwood.
Frida, known by her birth name Anna-Frid as one of the A’s in AᗺᗺA, scored a Top 20 solo hit in 1983 with the Phil Collins-produced “I Know There’s Something Going On.”
And George Clinton, of Parliament-Funkadelic fame, missed the Hot 100 but went No. 1 R&B with “Atomic Dog,” a party favorite in 1983.
MTV became the home for a number of these hits:
Dexy’s Midnight Runners’ “Come On Eileen…”
After the Fire’s “Der Kommissar…”
…and Madness’ “Our House” were international smashes that came to AT40 via the popularity of the music video channel.
Australia’s Moving Pictures scored a Top 30 hit with the power ballad “What About Me?” in 1982-83 and nearly hit the Top 40 again in a 1989 re-release (it peaked at No. 46 that September).
Another song with two chart lives, Modern English’s “I Melt With You,” hit No. 78 in its first go-around and peaked two spots higher in a 1990 re-release.
The Reddings, a family group featuring a few children of soul legend Otis Redding, remade his biggest pop hit, “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay,” with a contemporary bounce. It was a minor pop, AC and R&B hit, going to No. 55 on the Hot 100 and No. 15 AC and No. 21 R&B.
Other artists whose songs did better AC were Mac McAnally (No. 7 AC, No. 41 pop) with “Minimum Love…”
…and Louise Tucker (No. 10 AC, No. 46 pop) with “Midnight Blue.”
Sister Sledge tried to move away from its disco image without much success.
The 1982 LP The Sisters did, however, feature a duet between sister Kathy Sledge and singer David Simmons called “All the Man I Need.”
(Another former disco act, Linda Clifford, recorded it the same year.) The composition didn’t catch on until almost a decade later when Whitney Houston took it to No. 1. I prefer the understated performance of this duet, despite its weak bridge.
The final two songs in this set both come from the Flashdance soundtrack.
Michael Sembello’s “Maniac” is the more well-known, having topped the Hot 100 (although most listeners would be hard-pressed to remember his name).
Karen Kamon’s “Manhunt” has its own generic pop/rock/dance charm.
You can’t find either “Sara” or “Mickey” on Spotify (though you can find remixed versions of “Mickey,”) so here are the originals on YouTube:
- Here’s “Sara…”
- … and “Mickey:”
Here’s the Spotify playlist for this set:
Which ones do you like? Hate?
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I knew 13 out of the 20, and out of those 13, I could have named 12 of the artists, which is by far my best showing in any of these thus far.
My top 3- 1. I Know There’s Something Going On (an absolute banger) 2. Der Kommissar 3. Someday, Someway.
I don’t hate any of the songs I know, but I am definitely avoiding that “Dock of the Bay” cover by the Redding offspring. Just not gonna go there. Your description tells me all that is needed.
Bill Champlin is underrated and had some nice yacht rock tracks. I have “I Don’t Want You Anymore” on my yacht rock playlist.
Michael Sembello was a very successful studio guitarist, songwriter and producer and I love that he had a #1 hit song and had his day in the sun. Outside of “Maniac”, I first saw his name in the wild on a David Sanborn album in the mid-80s, not knowing at the time that he was a key player on Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life.
Ricky is featured in the Weird Al movie Weird. Started watching it yesterday, but haven’t finished. It lives up to its title, is not a straight up biopic by any means and definitely doesn’t take itself seriously at all, which I guess is to be expected.
I could name the artist of 8 of these, which may be the best I ever do.
Best song is “Melt With You.” Still blows my mind that it never got to Number 1.
Fans of Joy Division who never listened to Modern English should give After the Snow a try. It’s like a sunnier version of JD–even more so than New Order was.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9UeBuZ6Xj8
I’ll take a stab at your eight: Crenshaw, Modern English, Toni Basil, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, Madness, George Clinton, and Weird Al? Or maybe Frida in place of Clinton?
Modern English, Toni Basil, Dexy’s, Madness, George Clinton, Weird Al, and Frida.
And of course I know “Maniac,” but I will never, ever remember “Michael Sembello.”
Didn’t get to #1??? It only got to #78! I honestly don’t remember even hearing it in the early 80s, but it kind of bubbled up later in the 80s and became a permanent alternative favorite of the masses. Did you hear it when it came out?
I remember hearing it but more on MTV than on radio.
Do you think Mac McAnally was ever teased about his name?
I agree with Phylum. It blows my mind that “I Melt With You” only got to #78. It was everywhere.
For some reason, I always the “Der Kommissar” is by Falco of “Rock Me Amadeus” fame. When I hear the name After The Fire, I think of the Roger Daltrey song of that name.
“Someday Someway,” “Come On, Eileen,” “Mickey”/”Rickey,” “Atomic Dog,” “Our House,” and “I Melt With You” are all 8 or above in my book. Great list, Chuck!
“Der Kommisar” was written by Falco but his version is in German. After the Fire did the English version.
Aha! That explains my confusion. Thanks!
Thanks for reminding me of a Roger Daltrey song that I haven’t thought of in a long time.
I knew 11 of these — having been glued to early MTV as a kid, I recognized all those bands / songs right away.
I’m on slightly safer ground this week. Even if there’s still a dearth of UK top 40 hits. Despite being Brits Modern English and After The Fire never cracked the top 40 and Jim Capaldi last did it in the mid 70s.
The four that did make it were massive though;
Weather Girls
Madness
Dexys
Toni Basil
Other than those I know more of the acts this time round. Still plenty that are entirely new though; had no idea of The Reddings existence and I can’t imagine any world in which their Dock Of The Bay is a worthy companion to the original.
You’ve got one of my all time favourite bands in Madness and all time favourite songs in Come On Eileen so I’m happy regardless of how good or bad anything else in the list is.
I was in high school at this time so of course I know all these songs
I’ve read several times that “I Melt With You” is one of the greatest chart whiffs ever – how a song that iconic and still played every day somewhere in the country just got no traction on the 1983 AND 1990 chart.
Did someone say, “shameless plug?”
https://tnocs.com/twenty-immortal-top-40-radio-hits-that-totally-missed-hitting-the-top-40-2/
No, but somebody did say From Shame…to Pride.
I knew 14 of these songs…but of the 8 I didn’t know, there were no surprises. Last week there were a few that I was re-acquainted with because of your article. (Chilliwack and Tarney/Simpson are now in my library). But not today.
I love, love, love that Jim Capaldi song. Could that be anyone besides Steve Winwood on keyboards? I have that very 45 picture sleeve in my collection.
And lots of love for “Der Kommisar”, too. I feel like I need to hear that song more than I do.
It’s obvious today listening to it that it’s Winwood. Back then, my only exposure to him was “While You See a Chance,” “Arc of a Diver” and “Still in the Game,” so I’m not sure I would have immediately recognized it. Certainly by the time of “Back in the High Life Again,” it would have been more apparent.
He just always seems to use the same sounding synth patch, and always uses a one note at a time soloing style. I’m not complaining–I really love that signature sound of his.
I’d give a 10 to at least 5 of these (Someday Someway, It’s Raining Men, Der Komissar, I Melt With You and Our House). This was during my high school years, so I remember a lot of these songs well. Thanks for sharing as always, Chuck!