By 1986, songs were hitting the Top 40 from all over the map – literally as well as stylistically.
Austrian singer Falco conquered the U.S. charts, as well as those of at least nine other countries, with his charmingly odd spoken-but-not-quite-rap-song “Rock Me Amadeus.”
The Swiss act Double went Top 20 with “The Captain of Her Heart,” their synth-meets-sax composition that stressed the “contemporary” in adult contemporary.
From Ontario, Canada, came Honeymoon Suite, the latest pop/rock act from our northern neighbor, with “Feel It Again.”
And British pop-rockers Boys Don’t Cry lit up the airwaves with the goofy “I Wanna Be a Cowboy.”
Meanwhile, their compatriots The Dream Academy went the other way stylistically with the stately “Life in a Northern Town.”
R&B and hip-hop made significant in-roads in the Top 40:
Not only with emerging superstars like Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston but through big hits by acts with lower profiles. Including:
…Atlantic Starr (“Secret Lovers,”)
…Cherelle and Alexander O’Neal (“Saturday Love”,)
and Oran “Juice” Jones (“The Rain.”)
Although it just missed AT40, peaking at No. 42 pop, Gwen Guthrie’s “Ain’t Nothin’ Goin’ On but the Rent” went to the top of the R&B charts.
A few artists were better known as actors than as singers.
Don Johnson of Miami Vice fame had a Top 5 single in “Heartbeat…”
…While Gloria Loring of daytime TV’s Days of Our Lives teamed up with Carl Anderson for “Friends and Lovers,” also a Top 5 hit.
Movie soundtracks brought us Nicole’s Michael Jackson-soundalike “Don’t You Want My Love” (Ruthless People…)
…The Force MDs’ “Tender Love” (Krush Groove.)
And: The only solo hit for Duran Duran’s John Taylor, “I Do What I Do” (9½ Weeks.)
Lyrically timely references for 1986 include allusions to popular celebrities in Timex Social Club’s “Rumors…”
… And presidential politics in Sly Fox’s“Let’s Go All the Way.”
Perhaps the track most of its moment was the one available only on YouTube:
The Chicago Bears Shufflin’ Crew’s “Super Bowl Shuffle,” which just missed the Top 40 in the spring.
The Spotify link for this set can be found here.
Which ones do you like? Hate? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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Calling @dutchg8r … thoughts on John Taylor’s hit?
Hmm, how can I put it nicely??
I’m drawing a blank. It’s lame, lol.
Like, the man’s a bass player – where’s the bass?! The song itself isn’t awful, there’s some fun parts to it. I will excuse John’s delusions of grandeur that he can sing as he was deep in the throes of his cocaine habit in the mid 80s.
But it’s a song I’m fine hearing once a year at best.
John toured solo in ’97 I think it was, there were barely 100 of us there at the gig I went to. It was money well spent…..to stand 10 feet from him and watch him play. There’s a reason he’s not a frontman singer!!!!
The song you listed that I LOVE it “The Rain”. MrDutch and I throw quotes from that spoken ending out at each other regularly.
“This is MAH world, you just a squirrel tryin’ to get a NUT!” Such a great song. 😁
Some of us are just meant to be bass players.
An honorable and noble calling indeed.
I played bass for the band I was in during high school. Of course we were bad and never got anywhere.
Did you have fun? That’s all that matters.
I was a teenager in a band. How could I not have fun?
I’ve lost touch with everybody who was in the band but I still occasionally hear from the girl (woman) the band was sort of named for.
I rarely play bass anymore, but a couple of weeks ago I was at an open mike blues night and they needed an emergency bass player. Nobody else in the audience volunteered so I sat in.
I think “Emergency Bass Player” belongs on a t-shirt.
Did Jimmy quit? Did Jodie get married?
Nice to see you back here, Dutch. I agree on John Taylor. He is an amazing bass player, one of the best of his era. I had him underrated for years. We’ll just pretend this song never happened, no offense, Chuck.
Thanks rb! Blame my work, keeping me busy as a project manager for a couple of things, I don’t have the time to hang out with y’all here at tnocs anymore. It’s easier at the mothership when I can just drop in random gifs to make myself laugh and annoy everyone else at quick checks throughout the day…😋
I recognized 8 of these songs. I slathered Ozmoe’s comment section with lines from the Super Bowl Shuffle a couple of weeks ago, so I’m not going to annoy everyone again with that. Or am I?
“I’m mama’s boy Otis, one of a kind
The ladies all love me
For my body and my mind
I’m slick on the floor as I can be
But ain’t no sucker gonna get past me”
Reason #1 the NFL’s Man of the Year Award is named for Walter Payton –
He was totally game for participating in Super Bowl Shuffle. He stands out like such a classy sore thumb in that video, but he’s 100% committed to it. Whatta guy. 😆
Agreed on Walter. Another reason he stands out is that he was not actually at the filming in of the video and was added later. Same with McMahon. Apparently, neither initially wanted to participate in the video, as they thought it should be done after the season.
I’m sure I’ll recognize more of these when I hear them but the big winners are “Life In A Northern Town,” “Rock Me Amadeus,” and “The Future’s So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades.”
That last one comes across as a lightweight novelty tune, but it can also be interpreted as a statement against nuclear power and, given that it was the 80s, nuclear war. Like “YMCA” and “99 Luftballons,” it sneaks a political message into a fun pop song. I loves me a little punk subversion.
“Saturday Love” is not my favorite Cherrelle song. It’s not even my favorite Cherrelle song of 1986 (Aaaaaaaaaartificial Heart, baby).
“Rumors” is awesome and the story of Timex Social Club is a clinic in getting screwed by the label.
I knew 7 of the artists but 12 of the songs. Several of these are such time capsules — completely forgotten, then I hear a song like “Rumors” or “The Rain” in my head and I’m immediately transported to the First United Methodist Church van heading to Camp Junaluska.
Not the most pleasant memories to be honest, but I appreciate the opportunity you’ve given me, Chuck, to unlock forgotten episodes like these from my past.
We stayed in Lake Junaluska at what used to be the retreat center for a few days a couple of summers ago when we were visiting the Smokies, Ashville, and lots of stuff in between.
I know 11 of the songs and 15 of the acts.
John Taylor solo career?! If no one remembers, did it really happen?
Don Johnson singing career?! He’s no Bruce Willis
Boys Don’t Cry?! These articles keep bringing me British acts that I’ve never heard of and had zero impact here. I Wanna Be A Cowboy landed at #77. I’d think you’re making these bands up but you all seem convinced they’re real.
Aside from them there’s some great songs;
Falco / Timbuk 3 / Dream Academy / Sly Fox / Gwen Guthrie
Superbowl Shuffle marks the point that American Football entered our conciousness. In 1982 Channel 4 began broadcasting (a whole 4 channels to choose from, can you believe such riches??), with American Football included from early on. It didn’t get much attention until the Bears 1985 season. Nevermind Walter Payton, it was The Fridge that was the breakout star here.
Due to the time difference the Superbowl was shown live at stupid o’clock in the morning. I was 10, me and my sister were allowed to watch it on the condition we went to bed early and set an alarm to get up in the middle of the night to watch. The thrill of watching a game happen live for the first time was tempered by all the ad breaks. Surely something wrong with the tv, why do they keep stopping? Make it a bit more efficient and we could be done in half the time.
Honestly, Jim McMahon was the luckiest QB to have ever played in the NFL – the Bears were monsters in spite of him! He has a Superb Owl ring, and Dan Marino doesn’t. The sports gods are cruel sometimes.
The Fridge was quite the celebrity in the States too. I’m almost certain I knew someone with a Fridge poster in their room.
And here I was, watching the Euro Cup final over the weekend and slipping right back into my “stupid soccer with no ads, it’s just endless, aragh” mode….. lol
‘Life in a Northern Town’ is probably in my ’80s top ten. Spectacularly evocative.
Upon consideration, that record might be part of the reason for the “imaginary parallel UK life” that I’ve occasionally spoken about.
Stay tuned.
For me, one of these songs towers above the others. “Captain of Her Heart” is a 10/10 for me. Beautiful.
Not a good run for me in terms of songs I know, but a good run of songs generally.
“Rock me Amadeus” is the only song I know well, and I of course knew the artist.
Though for me the definitive version is the shorter US version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8slcTiSGrc
I had totally forgotten about “Let’s Go All the Way.”
And I feel like I might have heard “I Do What I Do” before. Something about it feels familiar, but it’s like the barest of recognition. Still, I love the track.
Thanks Chuck!
Comments and thoughts:
Is the group’s name actually pronounced “Double” or “Do-BLAY”? I’ve heard both.
“Tender Love” is my favorite song of 1986 among top 10 hits.that year. A gorgeous ballad that should be played more at weddings, in my opinion.
And I can only imagine what Oran “Juice” Jones’ love life was after his verbal screed against his lover. Cheating or not, his reaction just grossed me out.