Welcome to our fifth – and penultimate article in the series… that asks the question:
“Which was better on the Hot 100 each year?”
The top three Highest Debuts, (or “HD” for short …)
…Or the top three Biggest Movers, also known as ‘BM?’
In this yearly faceoff, we’ll have a few years where there will be four – or even five contenders per category due to ties. So, I’ll count only the highest score among the tying entries.
Oh, and I rank songs from 1 (worst) to 10 (best), the same way as our inspiration, Stereogum’s The Number Ones column.
Currently overall, HD is behind BM with an overall tally of 10-14 since ranking began in virtual 1958. Let’s see if BM’s lead increases or shrinks this go-round.
1982
- Paul McCartney with Stevie Wonder – “Ebony and Ivory” (entered at 29, peaked at 1)
- Supertramp – “It’s Raining Again” (entered at 31, peaked at 11)
- Fleetwood Mac – “Hold Me” (entered at 33, peaked at 4)
- Asia – “Heat of the Moment” (jumped 55-20, peaked at 4)
- Marvin Gaye – “Sexual Healing” (jumped 52-19, peaked at 3)
- The Go-Go’s – “We Got the Beat” (jumped 64-31, peaked at 2)
- Kenny Rogers – “Through the Years” (jumped 68-35, peaked at 13)
Oh boy: Where to start with what’s wrong with “Ebony and Ivory”? It’s a dated take on race relations on almost every level, and Paul and Stevie saying “piano” as a two-syllable word is irksome.
- “It’s Raining Again” and “Hold Me” aren’t quite peak Supertramp and Fleetwood Mac respectively, but both are fun to hear, with “Hold Me” getting a point more for a little bit better production.
- As guitar rock goes, “Heat of the Moment” is pretty solid, but I like Asia’s other 1982 hit “Only Time Will Tell” better.
- For the three songs tied for second place with a 33-point leap for each, it’s easy to eliminate the soggy “Through the Years,” which is a 4.
- Much better is Marvin Gaye with his sensuous, soulful comeback “Sexual Healing…”
- …And the Go-Go’s showing the world that women can rock as hard as men with “We Got the Beat.” The latter gets only an 8 in comparison to their previous effort, “Our Lips Are Sealed,” an all-time 10 for me.
HD Scores: “Ebony and Ivory” – 3 + “It’s Raining Again” – 7 + “Hold Me” – 8 = 18
BM Scores: “Heat of the Moment” – 6 + “Sexual Healing” – 10 + “We Got the Beat” – 8 = 24
Winner: Biggest Movers
1983
- Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson – “Say Say Say” (entered at 26, peaked at 1)
- Men at Work – “Overkill” (entered at 25, peaked at 3)
- Christopher Cross – “All Right” (entered at 29, peaked at 12)
- Irene Cara – “Flashdance … What a Feeling” (jumped 77-52, peaked at 1)
- After the Fire – “Der Kommissar” (jumped 55-31, peaked at 5)
- Bob Seger – “Even Now” (jumped 74-50, peaked at 12)
- Earth Wind and Fire – “Fall in Love With Me” (jumped 78-54, peaked at 17)
- Bryan Adams – “This Time” (jumped 83-59, peaked at 24)
- “Say Say Say” is a better collaboration between Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson than their previous effort “The Girl is Mine.” But that’s not high praise. It’s catchy, but shows both artists’ tendencies to get irritatingly cute with their music and lyrics.
- “Overkill” has a swell sax, tight drumming and other great instrumentation that somewhat outshine the storyline, but it’s very strong, if a tad derivative of Men at Work’s earlier number one “Who Can It Be Now?”
- And “All Right” was a sign that the Christopher Cross craze of 1980-1981 was crashing. This trifle has lyrics that imply a relationship hasn’t been working out mainly because the woman was at fault a lot of the time. Sounds like it ain’t gonna last to me even if they do reconcile.
- “Flashdance … What a Feeling” is the upbeat title tune for a film that’s well sung and pleasant to hear, although producer-composer Giorgio Moroder has done better than this. So has Irene Cara, for that matter.
- Better is “Der Kommissar,” an intriguing, sinewy concoction that zigs when you expect it to zag and vice versa. Always arresting to hear.
That leaves us with three other songs tied with “Der Kommissar” for a 24-position jump, and none of them are close to that number. In fact, they’re all second-tier songs at best for the artists involved.
- If pressed, I’ll take “Fall in Love With Me” only because it’s more ambitious than the other two, though I wouldn’t say it necessarily succeeds as a strong piece of funk.
- “Even Now” and “This Time” both get a 5 because I’m neither really fond of each yet can’t say I really dislike either of them.
HD Score: “Say Say Say” – 6 + “Overkill” – 8 + “All Right” – 3 = 17
BM Score: “Flashdance … What a Feeling” – 7 + “Der Kommissar” – 10 + “Fall in Love With Me” – 6 = 24
Winner: Biggest Movers
1984
- Michael Jackson – “Thriller” (entered at 20, peaked at 4)
- Prince – “Purple Rain” (entered at 28, peaked at 2)
- The Jacksons – “State of Shock” (entered at 30, peaked at 3)
- Mike Reno and Ann Wilson – “Almost Paradise – Love Theme from Footloose” (jumped 65-40, peaked at 7)
- Lionel Richie – “Hello” (jumped 75-50, peaked at 1)
- Julio Iglesias and Diana Ross – “All of You” (jumped 85-60, peaked at 19)
- “Thriller” and “Purple Rain” have stood the test of time. Both should’ve been number one, but “Thriller” was the seventh single of an album some stations were already tired of playing, while “Purple Rain” just fell short of the top by “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.” I like George Michael, but that piece of bubblegum is no “Purple Rain.”
- Then there’s “State of Shock.” Ugh. Essentially another 1980s superstar duet that falls flat, it proved that the world didn’t need a duet between Michael Jackson and Mick Jagger. It thuds when it should smoke, the lyrics stink … it’s a misfire rarely heard today.
- “Almost Parasites”—er, I mean “Almost Paradise – Love Theme from Footloose” is the weakest track from that film’s soundtrack by far. Subpar in every department. And who thought it was smart to have hard-rocking Mike Reno from Loverboy and Ann Wilson from Heart do a wimpy ballad?
- “Hello” reminds me again how much more soulful Lionel Richie sounded on slow songs with the Commodores than as a solo act. Yet I don’t think anyone else singing could make these lyrics and music sound less cornball.
- Rounding out the ballad trifecta is “All of You,” one of only three songs by Julio Iglesias to make the Hot 100. All were duets, and in all cases his partner provided stronger vocals. This is ultra-melodramatic and brittle, but Diana Ross and producer Richard Perry do put some effort into it. Still, it’s a disappointment.
HD Scores: “Thriller” – 10 + “Purple Rain” – 10 + “State of Shock” – 3 = 23
BM Scores: “Almost Paradise – Love Theme from Footloose” – 3 + “Hello” – 4 + “All of You” – 5 = 12
Winner: Highest Debuts
1985
- USA for Africa – “We Are the World” (entered at 21, peaked at 1)
- Madonna – “Dress You Up” (entered at 36, peaked at 5)
- Prince – “Raspberry Beret” (entered at 37, peaked at 2)
- Band Aid – “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” (jumped 65-20, peaked at 13)
- Katrina and the Waves – “Do You Want Crying” (jumped 83-52, peaked at 37)
- Laura Branigan – “Spanish Eddie” (jumped 84-56, peaked at 40)
- “We Are the World” gets a lot of grief from Tom Breihan and some other reviewers. But the recent Netflix documentary, The Greatest Night in Pop, reminded me of the sincerity and passion. It’s not a perfect song, but it does achieve its goal of being an inspiring anthem.
- “Dress You Up” may be overlooked among Madonna’s hits, coming as it did during her imperial period with even more memorable hits, but man, does she sell it.
- As for “Raspberry Beret,” it’s an easygoing listen that shows Prince’s versatility. It’s no “Purple Rain” but it’s got enough variety to keep you entertained for a few minutes.
- “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” is a much more rocking charity single on the same African famine crisis addressed by “We Are the World” and has become a Yuletide perennial. I like it but would love it more if the theme of it didn’t have a tinge of colonialism to them regarding the situation. I’m sure those suffering knew it was Xmas.
- Katrina and the Waves rock out pretty well and pretty unexpectedly on “Do You Want Crying.” I think this one failed because everyone expected them to do another “Walking on Sunshine” (a 10 if there ever is one).
- In contrast, the heavy use of synthesizers has aged “Spanish Eddie”, not to mention the addition of castanets in the chorus to remind us of what country the title character is from. It’s a rather boring song no matter how much the instrumentation and Laura Branigan’s vocals try to spice it up.
HD Scores: “We Are the World” – 7 + “Dress You Up” – 8 + “Raspberry Beret” – 7 = 22
BM Scores: “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” – 8 + “Do You Want Crying” – 7 + “Spanish Eddie” – 4 = 19
Winner: Highest Debuts
1986
- Lionel Richie – “Dancing on the Ceiling” (entered at 40, peaked at 2)
- Madonna – “True Blue” (entered at 40, peaked at 3)
- Madonna – “Papa Don’t Preach” (entered at 42, peaked at 1)
- Huey Lewis and the News – “Stuck with You” (entered at 42, peaked at 1)
- Huey Lewis and the News – “Hip to Be Square” (entered at 42, peaked at 3)
- Bananarama – “Venus” (jumped 89-57, peaked at 1)
- The Chicago Bears Shufflin’ Crew – “Superbowl Shuffle” (jumped 84-56, peaked at 41)
- Bon Jovi – “Livin’ on a Prayer” (jumped 83-56, peaked at 1)
- Glass Tiger – “Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone)” (jumped 86-59, peaked at 2)
- Tying for first place among debuts, I pick “True Blue” over “Dancing on the Ceiling,” which is a 7. It’s fast fun from Lionel Richie but somewhat contrived as well. The same could’ve happened with “True Blue” with its 1960s girl group sound, but Madonna and crew update the genre with love and respect.
- Madonna strikes again with “Papa Don’t Preach” where she’s in stronger form vocally than with “True Blue.” That makes sense given its deeper subject matter, although the situation presented in the song seems to be too simplified in its handling at parts, which is what holds it back from a 9 or even 10.
- Determining which one of her fellow debut records at number 42 to include here is tricky, since neither one of them is among my favorite Huey Lewis and the News songs. I’ll go with “Hip to Be Square” since it’s a little more energetic but has a message that I don’t find convincing.
- I’m not really happy to be stuck with “Stuck with You,” yet I’ll give the middling effort a 5.
- “Venus” is the only remake of a previous Billboard Hot 100 number one that’s better than its predecessor, thanks to a great dance interpretation and strong vocals.
- Bananarama’s bonhomie unfortunately dissipates with the future winners of Super Bowl XX in 1985 (they beat the New England Patriots 46-10) doing one of the worst hip hop tunes ever. Only the curiosity of hearing Jim McMahon, Walter Payton and William “The Refrigerator” Perry trying to rap keeps this from being a 1. Sales drove this while very few stations played it, thus denying us the pleasure of having Casey Kasem trying to introduce it without laughing on his radio show American Top 40.
- “Livin’ on a Prayer” is better than the so-so song it ties with here, “Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone),” a 5 to me even with the guest vocal by Bryan Adams. But the song has become so overplayed that I’m halfway there tuning it out once it comes on. Putting that aside, I can still appreciate its powerful production and sound … to an extent.
HD Scores: “True Blue” – 8 + “Papa Don’t Preach” – 8 + “Hip to Be Square” – 6 = 22
BM Scores: “Venus” – 9 + “Superbowl Shuffle” – 2 + “Livin’ on a Prayer” – 7 = 18
Winner: Highest Debuts
1987
- Michael Jackson with Siedah Garrett – “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” (entered at 37, peaked at 1))
- Whitney Houston – “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” (entered at 38, peaked at 1)
- Huey Lewis and the News – “Jacob’s Ladder” (entered at 40, peaked at 1)
- Michael Jackson – “Bad” (entered at 40, peaked at 1)
- Bruce Springsteen – “Brilliant Disguise” (entered at 40, peaked at 5)
- Tiffany – “Could’ve Been” (jumped 86-52, peaked at 1)
- Cutting Crew – “(I Just) Died in Your Arms” (jumped 80-51, peaked at 1)
- Patrick Swayze with Wendy Fraser – “She’s Like the Wind” (jumped 84-55, peaked at 3)
“I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” is a lesser ballad from Michael Jackson, and Siedah Garrett adds absolutely nothing to it. Still, lesser MJ does usually have some good spots, and this one sports one of his top vocal performances.
- Outshining this is one of Whitney Houston’s best, “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me).” Everyone involved is pumped up to make this a hit, even if the lyrical conceit is dicey. I mean, who wants to dance with somebody who hates you?! Anyway, it’s a banger to me.
- In a three-way tie for third, it’s easy to dismiss “Jacob’s Ladder,” the Huey Lewis and the News number one that no one remembers. It’s murky musically and lyrically—something about a guy just wanting to do better in his life every day without becoming a convert for an evangelist, I think. Whatever the case, it’s a 4.
- “Brilliant Disguise” is much better in every department, but not quite a classic for Bruce at a 7.
- “Bad” is more along the style of what we expect from Michael Jackson, and he delivers it well, so it gets the nod here, even if it resembles a variant of “Thriller” in parts.
- “Could’ve Been” is a never was, with below average work on every aspect of the ballad. Anyone hearing this at a mall would be tempted to leave the store.
- “(I Just) Died in Your Arms” does a good job conveying the lead singer’s urgent love – OK, lust – for his partner, albeit with a slight air of cheesiness with the lyrics. Like the guitar work and overall production.
- And “She’s Like the Wind” shows why when people think of a hit song from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack, their first instinct is “She’s Like the Wind” and not this. Yet another plodding ballad, this at least has strong vocals by Patrick Swayze to keep it from being a total wipeout.
HD Scores: “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” – 6 + “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” – 9 + “Bad” + 8 = 23
BM Scores: “Could’ve Been” – 3 + “(I Just) Died in Your Arms” – 7 + “She’s Like the Wind” – 4 = 14
Winner: Highest Debuts
The score now stands at 14-16, with BM’s lead narrowed down to just two points!
Can it withstand what HD has to offer as we head into the 1990s?
Check in next time to find out!
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Penultimate? Dammit.
I looked ahead and saw that there were 4 #1 debuts in 1995…I assume that was the breaking point, not wanting to acknowledge high debuts that were caused by withholding the retail single until after it received a lot of airplay.
Here’s an article I found on the biggest jumps of all time, none of which Ozmoe will probably cover:
https://www.billboard.com/lists/hot-100-biggest-leaps/
A shame, as “My Life Would Suck Without You”/”Cowboy Casanova”/”Jai Ho” (all in 2009) would have made a deeply interesting trio to talk about.
Hey, I’m always willing to let someone else take over for me if interested, ISurvivedPop!
I am willing to bet just about any money that my top 3 of this list will not be anyone else’s:
I may just have to periodically bomb the comment section with lyrics from that last one.
You’re lookin’ at the Fridge
I’m the rookie
I may be large, but I’m no dumb cookie
Bob Dylan eat your heart out.
I’m the punky QB, known as McMahon
When I hit the turf, I’ve got no plan
I just throw my body all over the field
I can’t dance, but I can throw the pill
Let’s remember that when the Fridge was famous on the Bears, he was possibly the largest NFL player in the league at about 330 lbs. Now the average lineman weighs over 310 lbs.
You’ve seen me hit, you’ve seen me run
When I get to pass, we’ll have more fun
I can dance, you will see
The others, they all learn from me
I didn’t come here lookin’ for trouble
I just came here to do
The Super Bowl Shuffle
RB, I’ll join you in love for the “Super Bowl Shuffle.” It’s cheese, yes, but closer to cheddar than Limburger. I can give it a 7.
Ozmoe, on “She’s Like the Wind,” I’m guessing you meant “their first instinct is ‘Hungry Eyes’ and not this”? Or was it “Time of My Life”? “Do You Love Me?” Lots to choose from here.
I agree with almost all of your observations other than “Shuffle” and “Venus.” I can’t think of a remake with a more generic approach to both instrumentals and vocals than that mess. I vastly prefer “Cruel Summer” or (especially) “I Heard a Rumour” to this.
Thanks for the defense of “We Are the World,” BTW. I think I was in the minority of TNOCS who thought Tom was unduly harsh to that song. The 1 belongs to “Do They Know It’s Christmas.” An immediate channel-changer at holiday time for me.
Let’s see: 3 worst of this bunch — other than “Venus,” have to go with “Through the Years” and “Almost Paradise” (with “Could’ve Been” and “Stuck With You” not far behind).
The sackman’s comin’, I’m your man Dent
If the quarterback’s slow
He’s gonna get bent
We stop the run, we stop the pass
I like to dump guys on their [whistle]
Yeah, Chuck, I meant anything but “She’s Like the Wind.” Eh, guess I didn’t proofread as well as I should’ve in the excitement of getting this one done.
A lot of favorites here! My favorite Bryan Adams song, “This Time”. My favorite Whitney Houston song “I Wanna Dance With Somebody…”. I think RabbitsRabbits all time favorite song is “Brilliant Disguise”, if I remember correctly. “Purple Rain” is one of SrCarto’s all time favorite songs. (It’s a 7 at best for me. Not sure why I can’t really connect with that one. But I really like “Raspberry Beret”).
There’s definitely surprises here. Why was “Through the Years” such a big mover? Weird. I like that Glass Tiger song, but was surprised to see that it jumped so readily.
I know folks were glad to hear a Marvin Gaye song on the charts again, but was “Sexual Healing” really a 10? I was never that impressed. Plus, 12 year old Link was very confused by the concept. (Sexual healing? Did he have a sexual injury? I don’t even want to contemplate what gross specifics that might entail…)
Well, you see, Link, when a man and a woman love each other, and at least one of them is clumsy…..
😬
Link listens to enough Steely Dan. I don’t think he needs “the talk”.
Or if the man and woman are featured in the film Antichrist…
A real bangerama going on.
I really liked listening to tunes like “Stuck With You” and “Hip to be Square” when I was a kid. But I think I used to mix Huey up with David Lee Roth.
Would Diamond Dave be happy to be stuck with that association?
He is happy to be stuck with Hugh.
“Well, let me tell ya, folks! It’s like déjà vu all over again. I strut my stuff, shake my hips, and unleash my rock ‘n’ roll fury on stage.
But what do they say?
‘Hey, Huey Lewis, great show!’
Can you believe it? I’m not the ‘Power of Love’ guy! I’m the ‘Jump’ guy! The ‘Panama’ guy! The ‘Diamond Dave’ guy! And yet, they mix me up with him.
Lemme tell ya, it’s like a bad acid trip – confusing and downright infuriating! So, next time you see me, don’t say, ‘Huey, I love your music.’ Say, ‘David Lee Roth, you’re the real deal!’
And remember, baby, I’m not just a singer; I’m a lifestyle!” 🤘😎
——————-
Sorry. This is what happens when you get a memo from your boss at 10:30 at night, asking, “where is your report on the effectiveness of deploying Copilot?”
For texting me so late, I just may submit this as an example.
Stay tuned.
Guessed right 5/6 this time. Missed on 1985, which I knew was a tough call. I like “Spanish Eddie” more than most people, but that seems to be true of nearly every Laura Branigan song. “We Are The World”, OTOH, is hard to sit through regardless of how well intentioned it is.
This joke is too esoteric for me
Same here… 🙃
My guess is that the blood of the joke is Type O. 🤓
It’s called “bad proofreading,” people! Look, I was having some sexual healing at the time when I typed it, OK?
TMI, buddy! 😉
Patrick Swayze the vocalist is a flat circle.
I don’t know exactly what that means, but it sounds negative, and if it is, then I am not okay with that. Patrick Swayze was perfect. Perfect in every way. End of story.
Nope, no ire toward the Swayz, boog. Just a humble True Detective riff of off Zeusaphone’s misadventures with grammar, above. I swear!
If it weren’t obvious, I geek out over this stuff. So I’ve added up the Highest Debuts and Biggest Movers rankings for all the years so far and you know what? They’re tied!
By my count (which could be wrong because Maureen in Accounting hasn’t looked at this), Highest Debuts have won 12 years and Biggest Movers have won 18, but if you add up all of Ozmoe’s scores they tie at 630. I haven’t gone into the details of which has the most 10s or anything that in depth. I’m not crazy. Still, It’ll be interesting to see what happens next week.
I’ll argue that the original “Venus” is better than the cover, if only because of “godness” and Mariska Veres’ wig. The Bananarama version is indeed a 9 though.
“We Got The Beat,” “Der Kommissar,” “Purple Rain,” and “Papa Don’t Preach” are all 10s. Definitely the cream of this crop.
Why penultimate? Let’s go all the way to 2024!
Dude’s got a life man… You pick up the ball and run with it if ya want…
I have a life, too. Living vicariously through Ozmoe! 🙂
Did someone mention picking up the ball and running with it?
Well, they call me Sweetness
And I like to dance
Runnin’ the ball is like makin’ romance
We’ve had the goal since training camp
To give Chicago a Super Bowl champ
HA!
“I thought I was getting too esoteric in my writing, doctor. I mean, Highest Debuts versus Biggest Movers, who does that comparison?! But then I had a friend online who kept a running tally of all of my scores, and then I thought, ‘Maybe I’m not as crazy as I feared'” …..
I’d like to advocate for “Overkill” as the superior Men at Work song among their charted hits. I’d argue that “Down Under” and “Who Can It Be Now?” established their vibe, but “Overkill” and “It’s a Mistake” took that foundation and built more meaning and nuance into better crafted songs. Maybe the nuance was why the latter songs did not reach #1 while the former did. But for music lovers, I think they are more rewarding, and I’d go with at least a 9 if not a 10 for “Overkill” (and an 8 for “It’s a Mistake”).
I’m not a total Boss fanatic, but I’d rank “Brilliant Disguise” as one of his best. Yes, it’s not as flashy as other hits of his, but again, dig into the meaning and it’s really poignant. Definitely better than “Bad” for the tiebreaker IMO (though “Bad” allows us to imagine this alternate universe where that song was a MJ/Prince duet).
But what do I know man? I’m not here to put a feather in my ruffle…
^^^^^ THIS ^^^^^
And if I remember correctly, the “Brilliant Disguise” video is a live – the vocal is live supposedly – one-take shot where the camera just slowly moves in on Bruce’s face. I will see if I can insert it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idnJnjV_8rg
It is – directed by Bruce Weber, who also directed the amazing “Let’s Get Lost”
We Are The World vs Do They Know It’s Christmas. What a contest. I have to go with the patriotic option and choose DTKIC. For it’s many faults (there won’t be snow in Africa, you sure about that Bob? It’s almost like you’ve reduced the whole huge varied continent to a stereotype) it doesn’t have the same cloying quality.
Focus on the positive though: there’s double Prince, The Go-Go’s and Madonna.
And recommended twice in two days, I need to listen to Der Kommisar.
Funny how a song I hadn’t thought of in years shows up two days in a row. Is the universe telling us something, or is it just another case of TNOSynchronicity?
It’s our tiny little version of “trending.“