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Monthly Archives: February 2013
Genesis – Invisible Touch
First Hit #1: July 19, 1986 Initially, it seems like maybe everyone had gotten out of the funk that inspired heavy rotation of Holding Back the Years. Invisible Touch starts with some almost celebratory drums, and it sounds big and … Continue reading
Simply Red – Holding Back the Years
First Hit #1: July 12, 1986 There’s something about Holding Back the Years that sounds defeated. In spite of the insistence that the singer will keep holding on, it just doesn’t sound like he will, whatever he might be declaring … Continue reading
Billy Ocean – There’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)
First Hit #1: July 5, 1986 Every so often there’s a song which makes one think “Where are you going with this?” There’ll Be Sad Songs is one of those songs, just because I can’t get a read on where … Continue reading
Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald
First Hit #1: June 14, 1986 Duets are tricky, you’ve got to have two voices that go well together, and any miscalculation on either side can lead to one singer dominating a track and pushing their partner out of the … Continue reading
Madonna – Live to Tell
First Hit #1: June 7, 1986 Live to Tell reminds me of Kickboxer. That’s a bit out of left field, but that movie was brimming with ’80s ballads which fully embraced the cheap side of the synthesizer. Honestly, while possibly … Continue reading
Whitney Houston – Greatest Love of All
First Hit #1: May 17, 1986 When the keyboards kick in during Greatest Love of All, I think to myself “this is crap.” When Houston starts singing about how children are our future, I think to myself, “this is treacle.” … Continue reading
Pet Shop Boys – West End Girls
First Hit #1: May 10, 1986 I’ve complained that we’ve reached the point where the charts were screaming for something new, and the Pet Shop Boys came along to inch in a new direction. Sure, it’s still synth-pop that’s deeply … Continue reading
Robert Palmer – Addicted to Love
First Hit #1: May 3, 1986 This song is probably best remembered for its iconic video, where Palmer performed in front of a band of emotionless women with severe makeup half-heartedly playing their instruments. It’s a striking visual, and while … Continue reading
Prince and the Revolution – Kiss
First Hit #1: April 19, 1986 Kiss is actually sort of unexpected from Prince. Well, a top-tier dance-pop single is certainly expected from the artist, as is a song that is predominantly obsessed with sex, but it is unexpected because … Continue reading
Falco – Rock Me Amadeus
First Hit #1: March 29, 1986 It’s always a bit unexpected when a foreign song hits it big, just because people generally don’t know what the singer is on about. As someone who is not Austrian, I can’t tell you … Continue reading
We Are Number Ones 