1 00:00:15,476 --> 00:00:15,956 Speaker 1: Pushkin. 2 00:00:20,236 --> 00:00:22,156 Speaker 2: Hey there, it's justin Richmond. I want to take a 3 00:00:22,196 --> 00:00:23,996 Speaker 2: moment to share a podcast with you that I think 4 00:00:23,996 --> 00:00:26,796 Speaker 2: you'll enjoy. It's called Hit Parade, a show from Slate 5 00:00:26,876 --> 00:00:31,116 Speaker 2: about chart topping hits and what makes a song a smash. 6 00:00:31,316 --> 00:00:34,636 Speaker 2: It's hosted by pop chart analyst and our friend Chris Malanfi. 7 00:00:35,716 --> 00:00:38,236 Speaker 2: Twice a month, Chris tells tales from more than half 8 00:00:38,236 --> 00:00:42,156 Speaker 2: a century of pop chart history through storytelling, trivia, and 9 00:00:42,236 --> 00:00:45,156 Speaker 2: song snippets. Peters Sex how artists you love or hate 10 00:00:45,236 --> 00:00:49,196 Speaker 2: dominated the airwaves and shaped your memories forever. Today, we're 11 00:00:49,236 --> 00:00:52,076 Speaker 2: sharing one of our favorite episodes with you, What's nineteen 12 00:00:52,116 --> 00:00:55,236 Speaker 2: eighty four got to do with It? Edition. In the episode, 13 00:00:55,356 --> 00:00:58,276 Speaker 2: christ Dice Sex eight reasons why nineteen eighty four was 14 00:00:58,316 --> 00:01:01,116 Speaker 2: awesome for pop fans and walks us through all twenty 15 00:01:01,196 --> 00:01:04,116 Speaker 2: years of the year's number one hits, from Jump to 16 00:01:04,236 --> 00:01:08,116 Speaker 2: Hello karm a Chameleon to Caribbean Queen, Let's Go Crazy 17 00:01:08,156 --> 00:01:10,596 Speaker 2: to Like a Virgin. And when you're done listening to 18 00:01:10,636 --> 00:01:12,836 Speaker 2: this episode, make sure to go check out part two 19 00:01:12,876 --> 00:01:14,916 Speaker 2: on Hip Parade's feed and go give the show a 20 00:01:14,996 --> 00:01:17,036 Speaker 2: follow so you never miss another one. 21 00:01:17,316 --> 00:01:18,636 Speaker 3: Now here's Chris. 22 00:01:19,836 --> 00:01:24,836 Speaker 4: Hello, Broken Record fans. Chris Molanfi here. I'm so excited 23 00:01:24,836 --> 00:01:27,956 Speaker 4: to share with you one of hip Parade's most popular 24 00:01:28,076 --> 00:01:32,876 Speaker 4: episodes from the last few months, our exploration of what critics, 25 00:01:32,996 --> 00:01:36,876 Speaker 4: chart fans, and pundits call the greatest year in pop 26 00:01:37,196 --> 00:01:40,756 Speaker 4: nineteen eighty four. What you're about to hear is part 27 00:01:40,916 --> 00:01:44,156 Speaker 4: one of the episode, in which I run down all 28 00:01:44,276 --> 00:01:48,116 Speaker 4: of the factors that made nineteen eighty four an exceptional year, 29 00:01:48,476 --> 00:01:52,356 Speaker 4: from dance music to the Second British Invasion to hair 30 00:01:52,396 --> 00:01:55,796 Speaker 4: metal and hip hop. And there's a whole lot more 31 00:01:55,876 --> 00:01:59,276 Speaker 4: in part two, where we walk through all twenty of 32 00:01:59,316 --> 00:02:03,116 Speaker 4: the number one hits from nineteen eighty four. So when 33 00:02:03,156 --> 00:02:06,356 Speaker 4: you're done listening to Part one, make sure to find 34 00:02:06,436 --> 00:02:10,476 Speaker 4: Hip Parade wherever you listen to podcasts and continue the 35 00:02:10,556 --> 00:02:15,116 Speaker 4: story with Part two. Okay, let's get in the time machine, 36 00:02:15,196 --> 00:02:19,316 Speaker 4: hairspray our bangs, put on some legwarmers, and head back 37 00:02:19,356 --> 00:02:22,756 Speaker 4: to the year when doves cried, feet were loose, and 38 00:02:22,876 --> 00:02:37,996 Speaker 4: girls just wanted to have fun nineteen eighty four. Welcome 39 00:02:38,076 --> 00:02:41,596 Speaker 4: to hip Parade, a podcast of pop chart history from 40 00:02:41,676 --> 00:02:45,636 Speaker 4: Slate magazine about the hits from coast to coast I'm 41 00:02:45,716 --> 00:02:49,516 Speaker 4: Chris molanfy chart analyst, pop critic and writer of Slate's 42 00:02:49,556 --> 00:02:53,316 Speaker 4: Why Is This Song? Number One series on Today's Show 43 00:02:53,596 --> 00:02:57,436 Speaker 4: forty years ago this week, this was the number one 44 00:02:57,596 --> 00:03:03,076 Speaker 4: song in America, an improbable comeback by a regal, statuesque 45 00:03:03,116 --> 00:03:07,316 Speaker 4: singer who'd fought hard to return to the center of 46 00:03:07,356 --> 00:03:10,836 Speaker 4: the pop conversation. For the woman who came to be 47 00:03:10,996 --> 00:03:14,516 Speaker 4: known as the Queen of rock and roll, the late 48 00:03:14,636 --> 00:03:18,476 Speaker 4: summer of eighty four gave her the first and only 49 00:03:18,676 --> 00:03:23,196 Speaker 4: Hot one hundred chart topper of her career, Tina Turner 50 00:03:23,596 --> 00:03:26,156 Speaker 4: with What's Love Got to Do With It? 51 00:03:29,476 --> 00:03:32,276 Speaker 1: Love to Do It? 52 00:03:33,156 --> 00:03:37,236 Speaker 5: By the Hot Man hog at Me Brother. 53 00:03:38,636 --> 00:03:42,596 Speaker 4: Here's a question you maybe haven't considered in all the 54 00:03:42,716 --> 00:03:46,676 Speaker 4: dozens of times you've probably heard What's Love Got to 55 00:03:46,756 --> 00:03:50,836 Speaker 4: Do With It? What is this song? How would you 56 00:03:50,916 --> 00:03:55,516 Speaker 4: classify it? Given Tina Turner's background, you might call it 57 00:03:55,636 --> 00:04:00,276 Speaker 4: rhythm and blues, but Turner preferred to call herself a 58 00:04:00,476 --> 00:04:04,516 Speaker 4: rock singer. Critics note that the songs versus have the 59 00:04:04,676 --> 00:04:09,076 Speaker 4: lilts of reggae or calypso music, but by the way 60 00:04:09,236 --> 00:04:12,876 Speaker 4: way it was first offered to and recorded by a 61 00:04:13,036 --> 00:04:16,836 Speaker 4: white British New wave band. We'll get to them later. 62 00:04:17,236 --> 00:04:22,796 Speaker 4: Tina's recording charted on Billboard's Pop, R and B, Rock, Dance, 63 00:04:22,956 --> 00:04:40,076 Speaker 4: and Adult Contemporary charts. Basically, this is a song for everyone. 64 00:04:41,556 --> 00:04:44,636 Speaker 4: I would call What's Love Got to Do With It? 65 00:04:45,196 --> 00:04:50,196 Speaker 4: Nineteen eighty four music. It represents everything that made that 66 00:04:50,356 --> 00:04:54,876 Speaker 4: year of pop legendary. The hits of nineteen eighty four 67 00:04:54,956 --> 00:05:15,716 Speaker 4: were admirably hard to classify. Bands from the world of 68 00:05:15,836 --> 00:05:26,076 Speaker 4: rock were playing with dance music, funk, even synthesizers job job, 69 00:05:32,076 --> 00:05:35,716 Speaker 4: while artists who were classified as R and B were 70 00:05:35,836 --> 00:05:49,676 Speaker 4: rocking harder than ever. Veteran acts who had been around 71 00:05:49,796 --> 00:05:54,196 Speaker 4: for a decade or more were, like Tina Turner, trying 72 00:05:54,316 --> 00:06:09,036 Speaker 4: new tricks, and a new generation of upstarts were upsetting 73 00:06:09,396 --> 00:06:26,156 Speaker 4: the status quo. Sleek dance music was back, even though 74 00:06:26,196 --> 00:06:46,516 Speaker 4: we didn't call it disco anymore. A new wave of 75 00:06:46,756 --> 00:06:58,996 Speaker 4: teen pin ups were grabbing for pop's brass ring bye Bye, 76 00:07:02,116 --> 00:07:07,236 Speaker 4: and of course, thanks to the dominance of MTV, videos 77 00:07:07,316 --> 00:07:20,436 Speaker 4: made the charts more colorful than ever. Ben Today, on 78 00:07:20,676 --> 00:07:24,516 Speaker 4: Hip Parade, we will travel back four decades to a 79 00:07:24,636 --> 00:07:28,476 Speaker 4: year that's been called the greatest in chart history. What 80 00:07:28,716 --> 00:07:34,276 Speaker 4: made nineteen eighty four so exceptional. Why did rockers and rappers, 81 00:07:34,636 --> 00:07:39,476 Speaker 4: punks and popsters, divas and dream boats all produce some 82 00:07:39,756 --> 00:07:44,316 Speaker 4: of their best work? And why forty years later are 83 00:07:44,356 --> 00:07:46,876 Speaker 4: we still missing that moment? 84 00:07:47,756 --> 00:07:56,476 Speaker 5: Another break down this long distance Lines and Nights. 85 00:08:02,156 --> 00:08:05,916 Speaker 4: It was a time when some of the most innovative 86 00:08:06,036 --> 00:08:10,596 Speaker 4: music wasn't the province of hipster's crew or crate diggers. 87 00:08:11,036 --> 00:08:15,676 Speaker 4: It was power rotated on the radio, like, for example, 88 00:08:16,076 --> 00:08:17,796 Speaker 4: the top hit of the year. 89 00:08:18,876 --> 00:08:19,396 Speaker 1: This is what. 90 00:08:20,956 --> 00:08:22,956 Speaker 5: Wine doves crime. 91 00:08:25,996 --> 00:08:29,636 Speaker 4: And that's where your hit parade marches today. The week 92 00:08:29,836 --> 00:08:34,996 Speaker 4: ending August fourth, nineteen eighty four, when Princes When Doves 93 00:08:35,076 --> 00:08:38,596 Speaker 4: Cry was in its fifth and final week at number 94 00:08:38,676 --> 00:08:41,796 Speaker 4: one on the Hot one hundred, on its way to 95 00:08:41,876 --> 00:08:46,316 Speaker 4: being named Billboard's top hit of the year. It's rare 96 00:08:46,516 --> 00:08:50,436 Speaker 4: that any year's biggest hit is also its best, but 97 00:08:50,836 --> 00:08:54,796 Speaker 4: that's the kind of year nineteen eighty four was still 98 00:08:54,916 --> 00:08:59,476 Speaker 4: the gold standard for chart fans four decades later. So 99 00:09:00,116 --> 00:09:03,916 Speaker 4: join me as we recall a time when rain was purple, 100 00:09:04,276 --> 00:09:08,396 Speaker 4: feet were loose, the reflex was a lonely child, and 101 00:09:08,636 --> 00:09:19,516 Speaker 4: girls just wanted to have fun. Stick around. 102 00:09:25,036 --> 00:09:26,756 Speaker 2: We'll be right back with more from this episode of 103 00:09:26,836 --> 00:09:27,316 Speaker 2: Hit Parade. 104 00:09:27,516 --> 00:09:41,716 Speaker 3: After the break, We're back with hit Parade. 105 00:09:45,636 --> 00:09:51,356 Speaker 4: This is Canadian pop star Corey Hart with Sunglasses at Night, 106 00:09:51,796 --> 00:09:55,436 Speaker 4: a number seven hit in the summer of nineteen eighty four. 107 00:09:56,116 --> 00:10:01,036 Speaker 4: In September of twenty fourteen, thirty years after this song 108 00:10:01,196 --> 00:10:04,796 Speaker 4: was a hit, and ten years ago this month, Rolling 109 00:10:04,876 --> 00:10:10,076 Speaker 4: Stone magazine ran a special commemorative feature ranking of the 110 00:10:10,476 --> 00:10:15,836 Speaker 4: one hundred best singles of nineteen eighty four, and Sunglasses 111 00:10:15,916 --> 00:10:19,916 Speaker 4: at Night was the song they ranked in one hundredth place, 112 00:10:20,636 --> 00:10:25,796 Speaker 4: which is about right. Corey Heart's American breakthrough single isn't 113 00:10:25,796 --> 00:10:30,356 Speaker 4: the most devastatingly brilliant hit of eighty four, but it's 114 00:10:30,356 --> 00:10:34,716 Speaker 4: a bop and it is of its time, a very cheeky, 115 00:10:34,956 --> 00:10:55,956 Speaker 4: kitchy and melodramatic synthpop jam. Maybe all that said, Sunglasses 116 00:10:56,036 --> 00:11:00,396 Speaker 4: at Night still gets played on classic hits radio stations 117 00:11:00,476 --> 00:11:04,076 Speaker 4: to this day and has racked up more than one 118 00:11:04,156 --> 00:11:09,356 Speaker 4: hundred and thirty two million streams on Spotify. And this 119 00:11:09,436 --> 00:11:13,036 Speaker 4: is the nineteen eighty four hit that Rolling Stone ranked last. 120 00:11:13,796 --> 00:11:17,676 Speaker 4: It should also be noted that the magazine hasn't done 121 00:11:17,796 --> 00:11:22,756 Speaker 4: similar commemorative countdowns for other years of pop. In fact, 122 00:11:22,996 --> 00:11:27,476 Speaker 4: when they published their twenty fourteen feature, Rolling Stone boldly 123 00:11:27,636 --> 00:11:32,156 Speaker 4: titled the Countdown one hundred best singles of nineteen eighty 124 00:11:32,236 --> 00:11:34,796 Speaker 4: four Pop's greatest year? 125 00:11:39,156 --> 00:11:39,316 Speaker 1: Is that? 126 00:11:50,996 --> 00:11:53,476 Speaker 4: By the way, here's the song they ranked all the 127 00:11:53,476 --> 00:11:57,636 Speaker 4: way up at number two, Madonna's Borderline. Bet you've heard 128 00:11:57,716 --> 00:12:02,636 Speaker 4: that one on the radio recently too. Rolling Stone's countdown 129 00:12:02,956 --> 00:12:05,716 Speaker 4: is a great read, we'll link to it on the 130 00:12:05,796 --> 00:12:10,396 Speaker 4: Hit Parade show page, and a good argument starter. The 131 00:12:10,436 --> 00:12:15,236 Speaker 4: biggest argument might be over that title pop's greatest year? 132 00:12:16,036 --> 00:12:20,516 Speaker 4: Aren't there other candidates? By the way, three years ago, 133 00:12:20,716 --> 00:12:24,476 Speaker 4: on this very podcast, we at Hip Parade made the 134 00:12:24,516 --> 00:12:28,476 Speaker 4: case for the music of nineteen seventy one, a year 135 00:12:28,596 --> 00:12:33,636 Speaker 4: of greatness from Janice Joplin, The Stones, sly Stone, Rod 136 00:12:33,756 --> 00:12:35,836 Speaker 4: Stewart and Carol King. 137 00:12:37,196 --> 00:12:37,956 Speaker 5: And It's. 138 00:12:40,356 --> 00:12:41,396 Speaker 1: It's to Night? 139 00:12:42,116 --> 00:12:45,476 Speaker 5: Do we really jatindergain? 140 00:12:47,196 --> 00:12:51,556 Speaker 4: To be clear, rolling Stone called nineteen eighty four pop's 141 00:12:51,876 --> 00:12:58,276 Speaker 4: greatest year, not rock's greatest, R and B or rap's greatest. This, 142 00:12:58,756 --> 00:13:02,676 Speaker 4: I think is defensible. As I said at the top 143 00:13:02,716 --> 00:13:05,956 Speaker 4: of our show, nineteen eighty four was a big year 144 00:13:05,996 --> 00:13:10,676 Speaker 4: for pop as a centralizing force. Rock plus R and 145 00:13:10,796 --> 00:13:15,556 Speaker 4: B plus dance plus country plus hip hop all found 146 00:13:15,556 --> 00:13:19,916 Speaker 4: a place on the radio in eighty four, and nineteen 147 00:13:19,996 --> 00:13:24,196 Speaker 4: eighty four was an unbeatable year for the pop single, 148 00:13:24,716 --> 00:13:29,276 Speaker 4: So naturally, chart nerds like your hip parade host hold 149 00:13:29,316 --> 00:13:30,636 Speaker 4: it in a high esteem. 150 00:13:33,396 --> 00:13:36,516 Speaker 6: Let the music play. It moves from thirteen to ten 151 00:13:36,596 --> 00:13:40,236 Speaker 6: in our countdown of the forty biggest, Shannon at number nine, 152 00:13:40,276 --> 00:13:51,476 Speaker 6: here's Cindy Lauper with girls just want to have fun. 153 00:13:51,836 --> 00:13:54,396 Speaker 1: When you look. 154 00:13:54,676 --> 00:13:58,516 Speaker 4: I'll just cop to it as someone born in nineteen 155 00:13:58,636 --> 00:14:02,476 Speaker 4: seventy one who became a teenager in nineteen eighty four, 156 00:14:02,996 --> 00:14:06,796 Speaker 4: my bias is undeniable when it comes to both of 157 00:14:06,876 --> 00:14:11,116 Speaker 4: those years. So of course I think nineteen eighty four 158 00:14:11,236 --> 00:14:15,196 Speaker 4: was a great year for pop. But before I provide 159 00:14:15,236 --> 00:14:18,756 Speaker 4: more objective reasons why it might not just be me 160 00:14:19,436 --> 00:14:23,756 Speaker 4: and the staff of Rolling Stone claiming this, there's one 161 00:14:23,836 --> 00:14:28,116 Speaker 4: more debate we need to address that does often come 162 00:14:28,236 --> 00:14:32,516 Speaker 4: up in these pop nerd discussions. Was nineteen eighty four 163 00:14:32,636 --> 00:14:38,996 Speaker 4: the great year? Or was it actually nineteen eighty three? 164 00:14:39,236 --> 00:14:51,716 Speaker 4: That's the beasts. In a recent installment of his online column, 165 00:14:51,956 --> 00:14:56,996 Speaker 4: radio consultant Sean Ross pulled programmers, critics, and chart fans 166 00:14:57,356 --> 00:15:01,036 Speaker 4: over whether they preferred the hits of nineteen eighty three 167 00:15:01,476 --> 00:15:05,116 Speaker 4: or eighty four. Ross took it as a given that 168 00:15:05,396 --> 00:15:09,316 Speaker 4: this two year duopoly was the high water mark of 169 00:15:09,356 --> 00:15:15,676 Speaker 4: Contemporary Hits Radio or CCHR by just under a two 170 00:15:15,756 --> 00:15:21,276 Speaker 4: to one margin. Ross's police preferred nineteen eighty four, but 171 00:15:21,396 --> 00:15:24,556 Speaker 4: there was a strong eighty three contingent. 172 00:15:28,476 --> 00:15:32,876 Speaker 5: Sweet Teams as. 173 00:15:32,996 --> 00:15:37,036 Speaker 4: I could just as easily have done this episode about 174 00:15:37,196 --> 00:15:41,556 Speaker 4: eighty three. It really was an amazing year, the moment 175 00:15:41,716 --> 00:15:46,596 Speaker 4: when the second British invasion took hold, with Duran, Duran, Eurhythmics, 176 00:15:46,836 --> 00:15:51,956 Speaker 4: Culture Clubs, Spandau Ballet, Madness, Edie Grant and Dexy's Midnight 177 00:15:52,036 --> 00:15:57,596 Speaker 4: Runners all scoring their first American hits, major chart comebacks 178 00:15:57,636 --> 00:16:05,756 Speaker 4: for Donna, Summer Marvin Gay, Elton John and David Bowie 179 00:16:07,196 --> 00:16:16,036 Speaker 4: put on Red, the peak year for Michael Jackson's streak 180 00:16:16,076 --> 00:16:19,596 Speaker 4: of hits from Thriller, a late nineteen eighty two album 181 00:16:19,836 --> 00:16:24,076 Speaker 4: that totally dominated eighty three, as well as the pop 182 00:16:24,196 --> 00:16:38,596 Speaker 4: breakthrough of Prince. What made nineteen eighty three exciting was 183 00:16:38,676 --> 00:16:43,956 Speaker 4: the upsurge before the cultural wave crested. The truth is 184 00:16:44,396 --> 00:16:47,916 Speaker 4: a lot of the nineteen eighty four music we'll discuss 185 00:16:48,036 --> 00:16:52,356 Speaker 4: in this episode was actually released in eighty three. Big 186 00:16:52,476 --> 00:16:57,476 Speaker 4: eighty four hits by Madonna, Cindy Lauper, Lionel Ritchie, Duran, Duran, 187 00:16:57,876 --> 00:17:02,756 Speaker 4: the Pointer Sisters, yes Zz Top and Billy Idol, among 188 00:17:02,876 --> 00:17:17,116 Speaker 4: many others, emerged from the cauldron of eighty three. So 189 00:17:17,596 --> 00:17:20,596 Speaker 4: in a way, you can think of nineteen eighty four 190 00:17:20,716 --> 00:17:24,956 Speaker 4: on the charts as at least two years rolled into one. 191 00:17:25,476 --> 00:17:29,076 Speaker 4: The movements that were bubbling up earlier in the decade 192 00:17:29,436 --> 00:17:34,636 Speaker 4: finally coalesced. As I argued in our nineteen seventy one 193 00:17:34,876 --> 00:17:38,596 Speaker 4: episode of Hip Parade. Seventy one was when the music 194 00:17:38,676 --> 00:17:44,796 Speaker 4: of the sixties came into full artistic fruition. Similarly, the 195 00:17:44,836 --> 00:17:49,796 Speaker 4: innovations of nineteen eighty two and eighty three bloomed into 196 00:17:50,076 --> 00:17:55,756 Speaker 4: full flower in nineteen eighty four. So I'm now going 197 00:17:55,796 --> 00:17:59,716 Speaker 4: to run down a list of eight reasons why nineteen 198 00:17:59,876 --> 00:18:03,836 Speaker 4: eighty four ruled, and the first reason will take us 199 00:18:03,876 --> 00:18:08,836 Speaker 4: back before nineteen eighty three or eighty two. In fact, 200 00:18:09,196 --> 00:18:13,276 Speaker 4: we need to go back to just before the eighties began. 201 00:18:14,276 --> 00:18:19,796 Speaker 4: Reason one for the awesomeness of nineteen eighty four overcoming 202 00:18:19,996 --> 00:18:35,716 Speaker 4: the disco backlash, as we have discussed in several prior 203 00:18:35,876 --> 00:18:40,676 Speaker 4: Hit Parade episodes, nineteen seventy nine was a turning point 204 00:18:40,796 --> 00:18:45,116 Speaker 4: for dance music on the charts and in the popular consciousness. 205 00:18:45,676 --> 00:18:49,596 Speaker 4: In the wake of Chicago's menacing Disco Demolition Night in 206 00:18:49,756 --> 00:19:06,476 Speaker 4: July of seventy nine, disco became a dirty word. The 207 00:19:06,636 --> 00:19:11,596 Speaker 4: music did not actually die. Disco acts like Donna Summer 208 00:19:11,836 --> 00:19:16,196 Speaker 4: and production teams like Sheikh's, Nile Rogers and Bernard Edwards 209 00:19:16,556 --> 00:19:21,076 Speaker 4: continued to score hits into the nineteen eighties, but a 210 00:19:21,156 --> 00:19:25,396 Speaker 4: backlash to the culture of disco turned the charts away 211 00:19:25,476 --> 00:19:30,596 Speaker 4: from anything perceived as to dance oriented or black derived. 212 00:19:31,196 --> 00:19:34,396 Speaker 4: In the first few years of the nineteen eighties, the 213 00:19:34,516 --> 00:20:07,796 Speaker 4: hit parade pivoted toward light balladarie, country crossover, and yacht rock, 214 00:20:12,476 --> 00:20:16,796 Speaker 4: but by nineteen eighty two and eighty three, as new 215 00:20:16,876 --> 00:20:21,396 Speaker 4: wave synthpop began emerging on the charts, the sound of 216 00:20:21,516 --> 00:20:27,516 Speaker 4: this so called new pop was essentially disco in another guise, like, 217 00:20:27,796 --> 00:20:32,156 Speaker 4: for example, ABC's top twenty hit The Look of Love 218 00:20:33,196 --> 00:20:47,156 Speaker 4: Looks and the overwhelming chart success of Michael Jackson provided 219 00:20:47,276 --> 00:20:51,236 Speaker 4: a new model for black music that drew from disco 220 00:20:51,356 --> 00:21:05,876 Speaker 4: production styles but felt more modern. By late eighty three 221 00:21:06,196 --> 00:21:10,556 Speaker 4: and early eighty four, dance music, which is what we 222 00:21:10,676 --> 00:21:13,956 Speaker 4: called it. Then pop fans were careful never to say 223 00:21:13,996 --> 00:21:18,476 Speaker 4: the other five letter D word was doing better on 224 00:21:18,556 --> 00:21:22,916 Speaker 4: the charts than it had since nineteen seventy nine. Sleek 225 00:21:23,116 --> 00:21:27,196 Speaker 4: club styles were finding their place on the radio, like 226 00:21:27,316 --> 00:21:43,636 Speaker 4: the electro dance music of the Pointer Sisters. 227 00:21:33,676 --> 00:21:33,756 Speaker 2: The. 228 00:21:42,356 --> 00:21:58,916 Speaker 4: Explosive freestyle of Shannon, and of course, the nuveaux postdisco 229 00:21:59,196 --> 00:22:14,476 Speaker 4: of a newcomer named Madonna. All discussions of what made 230 00:22:14,676 --> 00:22:18,756 Speaker 4: nineteen eighty four great have to start with the disco 231 00:22:18,876 --> 00:22:24,596 Speaker 4: backlash and the comeback from the backlash, because this informs 232 00:22:24,796 --> 00:22:29,596 Speaker 4: virtually everything that brought pop music back to life, even 233 00:22:29,636 --> 00:22:35,036 Speaker 4: if no one was saying the word disco, dance, music, production, tropes, 234 00:22:35,356 --> 00:22:40,396 Speaker 4: and black informed styles were infecting all manner of hit music, 235 00:22:40,956 --> 00:22:44,996 Speaker 4: not just club music or R and B, but also 236 00:22:45,316 --> 00:23:03,716 Speaker 4: straight up rock like zz Top UK, synthpop like Bronski Beat, 237 00:23:14,756 --> 00:23:19,196 Speaker 4: and even metal. This nineteen eighty four Motley Crue hit, 238 00:23:19,516 --> 00:23:22,556 Speaker 4: their second single ever to make the hot one hundred 239 00:23:22,996 --> 00:23:38,396 Speaker 4: is basically disco slowed down and rocked up. To all 240 00:23:38,516 --> 00:23:43,276 Speaker 4: of this. Erzat's disco from Madonna to Motley Crue came 241 00:23:43,436 --> 00:23:48,116 Speaker 4: packaged with glossy music videos which brings us to another 242 00:23:48,276 --> 00:23:52,356 Speaker 4: development that happened a few years before nineteen eighty four, 243 00:23:52,836 --> 00:23:58,316 Speaker 4: that reached its apotheosis that year. Reason two for the 244 00:23:58,516 --> 00:24:04,556 Speaker 4: awesomeness of nineteen eighty four. The peak of first wave MTV. 245 00:24:08,396 --> 00:24:11,596 Speaker 1: Is Holy mo, it's not funny. 246 00:24:12,956 --> 00:24:17,156 Speaker 3: You was scared? Weren't here? Oh Listen't that scared? 247 00:24:19,476 --> 00:24:29,436 Speaker 4: This is scared, you could say. Nineteen eighty four kicked 248 00:24:29,436 --> 00:24:34,396 Speaker 4: off in spirit on December tewod nineteen eighty three, when 249 00:24:34,516 --> 00:24:40,356 Speaker 4: Michael Jackson's cinematic thriller video, directed by John Landis and 250 00:24:40,516 --> 00:24:44,836 Speaker 4: modeled after his horror film and American Werewolf in London, 251 00:24:45,396 --> 00:24:51,596 Speaker 4: premiered on MTV. Jackson's clip gave the fledgling video channel, 252 00:24:51,756 --> 00:24:56,476 Speaker 4: which had launched just two years earlier, its highest ratings ever. 253 00:24:57,196 --> 00:25:01,956 Speaker 4: Jackson and MTV were good to each other. When Thriller 254 00:25:02,196 --> 00:25:06,436 Speaker 4: the Song was issued as a single in January nineteen 255 00:25:06,516 --> 00:25:11,116 Speaker 4: eighty four, a full fourteen month after Thriller the Album 256 00:25:11,276 --> 00:25:16,396 Speaker 4: came out, It became the LP's record seventh top ten single, 257 00:25:16,756 --> 00:25:19,956 Speaker 4: peaking at number four on the Hot one hundred in 258 00:25:20,156 --> 00:25:21,396 Speaker 4: March of eighty four. 259 00:25:23,356 --> 00:25:23,836 Speaker 1: That's not. 260 00:25:39,436 --> 00:25:45,156 Speaker 4: You can divide early MTV history into before Michael Jackson 261 00:25:45,356 --> 00:25:49,556 Speaker 4: and after Michael Jackson. Legend has it that the channel 262 00:25:49,876 --> 00:25:55,196 Speaker 4: largely refused to play videos by black artists before CBS 263 00:25:55,236 --> 00:26:00,156 Speaker 4: Records threatened to withhold all of their videos unless MTV 264 00:26:00,436 --> 00:26:05,276 Speaker 4: played Jackson's early nineteen eighty three hit Billy Jean. By 265 00:26:05,396 --> 00:26:11,316 Speaker 4: nineteen eighty four, MTV was regularly rotating clips by Jackson, Prince, 266 00:26:11,676 --> 00:26:27,316 Speaker 4: Donna Summer, and Lionel Richie Oh. But MTV was also 267 00:26:27,556 --> 00:26:31,716 Speaker 4: reinventing rock bands that had been around four years as 268 00:26:31,876 --> 00:26:36,676 Speaker 4: video stars. The Cars, the Boston new wave rockers who 269 00:26:36,836 --> 00:26:40,956 Speaker 4: released their debut album back in nineteen seventy eight, were 270 00:26:41,036 --> 00:26:45,476 Speaker 4: rebooted in nineteen eighty four by their shimmering pop album 271 00:26:45,716 --> 00:26:50,876 Speaker 4: Heartbeat City and its string of kitchy videos. Their special 272 00:26:50,916 --> 00:26:55,076 Speaker 4: effects heavy clip for You Might Think Not only made 273 00:26:55,196 --> 00:26:59,076 Speaker 4: that song a top ten hit, the video upset Michael 274 00:26:59,156 --> 00:27:03,116 Speaker 4: Jackson's Thriller for Video of the Year at the first 275 00:27:03,356 --> 00:27:06,156 Speaker 4: MTV Video Music Awards. 276 00:27:08,396 --> 00:27:23,116 Speaker 1: When the phrase. 277 00:27:24,276 --> 00:27:28,836 Speaker 4: Similarly, Huey Lewis and the News, a San Francisco band 278 00:27:28,876 --> 00:27:32,636 Speaker 4: that had been around since nineteen seventy nine, played a 279 00:27:32,676 --> 00:27:37,436 Speaker 4: brand of unpretentious barroom rock and roll. Nothing about the 280 00:27:37,476 --> 00:27:41,356 Speaker 4: band was hip, Indeed, These were the guys who years 281 00:27:41,436 --> 00:27:45,076 Speaker 4: later recorded a song called Hip to Be Square. But 282 00:27:45,636 --> 00:27:50,556 Speaker 4: for their LP Sports, the telegenic Huey Lewis and his 283 00:27:50,716 --> 00:27:55,716 Speaker 4: band recorded a string of high concept, comical and plot 284 00:27:55,876 --> 00:28:16,516 Speaker 4: heavy videos. They and they were rewarded with four straight 285 00:28:16,756 --> 00:28:20,596 Speaker 4: top ten singles on the Hot one hundred, Heart and Soul, 286 00:28:21,076 --> 00:28:24,156 Speaker 4: I Want a New Drug, the Heart of Rock and Roll, 287 00:28:24,276 --> 00:28:26,156 Speaker 4: and if This is It. 288 00:28:26,556 --> 00:28:29,356 Speaker 5: The Never, If This is It. 289 00:28:33,996 --> 00:28:34,076 Speaker 1: It. 290 00:28:38,156 --> 00:28:41,156 Speaker 4: By the time If This Is It cracked the Hot 291 00:28:41,196 --> 00:28:44,676 Speaker 4: one hundred in the summer of eighty four, the Sports 292 00:28:44,836 --> 00:28:49,236 Speaker 4: LP had topped the Billboard album chart and sold five 293 00:28:49,396 --> 00:28:55,876 Speaker 4: million copies. Videos transformed Huey Lewis's career, and they arguably 294 00:28:55,996 --> 00:28:59,236 Speaker 4: spurred rock acts of all kinds to up their game 295 00:28:59,716 --> 00:29:04,236 Speaker 4: to make songs worthy of video treatment. Of course, the 296 00:29:04,276 --> 00:29:07,276 Speaker 4: bands that had benefited the most from the rise of 297 00:29:07,316 --> 00:29:11,556 Speaker 4: the music video in America were British New Romantic and 298 00:29:11,676 --> 00:29:15,996 Speaker 4: New Wave bands, who, starting in nineteen eighty two and 299 00:29:16,116 --> 00:29:26,916 Speaker 4: eighty three, went from curios in America to video superstars. 300 00:29:30,716 --> 00:29:35,636 Speaker 4: By nineteen eighty four, these bands, led by video demigods 301 00:29:35,756 --> 00:29:40,716 Speaker 4: Duran Duran, were also chart conquerors in America. As the 302 00:29:40,836 --> 00:29:44,916 Speaker 4: year began The band's Union of the Snake was lodged 303 00:29:44,956 --> 00:29:47,996 Speaker 4: in the top three on the Hot one hundred. But 304 00:29:48,156 --> 00:29:52,236 Speaker 4: what made eighty four doubly exciting was that not only 305 00:29:52,276 --> 00:29:57,116 Speaker 4: were these UK acts still innovating, the US acts had 306 00:29:57,116 --> 00:30:02,076 Speaker 4: been taking notes. Reason three for the awesomeness of nineteen 307 00:30:02,116 --> 00:30:07,356 Speaker 4: eighty four, the second British invasion and America catching up. 308 00:30:08,236 --> 00:30:12,796 Speaker 4: As we discussed in our British Invasions episode of Hit Parade. 309 00:30:13,156 --> 00:30:16,236 Speaker 4: By the spring of eighty four, forty percent of the 310 00:30:16,276 --> 00:30:20,996 Speaker 4: Hot one hundred was British acts, fueled in America by MTV. 311 00:30:21,476 --> 00:30:26,676 Speaker 4: The UK's post punk, new romantic and synthpop movements redefined 312 00:30:26,716 --> 00:30:30,396 Speaker 4: the cutting edge of cool, as personified by acts like 313 00:30:30,716 --> 00:30:35,156 Speaker 4: synth soul duo Eurythmics. Here they are with their ghostly 314 00:30:35,356 --> 00:30:38,436 Speaker 4: number four hit here comes the Rain Again. 315 00:30:40,316 --> 00:30:47,636 Speaker 5: Comes flying on my head like a memory flying on 316 00:30:47,796 --> 00:30:50,076 Speaker 5: my head, you emotion. 317 00:30:52,796 --> 00:30:56,916 Speaker 4: Now, just for comparison, here's another number four hit from 318 00:30:57,076 --> 00:31:01,356 Speaker 4: just a couple of months later, American Laura Brannigan with 319 00:31:01,596 --> 00:31:06,796 Speaker 4: her ghostly synthpop hit self Control. It's not a copy 320 00:31:06,876 --> 00:31:11,236 Speaker 4: of Eurythmics or really any specific act. In fact, it's 321 00:31:11,276 --> 00:31:14,396 Speaker 4: a cover of an Italian pop song, but you might 322 00:31:14,516 --> 00:31:18,876 Speaker 4: say that Team Brannigan was taking notes on British new 323 00:31:18,956 --> 00:31:32,156 Speaker 4: wave can Take. Or further down the chart that same summer, 324 00:31:32,436 --> 00:31:35,956 Speaker 4: here's a top twenty hit from British duo Wang Chung 325 00:31:36,396 --> 00:31:52,356 Speaker 4: their lush technopop bop dancehall Days, which doesn't sound far 326 00:31:52,476 --> 00:31:56,356 Speaker 4: removed from this top twenty hit from a few months earlier, 327 00:31:56,716 --> 00:32:00,716 Speaker 4: Ray Parker Junior's lush techno pop ballad I just can't 328 00:32:00,796 --> 00:32:02,796 Speaker 4: get over loving you. 329 00:32:02,836 --> 00:32:04,276 Speaker 3: When I do your name. 330 00:32:05,556 --> 00:32:06,116 Speaker 1: I give. 331 00:32:08,076 --> 00:32:08,676 Speaker 3: Does I do. 332 00:32:11,916 --> 00:32:12,476 Speaker 5: Loving you? 333 00:32:14,196 --> 00:32:14,676 Speaker 1: I can't? 334 00:32:15,676 --> 00:32:19,356 Speaker 4: Or a few spots further down the chart, here's British 335 00:32:19,436 --> 00:32:24,996 Speaker 4: progressive rock veterans Yes with their quirky Cacoffinus electro rock 336 00:32:25,076 --> 00:32:28,556 Speaker 4: track Leave It, a number twenty four hit in the 337 00:32:28,596 --> 00:32:41,276 Speaker 4: spring of eighty four. About six months later, here's a 338 00:32:41,396 --> 00:32:46,676 Speaker 4: number twenty three hit by American guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, veteran 339 00:32:46,836 --> 00:32:53,156 Speaker 4: of Fleetwood Mac, with his quirky Cacoffinus electra rocker Go Insane. 340 00:32:54,156 --> 00:33:07,236 Speaker 4: So say, in short, let's call this positive Transatlantic peer pressure. 341 00:33:07,676 --> 00:33:11,036 Speaker 4: Three years of British acts setting the bar for hip, 342 00:33:11,236 --> 00:33:15,036 Speaker 4: smart mass appeal pop had rubbed off on the Yanks. 343 00:33:15,516 --> 00:33:19,996 Speaker 4: Everybody was bringing their a game. So by nineteen eighty four, 344 00:33:20,276 --> 00:33:23,756 Speaker 4: it had become expected that a British blue eyed soul 345 00:33:23,796 --> 00:33:29,036 Speaker 4: group like Culture Club would blend guitars, synthesizers and clattery 346 00:33:29,116 --> 00:33:32,436 Speaker 4: sound effects on a hit like miss Me Blonde. 347 00:33:34,476 --> 00:33:39,996 Speaker 1: You miss Me and miss Me and miss Me Blood. 348 00:33:42,316 --> 00:33:43,076 Speaker 5: You Miss Me. 349 00:33:43,556 --> 00:33:46,436 Speaker 4: But the same week that song was climbing into the 350 00:33:46,476 --> 00:33:50,116 Speaker 4: top ten. Right next to it were Americans Daryl Hall 351 00:33:50,196 --> 00:33:53,916 Speaker 4: and John Oates with their own blend of guitars, synths 352 00:33:53,996 --> 00:34:09,876 Speaker 4: and clatter. Adult Education and the Ruboffs weren't just happening 353 00:34:09,956 --> 00:34:16,236 Speaker 4: across borders. They were happening across genres. Reason four for 354 00:34:16,436 --> 00:34:21,316 Speaker 4: the awesomeness of nineteen eighty four. Everybody was crossing over. 355 00:34:21,996 --> 00:34:25,796 Speaker 4: Let's play a little name that tune. Here's the intro 356 00:34:25,996 --> 00:34:28,276 Speaker 4: to a song that broke on the Hot one hundred 357 00:34:28,356 --> 00:34:31,996 Speaker 4: in December nineteen eighty four. It would eventually peak at 358 00:34:32,076 --> 00:34:46,796 Speaker 4: number two. Who's the artist? Sounds like moody new wave 359 00:34:46,916 --> 00:34:52,996 Speaker 4: guitar rock. Is it Duran, Duran? The Police Tears for Fears. Nope, 360 00:34:53,236 --> 00:35:05,396 Speaker 4: it's R and B singer Billy Oshan with Loverboy the 361 00:35:13,236 --> 00:35:16,156 Speaker 4: a song that, by the way, was co written and 362 00:35:16,276 --> 00:35:20,636 Speaker 4: co produced by famed rock producer Robert John mutt Lang, 363 00:35:21,036 --> 00:35:24,276 Speaker 4: who'd also produced hits earlier in eighty four for The 364 00:35:24,356 --> 00:35:29,516 Speaker 4: Cars and def Leppard. Let's play again? Whose dance floor breakdown? 365 00:35:29,756 --> 00:35:29,836 Speaker 1: Is? 366 00:35:29,996 --> 00:35:30,156 Speaker 3: This? 367 00:35:47,556 --> 00:35:52,156 Speaker 4: Sounds like hard electro funk club music, right, So who 368 00:35:52,236 --> 00:35:56,876 Speaker 4: is this? Chic the Gap band Rick James Guess again, 369 00:35:57,316 --> 00:36:01,156 Speaker 4: it's British punk turned pop star Billy Idol. With his 370 00:36:01,356 --> 00:36:05,396 Speaker 4: Fall eighty four hit Flesh for Fantasy. It made the 371 00:36:05,436 --> 00:36:08,556 Speaker 4: top thirty not only on the Hot one hundred, but 372 00:36:08,676 --> 00:36:27,356 Speaker 4: also Billboards Rock Tracks and dance disco chartssh rash. At 373 00:36:27,436 --> 00:36:30,196 Speaker 4: a time when popular music was coming out of a 374 00:36:30,396 --> 00:36:34,516 Speaker 4: very segregated period in the seventies and early eighties, with 375 00:36:34,796 --> 00:36:38,796 Speaker 4: rock and R and B and disco staying in separate lanes, 376 00:36:39,276 --> 00:36:42,716 Speaker 4: the hits of nineteen eighty four were all over the 377 00:36:42,876 --> 00:36:47,196 Speaker 4: genre map. Virtually no one was staying in their lane, 378 00:36:47,716 --> 00:36:51,396 Speaker 4: whether it was Lionel Ritchie who wrote and recorded a 379 00:36:51,436 --> 00:36:55,636 Speaker 4: straight up country song called Stuck on You that made 380 00:36:55,676 --> 00:36:58,356 Speaker 4: the pop and R and B Top ten and even 381 00:36:58,436 --> 00:37:03,516 Speaker 4: the country charts Top twenty five, an unprecedented chart crossover 382 00:37:03,676 --> 00:37:04,316 Speaker 4: at the time. 383 00:37:04,996 --> 00:37:12,196 Speaker 5: Yeah, the feeding down, deep and massole. Then I just 384 00:37:12,396 --> 00:37:14,476 Speaker 5: came use guess. 385 00:37:14,196 --> 00:37:14,876 Speaker 1: A mon. 386 00:37:17,716 --> 00:37:22,236 Speaker 4: Or Pat Benattar. She'd spent years building a reputation as 387 00:37:22,276 --> 00:37:25,956 Speaker 4: the leading woman on album rock radio. She kicked off 388 00:37:26,076 --> 00:37:29,756 Speaker 4: nineteen eighty four with a post disco club rock hybrid 389 00:37:30,036 --> 00:37:34,196 Speaker 4: whose video featured Benatar leading a troop of dancers in 390 00:37:34,276 --> 00:37:46,236 Speaker 4: a syncopated shimmy. The number five hit Love is a Battlefield. 391 00:37:50,076 --> 00:37:52,276 Speaker 5: That is a bed. 392 00:37:53,676 --> 00:37:58,196 Speaker 4: Or Bruce Springsteen, who, as we discussed in our Springsteen 393 00:37:58,316 --> 00:38:02,676 Speaker 4: episode of Hit Parade, wrote cover me for disco Queen 394 00:38:02,876 --> 00:38:06,756 Speaker 4: Donna summer. Bruce wound up keeping it for himself, but 395 00:38:06,996 --> 00:38:11,876 Speaker 4: maintained its torchy millow dry. The florid operatic rock song 396 00:38:12,236 --> 00:38:15,316 Speaker 4: was a number seven hit for Springsteen and the East 397 00:38:15,316 --> 00:38:30,516 Speaker 4: Street Band in the fall of eighty four. There were 398 00:38:30,676 --> 00:38:35,396 Speaker 4: also improbable team ups. A year after Michael Jackson topped 399 00:38:35,396 --> 00:38:38,836 Speaker 4: the charts with guitarist Eddie Van Halen on Beat It, 400 00:38:39,196 --> 00:38:43,116 Speaker 4: his brothers The Jacksons upped the ante by teaming with 401 00:38:43,236 --> 00:38:47,956 Speaker 4: the Stones, Mick Jagger, Mick and Michael Yowled over a 402 00:38:47,996 --> 00:38:51,636 Speaker 4: hard guitar riff on the number three summer eighty four 403 00:38:51,756 --> 00:39:13,396 Speaker 4: hit State of Shock, and Phil Collins, who'd been adding 404 00:39:13,516 --> 00:39:17,316 Speaker 4: Earthwind and Fire's horn section to his tracks for years. 405 00:39:17,716 --> 00:39:21,276 Speaker 4: He finally returned the favor by teaming up with E 406 00:39:21,636 --> 00:39:27,516 Speaker 4: WF singer Philip Bailey. Their duet Easy Lover, which exploded 407 00:39:27,556 --> 00:39:32,396 Speaker 4: with collins booming rock drums and Bailey's fluttery soul vocals, 408 00:39:32,636 --> 00:39:35,716 Speaker 4: went to number two on the Hot one hundred, number 409 00:39:35,836 --> 00:39:38,956 Speaker 4: three R and B, and number five on the Album 410 00:39:39,036 --> 00:39:59,196 Speaker 4: Rock chart. And I haven't even mentioned Prince, whose guitar, 411 00:39:59,556 --> 00:40:05,156 Speaker 4: vocals and very persona obliterated genre boundaries all over nineteen 412 00:40:05,236 --> 00:40:13,476 Speaker 4: eighty four. We'll talk more about him a little later. 413 00:40:26,796 --> 00:40:31,756 Speaker 4: In the twenty first century, genres increasingly seem like quaint 414 00:40:31,876 --> 00:40:36,356 Speaker 4: relics of a bygone time, and artists record in whatever 415 00:40:36,476 --> 00:40:40,316 Speaker 4: idiom they like, from Lil naz X to Steve Lacy 416 00:40:40,676 --> 00:40:44,636 Speaker 4: Taylor Swift to Post Malone, Beyonce to Shaboozi. 417 00:40:45,236 --> 00:40:45,796 Speaker 3: But in the. 418 00:40:45,836 --> 00:40:51,796 Speaker 4: Eighties, this kind of promiscuous genre mixing was revolutionary, and 419 00:40:51,996 --> 00:41:06,836 Speaker 4: nineteen eighty four was ground zero for all of it. 420 00:41:06,996 --> 00:41:08,556 Speaker 4: More in a moment. 421 00:41:12,956 --> 00:41:15,236 Speaker 2: After the break, we'll be back with the conclusion of 422 00:41:15,316 --> 00:41:17,356 Speaker 2: part one of what's nineteen eighty four got to do? 423 00:41:17,396 --> 00:41:24,516 Speaker 2: With the edition from Hip Parade, We're back with the 424 00:41:24,516 --> 00:41:26,476 Speaker 2: rest of this episode of Hip Parade. 425 00:41:27,436 --> 00:41:32,476 Speaker 4: Besides all this crossover between genres, there was one genre 426 00:41:32,596 --> 00:41:35,556 Speaker 4: that really went out of its way to become more 427 00:41:35,676 --> 00:41:41,076 Speaker 4: accessible in nineteen eighty four. Reason five for the awesomeness 428 00:41:41,116 --> 00:41:58,596 Speaker 4: of nineteen eighty four Metal goes pop. Okay, hold on 429 00:41:58,716 --> 00:42:02,636 Speaker 4: to your hairnet, I Chris malanfy am about to say 430 00:42:02,716 --> 00:42:07,916 Speaker 4: something nice about bon Jovi. Runaway, their debut single, a 431 00:42:08,036 --> 00:42:11,756 Speaker 4: number thirty nine it in April nineteen eighty four, is 432 00:42:12,316 --> 00:42:16,316 Speaker 4: a really good song, maybe because it sounds the least 433 00:42:16,556 --> 00:42:19,716 Speaker 4: like a bon Jovi song on it. John bon Jovi 434 00:42:20,116 --> 00:42:24,196 Speaker 4: fronted a group of Journeymen session musicians he never played 435 00:42:24,196 --> 00:42:40,876 Speaker 4: with again. Runaway was emblematic of glam metal in nineteen 436 00:42:40,996 --> 00:42:44,916 Speaker 4: eighty four, and yes, as we discussed in our Hit 437 00:42:44,996 --> 00:42:49,236 Speaker 4: Parade episode about bon Jovi, they really were considered metal 438 00:42:49,396 --> 00:42:52,836 Speaker 4: at that time. After they began topping the Hot one hundred. 439 00:42:52,836 --> 00:42:56,596 Speaker 4: A couple of years later, the term hair metal was coined. 440 00:42:57,316 --> 00:43:01,756 Speaker 4: This brand of metal was frothy, catchy, laced with hooks, 441 00:43:02,036 --> 00:43:07,436 Speaker 4: and piled with synthesizers. Van Halen, whose LP nineteen eighty 442 00:43:07,476 --> 00:43:11,196 Speaker 4: four was the year's top charting hard rock album, did 443 00:43:11,276 --> 00:43:15,716 Speaker 4: as much for the synthesizer that year as any techno pop. 444 00:43:15,676 --> 00:43:21,396 Speaker 5: Act Yeah You de Sile pure Ses. 445 00:43:26,876 --> 00:43:31,156 Speaker 4: But even when nineteen eighty four metal avoided synths and 446 00:43:31,436 --> 00:43:36,476 Speaker 4: stuck to guitars, it was shamelessly catchy. Like everything else 447 00:43:36,556 --> 00:43:39,956 Speaker 4: that year, metal was helping to define the bounds of 448 00:43:40,116 --> 00:43:56,596 Speaker 4: mass appeal pop. Van Halen scored three top twenty hits 449 00:43:56,636 --> 00:44:01,956 Speaker 4: in eighty four, including aleweight and Panama, and a massive 450 00:44:02,076 --> 00:44:05,836 Speaker 4: number one hit that we'll discuss later. But they were 451 00:44:05,876 --> 00:44:08,916 Speaker 4: not alone. They were joined in the top forty that 452 00:44:08,956 --> 00:44:12,876 Speaker 4: year year by Germany's Scorpions with the number twenty five 453 00:44:12,956 --> 00:44:27,796 Speaker 4: hit rock You Like a Hurricane. La band Rat with 454 00:44:27,956 --> 00:44:32,116 Speaker 4: their metallic love song Round and Round. The single reached 455 00:44:32,196 --> 00:44:35,956 Speaker 4: number twelve, and their LP Out of the Cellar went 456 00:44:36,156 --> 00:44:53,996 Speaker 4: top ten and double platinum. And the garish, flamboyant and 457 00:44:54,116 --> 00:45:00,636 Speaker 4: deliberately cartoonish Twisted Sister. Their music videos featuring bugs, bunny style, 458 00:45:00,716 --> 00:45:07,316 Speaker 4: comic violence against parents and principles, made Twisted Sister MTV stars. 459 00:45:07,836 --> 00:45:11,156 Speaker 4: But it must also be said that their number twenty 460 00:45:11,196 --> 00:45:14,996 Speaker 4: one hit We're Not Gonna Take It, written by outspoken 461 00:45:15,076 --> 00:45:20,116 Speaker 4: Twisted Sister frontman d Snyder, was a heartfelt, melodic and 462 00:45:20,396 --> 00:45:34,036 Speaker 4: stirring anthem god, so even the most meat and potatoes 463 00:45:34,156 --> 00:45:37,476 Speaker 4: rock bands were going the extra mile. In eighty four, 464 00:45:38,076 --> 00:45:42,156 Speaker 4: on the other end of the spectrum, America's most cutting 465 00:45:42,316 --> 00:45:48,556 Speaker 4: edge new genre was infiltrating the zeitgeist. Reason six for 466 00:45:48,796 --> 00:45:53,796 Speaker 4: the awesomeness of nineteen eighty four hip hop culture becomes 467 00:45:54,076 --> 00:45:55,236 Speaker 4: pop culture. 468 00:45:56,996 --> 00:46:07,836 Speaker 1: Faith, physic, dreams of Passage. 469 00:46:08,156 --> 00:46:12,276 Speaker 4: By eighty five four, hip hop had existed for over 470 00:46:12,396 --> 00:46:17,116 Speaker 4: a decade since DJ cool Hirk's legendary nineteen seventy three 471 00:46:17,236 --> 00:46:21,396 Speaker 4: Wreckroom Party, and rap had been a recorded medium for 472 00:46:21,396 --> 00:46:25,876 Speaker 4: more than four years since nineteen seventy nine's Rappers Delight. 473 00:46:26,636 --> 00:46:30,476 Speaker 4: The full pop breakthrough of rap was still a couple 474 00:46:30,476 --> 00:46:34,156 Speaker 4: of years away, but you could feel it getting closer. 475 00:46:34,756 --> 00:46:38,876 Speaker 4: At the start of the year, Melly Mill's irresistible anti 476 00:46:38,996 --> 00:46:44,796 Speaker 4: drug jam Whitelines was something like a phenomenon, bubbling under 477 00:46:44,876 --> 00:46:48,916 Speaker 4: the Hot one hundred and peaking just outside the top 478 00:46:49,036 --> 00:47:04,756 Speaker 4: forty on the R and B chart. Famously, the first 479 00:47:04,876 --> 00:47:07,676 Speaker 4: rap group to break into the top ten on the 480 00:47:07,716 --> 00:47:11,836 Speaker 4: Hot one hundred would be run DMC with their Aerosmith 481 00:47:11,916 --> 00:47:16,716 Speaker 4: cover Walk This Way. That wouldn't happen until nineteen eighty six. 482 00:47:17,316 --> 00:47:21,836 Speaker 4: But in eighty four, run DMC were already making waves 483 00:47:21,876 --> 00:47:25,836 Speaker 4: with their self titled debut album and a string of 484 00:47:25,956 --> 00:47:30,996 Speaker 4: black radio hits, including the rock rap fusion rock Box 485 00:47:31,356 --> 00:47:34,916 Speaker 4: a number twenty two R and B hit No Bright. 486 00:47:34,996 --> 00:47:38,556 Speaker 1: The xnog Babe Manders, Up and Down, Slow Bay For. 487 00:47:44,316 --> 00:47:48,076 Speaker 4: And In the summer of eighty four, Brooklyn rap troupe 488 00:47:48,316 --> 00:47:53,556 Speaker 4: Nucleus scored a national hit with their zany electro funk 489 00:47:53,676 --> 00:47:58,116 Speaker 4: classic jam On It. It reached number fifty six pop 490 00:47:58,436 --> 00:48:02,676 Speaker 4: number nine R and B, remarkable for a rap single 491 00:48:02,796 --> 00:48:07,396 Speaker 4: on an independent label, and speaking as a native Brooklyn Nite, 492 00:48:07,756 --> 00:48:10,676 Speaker 4: I can tell you jam On It was as huge 493 00:48:10,796 --> 00:48:16,476 Speaker 4: on the radio that summer as anything by Madonna or Duranduran. 494 00:48:23,916 --> 00:48:24,316 Speaker 1: Screen. 495 00:48:30,516 --> 00:48:33,836 Speaker 4: The way you could tell hip hop culture was really 496 00:48:33,956 --> 00:48:39,316 Speaker 4: going overground was how elements of the culture scratching, rapping, 497 00:48:39,396 --> 00:48:44,356 Speaker 4: and especially breaking, were infecting middle of the road. Nineteen 498 00:48:44,436 --> 00:48:49,556 Speaker 4: eighty four, pop Records actress and pop star Irene Kara, 499 00:48:50,036 --> 00:48:54,196 Speaker 4: one year passed her number one hit Flashdance, What a Feeling, 500 00:48:54,716 --> 00:48:59,276 Speaker 4: returned to the top ten with the single Breakdance. As 501 00:48:59,396 --> 00:49:03,516 Speaker 4: guileless as this song was, it probably did more to 502 00:49:03,676 --> 00:49:14,796 Speaker 4: introduce breaking to middle America than most rap singles did, 503 00:49:20,356 --> 00:49:24,716 Speaker 4: and famously, nineteen eighty four was the year breaking hit 504 00:49:24,956 --> 00:49:29,356 Speaker 4: the big screen. Canon Films released two back to back 505 00:49:29,636 --> 00:49:34,916 Speaker 4: teensploitation dance movies in eighty four, in quick succession, the 506 00:49:34,996 --> 00:49:39,476 Speaker 4: hit Breakin and the insta sequel Say It with Me Now, 507 00:49:39,876 --> 00:49:45,196 Speaker 4: break In two Electric Boogaloo. The first Breakin generated a 508 00:49:45,236 --> 00:49:49,596 Speaker 4: top ten hit from electro soul duo Ollie Brown and 509 00:49:49,676 --> 00:49:54,556 Speaker 4: Jerry Knight. Ollie and Jerry's Breakin' There's No Stopping Us 510 00:49:54,796 --> 00:50:12,556 Speaker 4: reach number nine in August of eighty four, but possibly 511 00:50:12,876 --> 00:50:17,156 Speaker 4: rap's biggest pop culture moment of eighty four came on 512 00:50:17,236 --> 00:50:20,396 Speaker 4: a single by An R and B Veteran. 513 00:50:20,596 --> 00:50:24,316 Speaker 1: Chuck a con chuck a kon chuck a kN chacka. 514 00:50:24,116 --> 00:50:25,676 Speaker 3: Kan chuck. 515 00:50:29,196 --> 00:50:33,996 Speaker 4: Chuck chaka cohns. I Feel for You was a cover 516 00:50:34,196 --> 00:50:38,076 Speaker 4: of a song by Prince, with guest harmonica playing by 517 00:50:38,196 --> 00:50:43,916 Speaker 4: Stevie Wonder and samples of Wonder's early hit Fingertips, punctuated 518 00:50:44,156 --> 00:50:48,516 Speaker 4: most famously by rapping from Mellie Mill and up to 519 00:50:48,556 --> 00:50:52,196 Speaker 4: the minute scratching and hip hop style production. 520 00:50:59,876 --> 00:51:10,196 Speaker 3: Cha co Let Me tell You What's One to be? 521 00:51:10,516 --> 00:51:13,836 Speaker 4: I Feel for You reached number three on the Hot 522 00:51:13,876 --> 00:51:16,836 Speaker 4: one hundred and number one on the R and B 523 00:51:17,076 --> 00:51:21,876 Speaker 4: chart In November eighty four, Shaka Khan's biggest pop hit ever, 524 00:51:22,116 --> 00:51:26,956 Speaker 4: served as a mainstream ambassador to hip hop culture. Rap 525 00:51:27,196 --> 00:51:31,036 Speaker 4: was also becoming famous for beefs. The dis records Ro 526 00:51:31,196 --> 00:51:35,276 Speaker 4: San Rock San and Rock San's Revenge also dropped in 527 00:51:35,396 --> 00:51:38,756 Speaker 4: late eighty four, but the biggest beef of the year 528 00:51:38,956 --> 00:51:43,996 Speaker 4: happened in the pop world between two female newcomers. It 529 00:51:44,076 --> 00:51:49,476 Speaker 4: was concocted entirely by the media, yet even there something 530 00:51:49,676 --> 00:51:56,116 Speaker 4: positive emerged. Reason seven for the awesomeness of nineteen eighty four. 531 00:51:56,556 --> 00:52:16,596 Speaker 4: Cindi Lauper plus Not Versus Madonna. Cindy Lauper and Madonna, 532 00:52:16,836 --> 00:52:21,236 Speaker 4: two dance pop singers nurtured in New York's downtown arts 533 00:52:21,276 --> 00:52:26,236 Speaker 4: and club scene, released their solo debut LPs She's So 534 00:52:26,516 --> 00:52:32,076 Speaker 4: Unusual and Madonna, respectively, just weeks apart in the second 535 00:52:32,196 --> 00:52:36,636 Speaker 4: half of nineteen eighty three. By nineteen eighty four, both 536 00:52:36,836 --> 00:52:56,436 Speaker 4: LPs were spinning off strings of hits. Because the patriarchy 537 00:52:56,556 --> 00:53:01,956 Speaker 4: won't allow two accomplished women to coexist without trying to 538 00:53:02,076 --> 00:53:05,676 Speaker 4: start a fight. By mid eighty four, the press and 539 00:53:05,796 --> 00:53:10,396 Speaker 4: the music industry positioned Cindy Lauper and Madonna as would 540 00:53:10,476 --> 00:53:14,836 Speaker 4: be rivals. As we discussed in our Lapper episode of 541 00:53:14,956 --> 00:53:20,516 Speaker 4: Hip Parade, neither woman actively engaged in this imagined rivalry. 542 00:53:20,996 --> 00:53:24,196 Speaker 4: The fact that the media even called it a catfight 543 00:53:24,556 --> 00:53:39,996 Speaker 4: was depressing. But here's the thing, this was a happening. 544 00:53:40,436 --> 00:53:43,996 Speaker 4: Not since the early sixties girl group era had two 545 00:53:44,076 --> 00:53:49,516 Speaker 4: women launched careers simultaneously and had this much chart impact 546 00:53:49,676 --> 00:53:52,676 Speaker 4: out of the box. By the end of eighty four, 547 00:53:53,076 --> 00:53:56,876 Speaker 4: Lauper became the first woman to pull four top five 548 00:53:57,036 --> 00:54:00,836 Speaker 4: hits from a single album, the number two hit Girls 549 00:54:00,996 --> 00:54:04,716 Speaker 4: Just Want to Have Fun, the number one Time after Time, 550 00:54:05,116 --> 00:54:09,236 Speaker 4: the number three Shebop, and the number five hit All 551 00:54:09,276 --> 00:54:26,676 Speaker 4: Through the Night. Madonna's success took, believe it or not, 552 00:54:27,156 --> 00:54:31,116 Speaker 4: a bit longer to get rolling. Holiday was only a 553 00:54:31,196 --> 00:54:35,996 Speaker 4: number sixteen hit, Borderline a number ten hit, But by 554 00:54:36,116 --> 00:54:40,316 Speaker 4: the time Lucky Star reached its peak in October of 555 00:54:40,396 --> 00:54:55,916 Speaker 4: eighty four, Madonna had kicked off a six year streak 556 00:54:56,276 --> 00:55:01,596 Speaker 4: of sixteen consecutive top five hits, a still unbroken Hot 557 00:55:01,636 --> 00:55:06,436 Speaker 4: one hundred record, and she matched Lauper's daring from the start. 558 00:55:07,116 --> 00:55:10,436 Speaker 4: Just weeks after Cindy Peak with her ode to the 559 00:55:10,556 --> 00:55:29,276 Speaker 4: Joys of Female Masturbation, she bop Madonna dropped her meditation 560 00:55:29,596 --> 00:55:34,916 Speaker 4: on Reinvigorated Virginity. We'll get to that song in more 561 00:55:34,956 --> 00:55:44,596 Speaker 4: detail a bit later in the show. I choose to 562 00:55:44,716 --> 00:55:49,796 Speaker 4: remember the Cindy Madonna confluence of nineteen eighty four as 563 00:55:49,876 --> 00:55:53,756 Speaker 4: a next level moment for women on the charts, rather 564 00:55:53,916 --> 00:55:59,116 Speaker 4: than a rivalry. Two great artists, each with totally original 565 00:55:59,196 --> 00:56:03,996 Speaker 4: pop persona, were dropping first rate bops every few weeks. 566 00:56:04,436 --> 00:56:24,676 Speaker 4: As the meme says, why not both when they broke 567 00:56:24,916 --> 00:56:29,196 Speaker 4: in eighty four. Madonna was over twenty five years old, 568 00:56:29,596 --> 00:56:34,796 Speaker 4: Lauper thirty years old, fairly mature for brand new pop stars. 569 00:56:35,356 --> 00:56:38,796 Speaker 4: But they were both kids compared with some of the 570 00:56:38,876 --> 00:56:43,316 Speaker 4: year's big hit makers, which brings up one last X 571 00:56:43,396 --> 00:56:48,596 Speaker 4: factor about the year. Reason eight for the awesomeness of 572 00:56:48,716 --> 00:57:03,996 Speaker 4: nineteen eighty four, Old dogs learn new tricks. As I 573 00:57:04,156 --> 00:57:07,516 Speaker 4: said at the top of our show, Tina Turner pulled 574 00:57:07,556 --> 00:57:11,676 Speaker 4: off a major comeback in nineteen eighty four, becoming a 575 00:57:11,716 --> 00:57:15,556 Speaker 4: bigger hit maker than she'd ever been at the ripe 576 00:57:15,596 --> 00:57:19,916 Speaker 4: old age of forty four, and she was in good company. 577 00:57:20,316 --> 00:57:24,556 Speaker 4: A wave of pop veterans scored major hits in eighty four, 578 00:57:25,076 --> 00:57:29,116 Speaker 4: not just keeping up with the whipper Snappers, but totally 579 00:57:29,236 --> 00:57:34,756 Speaker 4: reinventing themselves. You might say Tina Turner wasn't the only 580 00:57:35,036 --> 00:57:54,956 Speaker 4: elder superstar with legs. Legs. Zz Top's first ever top 581 00:57:54,996 --> 00:57:58,356 Speaker 4: ten hit in the summer of eighty four, peaked just 582 00:57:58,516 --> 00:58:03,596 Speaker 4: as the Bearded Texas Trios members turned thirty five. As 583 00:58:03,636 --> 00:58:07,836 Speaker 4: we discussed in our Legacy Hits episode, after spending the 584 00:58:07,876 --> 00:58:13,276 Speaker 4: seventies as electric blues craftsmen, zz Top rebooted themselves on 585 00:58:13,436 --> 00:58:19,356 Speaker 4: their Eliminator album as electro dance rockers, retrofitting their guitar 586 00:58:19,516 --> 00:58:25,196 Speaker 4: crunch with sequencers and synthesizers, and they rebooted themselves as 587 00:58:25,396 --> 00:58:30,916 Speaker 4: MTV stars in a series of cheeky videos. Or let's 588 00:58:30,996 --> 00:58:45,916 Speaker 4: consider a very different but just as senior rock band Chicago. 589 00:58:47,716 --> 00:58:52,396 Speaker 4: They'd been recording since the late sixties. In nineteen eighty four, 590 00:58:52,756 --> 00:58:57,036 Speaker 4: as Chicago's members were all between thirty five and forty, 591 00:58:57,396 --> 00:59:02,796 Speaker 4: the horn inflected troop went multi platinum with Chicago seventeen 592 00:59:03,276 --> 00:59:07,596 Speaker 4: their most hit packed LP. Ever, four of its hits 593 00:59:07,676 --> 00:59:10,636 Speaker 4: cracked the top twenty, and two of them reached the 594 00:59:10,676 --> 00:59:15,316 Speaker 4: top five, including the number three hit Hard Habit to Break, 595 00:59:16,276 --> 00:59:21,756 Speaker 4: and those were just the groups. Veterans soloists were also scoring. 596 00:59:21,956 --> 00:59:39,516 Speaker 4: In eighty four, David Bowie, who had just turned thirty seven, 597 00:59:39,956 --> 00:59:42,796 Speaker 4: kept up his hot streak that he'd kicked off the 598 00:59:42,876 --> 00:59:46,796 Speaker 4: year before on the Let's Dance LP with his glossy 599 00:59:46,956 --> 00:59:51,516 Speaker 4: eighty four single Blue Gene, a number eight hit in November. 600 00:59:52,316 --> 00:59:56,916 Speaker 4: Even some of the apparent young'uns were older than they looked. 601 00:59:57,316 --> 01:00:01,196 Speaker 4: Two men who both turned thirty five in nineteen eighty 602 01:00:01,236 --> 01:00:05,836 Speaker 4: four had each just recorded his biggest, most hit packed 603 01:00:05,876 --> 01:00:11,316 Speaker 4: album ever. Lionel Ritchie, whose CA slowed Down LP produced 604 01:00:11,476 --> 01:00:33,196 Speaker 4: five top ten hits, including two number ones, and Bruce Springsteen, 605 01:00:33,436 --> 01:00:37,396 Speaker 4: who's born in the USA, would produce a record seven 606 01:00:37,556 --> 01:00:41,636 Speaker 4: top ten hits across nineteen eighty four, eighty five and 607 01:00:41,796 --> 01:00:42,756 Speaker 4: eighty six. 608 01:00:44,276 --> 01:00:51,676 Speaker 5: USA US. 609 01:00:53,476 --> 01:00:57,436 Speaker 4: For Bruce, the only bad news was none of those 610 01:00:57,636 --> 01:01:00,956 Speaker 4: seven hits reached number one on the Hot one hundred, 611 01:01:01,556 --> 01:01:04,876 Speaker 4: but several veterans did go all the way on the 612 01:01:04,916 --> 01:01:08,876 Speaker 4: big chart, along with avatars of the new pop from 613 01:01:09,396 --> 01:01:14,236 Speaker 4: George to Madonna, Duran, Duran to Wham. Let's spend part 614 01:01:14,316 --> 01:01:18,276 Speaker 4: two of this show walking through all of these number 615 01:01:18,316 --> 01:01:31,356 Speaker 4: one hits coming up. In part two, we take a 616 01:01:31,396 --> 01:01:34,596 Speaker 4: spin through the twenty songs that reached number one on 617 01:01:34,676 --> 01:01:38,636 Speaker 4: the Hot one hundred in nineteen eighty four. They embody 618 01:01:38,796 --> 01:01:42,316 Speaker 4: all the hallmarks that made eighty four pop's greatest year. 619 01:01:42,676 --> 01:01:47,516 Speaker 4: They were cinematic and charismatic, ballads and bops, old school 620 01:01:47,676 --> 01:01:51,236 Speaker 4: and next wave. And the only artist who repeats is 621 01:01:51,916 --> 01:01:56,156 Speaker 4: let's call him the kid who maybe was just too bold. 622 01:01:56,636 --> 01:02:00,516 Speaker 4: Broken Record listeners, thanks for listening to part one. You 623 01:02:00,596 --> 01:02:03,836 Speaker 4: can listen to part two right now. Just find Hit 624 01:02:03,916 --> 01:02:07,996 Speaker 4: Parade in your favorite podcast app. Thanks to everyone at 625 01:02:07,996 --> 01:02:11,236 Speaker 4: Broken Record or the chance to share this look at 626 01:02:11,276 --> 01:02:15,316 Speaker 4: an amazing year for pop. Our show was written, edited, 627 01:02:15,396 --> 01:02:19,476 Speaker 4: and narrated by Chris Molanfy That's Me. My producer is 628 01:02:19,556 --> 01:02:24,236 Speaker 4: Kevin Bendis. Derek john is Executive producer of Narrative Podcasts, 629 01:02:24,436 --> 01:02:28,116 Speaker 4: and we had help from Joel Meyer. Alicia Montgomery is 630 01:02:28,276 --> 01:02:31,996 Speaker 4: VP of Audio for Slate Podcasts. Check out their roster 631 01:02:32,116 --> 01:02:36,396 Speaker 4: of shows at Slate dot com Slash Podcasts. You can 632 01:02:36,396 --> 01:02:40,196 Speaker 4: subscribe to Hit Parade wherever you get your podcasts, in 633 01:02:40,236 --> 01:02:43,476 Speaker 4: addition to finding it in the Slate Culture Feed. If 634 01:02:43,516 --> 01:02:47,236 Speaker 4: you're subscribing on Apple podcasts. Please rate and review us 635 01:02:47,276 --> 01:02:50,516 Speaker 4: while you're there. It helps other listeners find the show. 636 01:02:50,956 --> 01:02:53,476 Speaker 4: Thanks for listening, and I look forward to leading the 637 01:02:53,596 --> 01:02:57,236 Speaker 4: hit parade back your way. Until then, keep on marching 638 01:02:57,236 --> 01:03:13,916 Speaker 4: on the one. I'm Chris molanfy