[33 Years Ago This Week] -- I'm going to be 51 soon. In this very month as a matter of fact. So, for this final weekend of April 2019, I'm taking a look back to April 1986. Specifically, April 26, 1986. On or around that day, Marshall Holman won the Firestone World Bowling Tournament of Champions, France performed a nuclear test, the Chernobyl nuclear power station in USSR exploded, and these five songs topped the Billboard Hot 100.
Flashback #5: "So tell me why can't this be love?"
"Why Can't This Be Love" was the first single off Van Halen's seventh studio album, 5150 (1986). It was the first single with the band's new lead singer, Sammy Hagar, and it would peak at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also helped drive 5150 to a #1 position on the album's chart, Van Halen's first album to reach that position. But as of today, April 26, "Why Can't This Be Love" was sitting at the #5 slot.
Flashback #4: "These are the days | When you wish your bed was already made."
The Bangles released "Manic Monday" as the first single off their second studio album, Different Light (1986). It hit the charts on January 27, 1986, and climbed to its peak position of #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 4/19/1986. It kept the #2 slot for 4/26/1986 before beginning its drop.
Flashback #3: "If when why what how much have you got."
British synth duo Pet Shop Boys originally released a version of "West End Girls" in April of 1984. But their first single with major label BMI, "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" in 1985, didn't get much attention. So the duo decided to re-record "West End Girls" and release it as a new single. The new version hit charts in October 1985, and it climbed to its peak position of #3 on April 26, 1986.
Flashback #2: "You know you're gonna have to face it, you're addicted to love."
The week of April 26, 1986, what would become Robert Palmer's signature song hit its peak position as #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Addicted to Love" was Palmer's second single off his eighth solo studio album, Riptide (1985). While not exactly critically acclaimed back in the day, Riptide is now considered a perfect packaging of 80s commercial sensibilities with Palmer's persuasive R&B stylings. And "Addicted to Love" with its distinctive music video was part of the driving force behind the record buying public's love of that packaging.
We lost him three years ago this week, but Prince's music lives on. "Kiss" was the lead single from Prince and The Revolution's eighth studio album, Parade (1986). "Kiss" hit the charts in February 1986, and climbed to the top position on 4/19/1986 where it remained for this week in 1986. All told, "Kiss" was on the Billboard Hot 100 for a total of 10 weeks. More than enough time for it to have a lasting impression in pop music history. Age of Chance and The Art of Noise have covered it (the latter with Tom Jones). And "Kiss" appears on both Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and NME's 150 Greatest Singles of All Time.
That's all till next week. Dedicated 80s-philes can find more flashbacks in the Prophet or Madman archives or via Bookended's 80s Flashback tag. As always, your comments are welcome on today's, or any other, flashback post. And if you like what I'm doing here, please share the link with your friends. If, however, you don't like the flashback, feel free to share it with your enemies.
I'll see you in seven!
No comments:
Post a Comment