[Simple Time] -- Forty years ago this week, Simple Minds released their seventh studio album, Once Upon a Time. The band was riding a high due to the huge success of "Don't You (Forget about Me)", featured in the closing credits of The Breakfast Club (February 1985). That song does not appear on Once Upon a Time, but its impact on the band's popularity cannot be ignored, and later rereleases do include it.
"Alive and Kicking" was the first single off this album, and it was another monster success for the band. It peaked at #3 and #2 in the US, on the US Billboard Hot 100 and US Mainstream Rock charts respectively; it also peaked at #7 in the UK and was a top 40 hit in multiple other countries. The next two singles – "Sanctify Yourself" and "All the Things She Said" – charted well in both the US and around the globe.
Ultimately, Once Upon a Time landed at #1 on the UK Albums Chart and #10 on the US Billboard 200. In addition to chart success, the album was also reviewed favorably. In Spin magazine, Armond White wrote: "Every cut is neat and punchy pomp... The album sucks up love, politics, and religion into a swirling vacuum of show-off musicianship" [Spin. No. 9. p. 28.]. Well said. Songwriting, musicianship, and production all combined to make for a solid 1980s album.
Flashback: Once Upon a Time (October 21, 1985)
And 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.
See you in seven!
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