Did you immediately think "Tempted"? Or "Black Coffee In Bed"?
Nope. This song reached #15 on the Billboard charts in 1986, making it the biggest hit the band ever had in the US. A rare songwriting collaboration by Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook, the song is lyrically word salad. Musically, it's typical Squeeze.
I was really late writing this today. So, yeah, I dipped into my leftover Hall of Fame bag for this one. Enjoy what was the first major international hit by INXS, Australia's greatest export. Of course, after Vegemite. And Paul Hogan. And koala bears.
The strength of this song in Australia led to record deals for INXS outside of Australia - and their worldwide fame.
This song, from the 2018 movie Suicide Squad, is the biggest hit twenty one pilots have had thus far, peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and staying there for five weeks in 2016.
The song is a fusion of straight-ahead rock and hip-hop. It's a dark song, for sure. It is likely the best thing to come out of the Suicide Squad movie - and it ain't just me saying this.
On this palindromic day, we bring to you a letter to God.
Written in the voice of an agnostic questioning his own existence, the song is an indictment of organized religion - mostly on the atrocities man has done in the name of God throughout history. Eight year old girl Jasmine Veillette provides vocals for the opening and closing of the song, but most of it is normal XTC vocalist and songwriter Andy Partridge.
The song was quite controversial, left off initial pressings of the Skylarking album over what ended up being completely founded (although misguided - threats of violence over disagreement are, in my opinion, really stupid) concerns over backlash. Its popularity got it added to subsequent pressings, and it is one of XTC's best remembered songs, even though others were bigger hits.
I'm not going to lie to you. I almost did a double on Friday with "Edge of Seventeen" and this song. They share a 16th note-filled riff - which co-writer Beyoncé heard on a plane and loved. Originally, it was going to be recreated in-studio, but a decision was made to go with a sample instead.
The song is primarily sung by Kelly Rowland (who hates the song, by the way), with Beyoncé taking the lead on the chorus and Michelle Williams on the bridge. I know, in 2022, it's hard to think of Beyoncé being overshadowed by anyone - but these were three women who could harmonize and all sound great together.
The release of this song resulted in the word "bootylicious" being added to the Oxford Dictionary. I'm serious. Go look if you want.
By the way, whether or not Stevie Nicks was on board with Destiny's Child sampling her famous guitar riff should be answered if you watch the first ten seconds of the video.... but she's also a credited writer.
This song was Stevie Nicks's third solo single, from her first solo album. It just narrowly missed being a top 10 hit - peaking at #11 - but endures to this day. The song was written as a reaction to the deaths of Nicks's uncle and also John Lennon - the "white winged dove" was representative of death, in this case.
But c'mon. We're here to talk about that guitar riff, right? It's a bunch of 16th notes strung together, and it unrelenting throughout the song. Those familiar with The Police know that the riff is remarkably similar to one featured in one of their songs, "Bring On The Night", but it wasn't a straight lifting and was done with complete authorization - as Andy Summers and Stevie Nicks had discussed it in 1981.
So it was a good time to release a skate-themed song...
But a rock band like Dire Straits releasing a song at the tail end of the disco era about something that was tied into the disco theme.....THAT was an achievement. Sure, it was light rock, with pop overtones - and ended up being a minor radio and major MTV hit - but still. Achievement.
And yes, that's a steel guitar in this rock/disco song. So, even more fusion.
