Tag Archives: tb80s

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Song of the Day #5,558: ‘Tell Her About It’ – Billy Joel

Throwing back to the week of September 17, 1983, we have Michael Sembello hanging on to the top spot with ‘Maniac’ from the Flashdance soundtrack. Right behind him at #2 is Billy Joel, whose ‘Tell Her About It’ would take over the top spot the following week.

‘Tell Her About It’ was the first of six singles from Joel’s An Innocent Man album, and the only one to hit #1. Even ‘Uptown Girl‘ couldn’t make it higher than #3. In fact, this song is one of only three #1 hits in Joel’s entire career. Bonus points to anybody who can name the other two in the comments (without cheating).

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Song of the Day #5,537: ‘Maniac’ – Michael Sembello

Throwing back to the week of August 27, 1983, we find two songs dominating the top of the chart that basically occupied that space all summer — The Police’s ‘Every Breath You Take‘ and Eurythmics’ ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).’

In the third spot was the second single from the Flashdance soundtrack. A couple of months earlier, the movie’s title track topped the charts, and now Michael Sembello’s ‘Maniac’ was on its way to the same accomplishment.

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Song of the Day #5,516: ‘She Works Hard for the Money’ – Donna Summer

Throwing back to the week of August 6, 1983, we find that it was great to be a music fan that summer. In the #1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 is The Police’s ‘Every Breath You Take,’ which ultimately spent eight weeks atop the chart (and gave the band its only #1 hit on the Hot 100).

I’ve featured that one before, so we move to #2, where the Eurythmics classic ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)’ spent one month before overtaking The Police for the #1 spot. I’ve written about that one, too.

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Song of the Day #5,495: ‘Electric Avenue’ – Eddy Grant

Throwing back to the week of July 16, 1983, we find The Police’s ‘Every Breath You Take’ in the #1 spot for the second straight week. As I featured that classic 14 years ago, I’m skipping it today to focus on that week’s #2 song.

In the second spot is the lone U.S. top ten hit by Guyanese-British artist Eddy Grant: ‘Electric Avenue.’ The reggae-tinged rock song spent five weeks at #2, held off from the top spot first by Irene Cara’s ‘Flashdance… What a Feeling‘ and then by the aforementioned ‘Every Breath You Take.’

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Song of the Day #5,474: ‘Time (Clock of the Heart)’ – Culture Club

Throwing back to the week of June 25, 1983, gives us a repeat at the top spot of Billboard’s Hot 100 as Irene Cara’s ‘Flashdance… What a Feeling’ continued its six-week run at #1.

That brings us to the week’s #2 song, ‘Time (Clock of the Heart)’ by Culture Club. This single, the second from the band’s debut album Kissing to Be Clever, spent two weeks at #2 but couldn’t crack the top spot (thanks, Irene Cara!). It matched the performance of previous single ‘Do You Really Want to Hurt Me,’ which also fell one slot short of #1.

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