Michael Jackson is inevitably tied, in my mind at least, to the 1980's. Yes he produced stuff before and after that decade but I don't feel as if Michael Jackson was really MICHAEL JACKSON except in the 1980's. So this feels to me like the first "real" Michael Jackson song.
*high five*
One of my favorite MJ songs. His vocal performance is insane. Sadly his other stuff gets played on the radio way more often, especially the so-so Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough.
Do any of us listen to easy listening stations? Probably not.
I know I do, anytime I'm in my dentist's waiting room.
Maybe. But I think these love songs are a staunch counterpoint:
Half of Adele's songs...
And this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF8B...
And while on this topi, I absolutely cannot prevent getting misty eyed with this classic from the 80's:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InyW...
Deciphering Simon LeBon is a very tall order. He is a true poet and that is what makes him and Duran Duran so special.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2-N...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R30H...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEgs...
I have fond memories of Come Dancing. It's got a fun hook and tells a nice story filled with nostalgia. The vocals are like what was coming from England at the time (Madness, Dexys Midnight Runners, The Vapors).
But, as for how it reached #6 in 1983, the answer is definitely MTV. Having just launched, there were only a handful of music videos available to play. This was one of them, and was on heavy rotation.
there might not be any songs that are primarily about interracial romance in the last 20 years to the same degree those listed above are. Am I in error? Can you think of any?
Off the top of my head there are way more songs about the "pluses" of infidelity. You down with OPP... maybe a sign of the times?
A couple of things come to mind with the Kinks "Come Dancin":
Its nostalgic. It tells a story. It has a hummable hook (the steel drum after the chorus). So it would be easy to catch on when played a million times a day on MTV.
There are a lot of "hits" like that in the heyday of MTV's music days. Some good like most of Depeche Mode's rise and some bad like "Money for Nothing" and "Come Dancin". (Aint Nothing Gonna Breaka My Stride)
edit: and I realize I just said similar things to Tscott...
Also re: "Pass the Dutchie"
There was a wave of reggae (and ska thanks to Madness, the Police and Oingo Boingo) throughout the 80's. My much maligned UB40 rose to their height during that decade. Musical Youth seemed to tap into that and the "New Edition" boy band craze. Though I feel like they were more originators and weren't created as a response to those movements. The only predecessor(s) I can think of is the Jackson 5, the Monkeys and the Partridge Family.
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