Monday, April 25, 2022

"Radio Romance" by Tiffany

Song#:  3815
Date:  02/25/1989
Debut:  84
Peak:  35
Weeks:  9
Genre:  Pop


Pop Bits:  Tiffany kicked off her second album Hold an Old Friend's Hand with the single "All This Time." It would do well reaching #6 Pop and #10 AC. However, since her #1 debut album featured a pair of #1 Pop hits and another Top 10, this single's performance was a bit disappointing. Tiffany needed something better to help sales of the album, which at this point was not on track to replicate her debut's success. This next single was pushed out with hopes that it would at least maintain some momentum. Unfortunately, it did not. The song stalled just inside the Pop Top 40. A third single, the album's title track, would get to #37 AC, but fail to make the Pop chart. With those results, the album couldn't get any higher than #17. It would go platinum, but that was a significant drop from the multi-platinum success of her debut LP. This song would end up being Tiffany's last solo effort to reach the Pop chart.

ReduxReview:  This song sounded like a disco tune from the late 70s enhanced with a little late 80s production. In other words, it really wasn't a good single for the time period. It's not an awful song. I guess I'd call it cute, but cute was not going to cut it on the chart and indeed it stalled early. It all comes down to material and manager/producer George Tobin just didn't secure the right songs that would keep Tiffany relevant. She could sing and entertain. She just needed good tunes and her second album fell way short of that mark. By the time she got away from Tobin, the music landscape had changed and most of her original fans had moved on. She tried to keep up but it was just a little too late.

ReduxRating:  3/10

Trivia:  After Tiffany turned 18 in the fall of '89, she was able to leave her manager/producer George Tobin. She signed on with New Kids on the Block management team and a year later her third album, New Inside, was issued out. The LP had Tiffany moving into a more contemporary pop/R&B sound. The change wasn't well received and neither the album nor any of its singles charted. She reunited briefly with producer George Tobin for 1993's Dreams Never Die, but it failed to get her back on the charts. It would be her last album for MCA Records. Over the years Tiffany would record more albums for indie labels including one in the country genre (2011's Rose Tattoo). She would also dabble in acting making appearances on a few TV shows, but it would be a pair of sci-fi/comedy/horror flicks that would get her name circulated again. First was 2010's Mega Piranha, which became an unexpected success on the SyFy channel. Then in a bit of stunt casting, Tiffany would appear alongside her old chart rival Debbie Gibson in 2011's Mega Python vs. Gatoroid. Tiffany would also appear in several reality TV programs including Celebrity Wife Swap and What Not to Wear.

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1 comment:

  1. This song has an odd distinction. It has the highest peak position in the decade of any song that only spent one week in the Top 40.

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