"Here and Now" by Luther Vandross

Top 10 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Grammy Alert!

Song#:  4148

Date:  12/23/1989

Debut:  78

Peak:  6

Weeks:  27

Genre:  R&B, Pop, Adult Contemporary

Pop Bits:  Six albums into his career (all platinum/double-platinum sellers), Vandross still had yet to have a single reach the Pop Top 10. The closest he got was the #15 "Stop to Love," which was from his '86 album Give Me the Reason. His popularity was so great that his '88 album Any Love would be his first to make the Pop Top 10 (#9) despite not containing a major hit. After that effort, Vandross' label chose to close out the decade with a compilation album. The double disc set The Best of Luther Vandross...The Best of Love would be issued out in the fall of '89. It contained hits and key tracks from Vandross including tracks from when he fronted the group Change. It also featured two new tracks including this single, which was released to help promote the set. The song would be Vandross' fifth to top the R&B chart. It would cross over to Pop where the tune would take a leisurely climb up the chart finally peaking at #6 in its 18th week. It would also get to #3 at AC. Not only would the song earn Vandross his first Pop Top 10 hit, but it would win him his first Grammy (Best Male R&B Vocal Performance). The single would also go gold (it would receive a platinum certification in 2021). The compilation would get to #2 R&B/#26 Pop and eventually hit the triple platinum mark.

ReduxReview:  Finally! After having a few terrific songs unable to crack the Pop Top 10, this ballad finally did the trick for Vandross. It would lead to more Top 10s (see below) and kick off what was arguably Vandross' most successful period. Vandross was an excellent songwriter, but unfortunately he did not have a hand in this one. It was written by Terry Steele and David L. Elliott (Dionne Warwick's eldest son). Regardless, it was a beautiful song that was worthy of its Top 10 placement. It took a long while to get there, but with folks finally realizing the goods Vandross had to offer, it eventually became a big crossover hit. The Vandross catalog is chock full of great songs and performances that are essential listening. That first compilation album, which had to be made into a double disc due to all his hits and key tracks, ended up being the tip of the iceberg with more classics to follow. At minimum, folks should go and listen to that comp at least once. Whether you become a fan from it or not doesn't matter. You just have to appreciate the talent that was Luther Vandross.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  With plenty of momentum following this hit, Vandross would return in '91 with his next studio album Power of Love. Its lead single, "Power of Love/Love Power," would be a #1 R&B/#3 AC/#4 Pop hit, Its follow up, "Don't Want to Be a Fool," would be another winner getting to #4 R&B/#5 AC/#9 Pop. The album would be a #1 R&B/#7 Pop double platinum seller. Vandross would earn a fourth Pop Top 10 with the collaboration soundtrack single "The Best Things in Life Are Free" (#10 Pop/#1 R&B/#3 Dance). Used in the 1992 film Mo' Money, the song would be a duet between Vandross and Janet Jackson, and would featured supporting vocals by Bell Biv DeVoe and Ralph Tresvant. Vandross' final Pop Top 10 hit would come in 1994 via a remake of the 1981 Diana Ross/Lionel Richie #1 classic "Endless Love." Mariah Carey would join Vandross on the track, which peaked at #2 Pop/#7 R&B/#11 AC. Vandross would continue to record albums over the years with all of them at least hitting the gold mark. He would have one last significant hit in his career. In 2004, Vandross would release the album Dance with My Father. The title track, written by Vandross and Richard Marx, would go on to be a sentimental hit reaching #4 AC/#28 R&B/#38 Pop. However, its popularity rose when the tune won two Grammys, one for Song of the Year and one for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. The album would debut at #1, become a double platinum seller, and would win the Grammy for Best R&B Album. Prior to its release, Vandross had suffered a stroke and was in a coma for about two months. He would recover enough to do a video thank you when he won the Grammy for Song of the Year. However, just over a year later in 2005 Vandross would die from a heart attack.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"Roam" by The B-52's

Top 10 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  4147

Date:  12/23/1989

Debut:  88

Peak:  3

Weeks:  20

Genre:  Pop, Rock

Pop Bits:  The B-52's scored their first Pop Top 10 hit with "Love Shack," the second single from their album Cosmic Thing. It would be a #3 gold seller that took the band to new heights of popularity. For a follow up, this next single was selected. It would basically replicate the results of their previous hit by getting to #3 and going gold (#10 Dance, #6 Modern Rock). In turn, the album would reach #4 and eventually reach the 4x platinum mark. A fourth single, "Deadbeat Club," would be a modest hit just cracking the Pop Top 30 at #30.

ReduxReview:  For this song, vocalist Fred Schneider stepped to the side and let Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson take full charge of the song. It turned into a great showcase for their vocals and harmonies. Both singers had interesting voices, but when put together they created something unique and memorable, which when paired with Schneider made the B-52's sound. However, the two on their own were awesome and this hit proved it. This was a fun, catchy pop tune that was perfect for driving with the windows down on a warm summer day. Wherever you were headed, this song provided a wonderful soundtrack for the trip.

ReduxRating:  9/10

Trivia:  After everything wrapped up with Cosmic Thing and the associated tour, original member Cindy Wilson chose to go on hiatus from the band. The remaining trio decided to carry on and would record their next album Good Stuff with producers Nile Rodgers and Don Was. Both had produced tracks for Cosmic Thing. The LP was highly anticipated, but then the title track first single surprisingly stalled at #28 on the Pop chart (#1 Modern Rock) and that left the album stalling at #16. It would go gold, but it was a disappointment after the multi-platinum success of their previous LP. The band would have one last Pop chart entry in 1994 with "(Meet) The Flintsones," the theme song to the live action movie version of the 60s animated TV show The Flintstones. For the single, they were billed as The BC-52's. Wilson would rejoin the band soon after and they would tour and work on various projects as a group and individually. They wouldn't record another album until 2008's Funplex, which peaked at #11.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"Personal Jesus" by Depeche Mode

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  4130

Date:  12/09/1989

Debut:  97

Peak:  28

Weeks:  20

Genre:  Alternative Rock

Pop Bits:  Depeche Mode's sixth album, 1987's Music for the Masses, became their biggest success yet in the US getting to #35 and going gold. While none of its singles cracked the Pop Top 40, two of them made the Dance Top 3 including the #1 "Strangelove." Following a world tour, the band would get back into the studio in the summer of '89 with producer Flood and the initial result was "Personal Jesus." It would be issued out as a single in the fall of '89 in the UK where it would get to #12. A US release would follow with the tune getting to #3 Modern Rock and #12 Dance while becoming their second Pop Top 40 hit. The single (mainly the 12" version) sold well enough to reach gold status. The band would continue to record and as 1990 rolled around they had their next LP Violator ready to go. A second single, "Enjoy the Silence," would become the biggest hit of their career getting to #8 Pop/#1 Modern Rock/#6 Dance and going gold. Violator would go on to reach #7 and eventually would become their best selling LP in the US going triple platinum. It also included the #15 Pop/#1 Modern Rock/#2 Dance hit "Policy of Truth."

ReduxReview:  For me, Violator was Depeche Mode at their best. It was as if everything they did before culminated in that album. It just hit all the exact right buttons and certainly helped to break them wider into the mainstream. I bought the album as soon as it came out, but before that we got blessed with this track and the brilliant "Enjoy the Silence." This song really should have gone Top 10. It just jacked up your radio when it came on. It was a slammin' track that was different from the regular Top 40 fare. I will say that I run hot n' cold with Depeche Mode albums, but Violator is solid from beginning to end. A classic for sure.

ReduxRating:  9/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) Songwriter Martin Gore has said that Priscilla Presley's book Elvis and Me was the inspiration for the lyrics. However, a legendary singer/songwriter approached it in a different way. Johnny Cash recorded a stripped down version of the song for his final album prior to his death in 2003, 2002's American IV: The Man Comes Around. Cash heard the song and viewed it from a gospel angle. He loved the tune and included it on the album.  2) Thanks to the success of Violator, the band's next album, '93's Songs of Faith and Devotion, would hit #1 and quickly go platinum. Although their luck on the Pop chart faded quickly (they would only have a couple songs scratch the Top 40), they would remain successful on the Dance chart over the years collecting up a total of ten #1s (to-date). All of their studio albums from Violator through to 2017's Spirit would all make the Top 10. The highly influential band would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"No More Lies" by Michel'le

Top 10 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  4107

Date:  11/18/1989

Debut:  92

Peak:  7

Weeks:  29

Genre:  R&B, New Jack Swing

Pop Bits:  L.A.-born singer Michel'le Toussant caught people off guard with her two distinct voices. While she spoke in a high-pitched, thin, mousy tone, her singing voice was full bodied and powerful and both got folk's attention. As a teen, Michel'le spent time around L.A. doing vocal competitions, which eventually led to an audition with DJ Alonzo Williams. In addition to owning a club, Williams was also busy with his group the World Class Wreckin' Cru, which featured soon-to-be stars DJ Yella and Dr. Dre. Around that time, the Cru was working up a track that needed a female vocalist and Michel'le was brought in to give it a go. The resulting song, the '87's slow jam "Turn Off the Lights," would be released as a single and get to #84 Pop/#30 R&B. Along the way, Michel'le and Cru member Dr. Dre would dive into a relationship. Dre's other group, N.W.A., was signed to Ruthless Records and it wasn't long before Michel'le had her own deal with the label. She and Dre would co-write the majority of songs (with Dre serving as producer) on her self-titled debut album including this first single. Released in the fall of '89, it would become a hit at R&B reaching #2. The song would crossover to Pop where it would take a slow climb before finally landing in the Top 10. The single would sell well enough to go gold. A second single, "Nicety," would get to #5 R&B/#29 Pop while "Something in My Heart" would make it to #2 R&B/#31 Pop. The hits helped send the album to #5 R&B/#35 Pop and it would turn gold. It was a terrific start to her career and should have led to further success, but then it would take nearly ten years before she could record a follow up.

ReduxReview:  I had forgotten about this great jam. It was defiant and tough with hot production. Michel'le then took it to the next level with her powerful vocal. While it did well and made it to #7, it really should have easily made the Top 3. Michel'le definitely had the goods to be a bigger star and it was too bad that she didn't get to do an immediate follow up. By the time she got one out, it was too late. Despite that, we are still left with her debut album and this terrific hit. It also seems she doesn't get enough credit for helping to forge a new path in music. There are some folks that consider Michel'le's debut as the first hip hop soul album; or at least the influence for the genre. The general view is that Sean "Puffy" Combs first coined the term hip hop soul when promoting Mary J. Blige's 1992 debut What's the 411?, an album on which he served as executive producer. She was then dubbed the Queen of Hip Hop Soul. However, some argue that Michel'le working with Dr. Dre set the genre in motion.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  After the success of her debut album, Michel'le should have recorded a follow up soon after. However, that didn't happen. Her volatile relationship with Dr. Dre, which has been accounted in various ways, was a factor along with having a baby. While she would make guest appearances on a few tracks for other artists, she was unable to record songs of her own. The turmoil led to substance abuse, which she would later address. Her relationship with Dre would come to an end after she found out he got married to another woman, but then she began to see another notorious rap impresario, Suge Knight. He would eventually help Michel'le get her second album out. Hung Jury would be released in 1998, but the lengthy time away didn't help things and with only two minor charting singles, the LP would only get to #56 R&B. Michel'le would end up marrying Knight (while he was in prison) and they would have a daughter. They would later divorce, but it was during those proceedings that Michel'le found out that their marriage was actually invalid because Knight had never gotten divorced from his previous wife. Since then, Michel'le has recorded a few singles and even branched out to reality TV. Starting in 2013, she appeared in three seasons of the TV One show R&B Divas: Los Angeles. Then in 2016 she was the subject of a Lifetime TV biopic titled Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Michel'le.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"Rhythm Nation" by Janet Jackson

Top 10 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  4106

Date:  11/11/1989

Debut:  49

Peak:  2

Weeks:  17

Genre:  Dance-Pop, R&B, Funk

Pop Bits:  Jackson's fourth album Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 got kicked off in a big way with its first single, "Miss You Much," quickly getting to #1 and staying there for four weeks. It would end up being a platinum seller. It was a highly successful start to what would be a record-setting run of singles from the album. While sales and chart-wise "Miss You Much" would do better, this title track second single would be the one to make a major statement. The topical tune and its associated military style video would both become iconic and help push Jackson's career into the stratosphere. The single would hit #1 at R&B and Dance while getting to #2 at Pop. It would sell well enough to go gold. By this point in time, the album had already spent four weeks at #1 and was on the verge of going double-platinum.

ReduxReview:  This was such a bad ass song and video. Jackson wanted to make a statement and she certainly did with this track. Then on the album it was the one-two-three punch of this song plus the equally effective "State of the World" followed by "The Knowledge." If Control was about independence and empowerment, then Rhythm Nation expanded to include what was going on in the world and this title track set the tone. Of course there was still some delicious dance-pop tracks like "Escapade" and the rockin' "Black Cat" to round out the set. While many folks consider this the peak of Jackson's power and creativity (and I do agree), that doesn't mean she still didn't do some interesting and adventurous work (the underrated The Velvet Rope comes to mind). However, Rhythm Nation would be her Thriller moment - hugely successful and highly influential.

ReduxRating:  9/10

Trivia:  The run of singles from Rhythm Nation 1814 would end up setting two chart records. While Jackson wouldn't be the first artist to earn seven Pop Top 10 hits from one album (her brother Michael would achieve that with Thirller as would Bruce Springsteen with singles from Born in the U.S.A.), she bested everyone by being the first (and still the only) artist to have seven Pop Top 5 singles from one album. In addition to that record, the album became the first to have three singles reach #1 in three different years. "Miss You Much" would top the chart in '89, then both "Escapade" and "Black Cat" would reach #1 in '90, and the finally "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" would get to the top in mid-January of '91. In total, Rhythm Nation would earn Jackson six Grammy nominations. The associated video album would win the Grammy for Best Music Video, Long Form."Rhythm Nation" would win an MTV Music Video Award for Best Choreography while "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" win Jackson one for Best Female Video. As of this posting date, the Rhythm Nation album has been certified 6x platinum. Her '93 follow up janet. would reach that same mark making both her biggest sellers in the US. On a worldwide scale, janet. would be her best seller at 14 million copies followed by Rhythm Nation with 12 million. Jackson would be induced into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame in 2019.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"Two to Make It Right" by Seduction

Top 10 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  4104

Date:  11/11/1989

Debut:  78

Peak:  2

Weeks:  23

Genre:  Dance-Pop, Freestyle

Pop Bits:  Seduction was initially a studio project from Robert Clivillés and David Cole. They recorded a couple of singles and released them under the moniker. One of the tracks, "(You're My One and Only) True Love" with vocals by Martha Wash, became an unexpected success getting to #3 Dance and #23 Pop. As the tune was shaping up to be a hit, Clivillés and Cole had to then form an actual vocal group named Seduction to help promote the single and then get them in the studio to record an album. Hired in for the trio were vocalists Idalis DeLeón, April Harris, and Michelle Visage. A debut LP titled Nothing Matters Without Love would be recorded and released in early fall of '89. The two previously released singles Clivillés and Cole did with other vocalists would appear on the album as-is, but the remaining tracks were performed by the new trio, which included this next single. The tune slowly caught fire and would finally reach #1 at Dance and #2 Pop. It sold well enough to go gold. The hit would send the album to #36 and in May of '90 it would go gold. The LP would spawn two more significant hits, "Heartbeat" (#11 Pop/#2 Dance/#21 R&B) and "Could This Be Love" (#13 Pop/#38 R&B/#21 AC).

ReduxReview:  With its big hook and samples from the Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock hit "It Takes Two," this song stood out among the glut of freestyle songs on the Pop chart. Clivillés and Cole were reaching the top of their game with this track and it would lead to their massive 1991 #1 hit "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" under the moniker C+C Music Factory (with vocal by Martha Wash) and their work on Mariah Carey's '91 album Emotions. As for Seduction, they were the right voices at the right time and the trio did fine on this hit and its follow ups. Unfortunately, just as quickly as they were tossed together, they split. Still, they will always be remembered for this track, which was one of the major freestyle hits of the era.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  Like a lot of assembled groups, line up changes would happen and not everyone would get along. And they didn't necessarily see much of the profits made from their hits and tours. The various issues seemed to creep up on the trio and so in '91 they would go their own ways. Of course the most well known former member of the group would be Michelle Visage, although it would take a while. After the breakup of Seduction, Visage still did vocal work including being featured on the '92 track "It's Gonna Be a Lovely Day," which was recorded by The S.O.U.L. System for the soundtrack to The Bodyguard. Released as a single, it would get to #1 Dance/#34 Pop/#44 R&B. Visage would have other gigs before landing a job at a New York station. That job just happened to be co-hosting a radio show with RuPaul. That quickly led to her being the co-host on the VH-1 program The RuPaul Show, which lasted for two seasons. Visage would say in radio for several years in various cities until RuPaul called on her to be a judge on his new reality competition program RuPaul's Drag Race. The show would launch in 2009, but initially without Visage. She had a contract with CBS radio and they wouldn't let her join the show. Finally, by season three of Drag Race she got CBS to let her do the program and from that point on Visage became a fixture on the show's judging panel. Later on she would become of of the show's producers and would win an Emmy in 2021 when Drag Race won for Best Competition Program. As for her old group Seduction, former member April Harris, who owned the Seduction name, would reform the trio with two new members in 2004. A new album, Feel Brand New, would be released. The title track would get to #28 Dance, but the album would not chart. As of this posting date, Harris' version of Seduction is still out there performing on the bills of nostalgia shows.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"Another Day in Paradise" by Phil Collins

#1 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Grammy Alert!

Song#:  4099

Date:  11/04/1989

Debut:  43

Peak:  1 (4 weeks)

Weeks:  18

Genre:  Pop

Pop Bits:  After a sidestep into acting with the rom-com caper Buster and its soundtrack that featured the #1 hit cover of "Groovy Kind of Love," Collins returned to solo mode to record his fourth studio album. It would be the follow up to his Album of the Year Grammy winner No Jacket Required (1985, #1, 12x platinum). Working once again with producer Hugh Padgham, Collins would work up a set of songs that were more topical and less in the dance-pop style of his previous effort. He would then appropriately name the LP ...But Seriously. To kick things off, this ballad would be issued out. Despite its more dour mood and lyrics about the homeless, the song struck a nerve with listeners and it would quickly scale the Pop chart and reach #1. It would remain their for four weeks and sell well enough to go gold. The album would then spend four non-consecutive weeks at #1. By mid-January of '90, it would already be at the double-platinum sales mark. There would be three follow up singles all of which would go Top 5. The last one, "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven" (#4), would end up being Collins' final Pop Top 10 hit. The album would generate eight Grammy nominations for Collins including ones for Album of the Year and Song of the Year. He would win one for Record of the Year for "Another Day in Paradise." In the US, the album would eventually sell over 4 million copies making it his second best studio album behind No Jacket Required. In his UK homeland, the LP would end up being his biggest seller going 9x platinum.

ReduxReview:  This song was the last #1 of the 80s and also the first #1 of the 90s. Rupert Holmes did a similar thing at the beginning of the 80s. His "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" was the last #1 of the 70s and then after a week at #2, it popped back up to #1 becoming the second #1 of the 80s. While I like Collins' tune, I can't say it is one of my favorites of his. I didn't mind hearing so much back then, but these days if it comes up in a shuffle of songs or in a Collins playlist, I will usually hit the forward button. It just kills the mood. For a #1 Pop hit, it is pretty bleak and depressing. While I understood some of the negative feedback the song generated (see below), I do think Collins' heart was in the right place and some good came out of it. My big issue with the tune has to do with a couple of words in the chorus. Collins shortened "because" to "'cause" and followed it up with "it's a." Then he kind of runs it all together when he sing it. Therefore, it comes out as "cuzitzah." It drive me bonkers - like nails-on-chalkboard kinda thing. The song is so serious yet he has to mush-mouth one of the main parts of the song. IMHO he should have just left the "'cause" out of it. He didn't need it. I guess that pickup note was important to him for the chorus. Yeesh. To this day I call it "The Cuzitzah Song." Oh Phil, why'd ya have to do that?

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) Although this song was a Grammy-winning #1 hit, it still brought a bit of controversy Collins' way. He was chided in the press and by some critics for being a multi-millionaire and yet singing about the homeless. He was also slammed for the line "it's another day for you and me in paradise," which seemed to say that he as a very well-off superstar was equating himself to everyone else. Meanwhile, many others appreciated what Collins was trying to say. In a 2017 interview for the Evening Standard, Collins said that perhaps he could have been a big more eloquent in his lyrics, but stands by the song and his association with homeless issues and charities. According to the article, Collins at the time was collecting money from fans at concerts for homeless charities and whatever they donated, he would double it out of his own pocket.  2) Although Collins' solo career would cool off in the 90s on the Pop chart, he would still do very well at AC where he would score eight Top 10 hits including the #1 "You'll Be in My Heart." Collins wrote that song for the 1999 Disney animated hit Tarzan. The tune would go on to with the Oscar for Best Original Song. In the 2000s, Collins would earn three more AC Top 10s including the #1 "Can't Stop Loving You." In 1991, Collins would rejoin Genesis for one more album, We Can't Dance. It would be a #4 quad-platinum effort that spawned the band's final Pop Top 10 hit with the #7 "I Can't Dance." In 2010, Genesis would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel

#1 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  4073

Date:  10/14/1989

Debut:  58

Peak:  1 (2 weeks)

Weeks:  19

Genre:  Pop, Rock

Pop Bits:  Joel's '86 album The Bridge signaled a bit of a downturn in popularity. Although the LP would reach #7, featured a pair of Top 10 singles, and go double-platinum, it wasn't particularly well-received and didn't get close to the five million (later seven million) sales mark of his previous effort An Innocent Man. Feeling the need to branch out and make changes, Joel parted ways with his long time producer Phil Ramone and chose to work with Foreigner guitarist Mick Jones. He also scrapped most of his backing band in favor of new musicians. The resulting LP, Storm Front, was a slightly darker and denser affair, which was highlighted by this intense first single. The rapid fire history-lesson-in-five-minutes track piqued the interest of radio listeners and it wasn't long before the song was bolting up the Pop chart. It would become Joel's third (and final) #1 at Pop while also getting to #5 AC and #6 Rock. It would sell well enough to go gold. The hit would help send the album to #1 for a week. It was Joel's third #1 and first since 1980's Glass Houses. "We Didn't Start the Fire" would earn three Grammy nods including for Record and Song of the Year. The following year, the album would get Joel nominations for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Producer of the Year. The LP would eventually reach the 4x platinum mark. Helping it along was a second hit "I Go to Extremes" (#6 Pop/#4 AC/#10 Rock). Three other singles would reach the charts including the ballad "And So It Goes" (#5 AC/#37 Pop). During its time on the charts "We Didn't Start the Fire" would go gold, but over the years it became a sort of cultural touchstone and the tune's digital version would reach the triple-platinum mark in 2021 thanks in part to a viral tweet (see below).

ReduxReview:  I have to say that when this song first arrived, I was all about it. I got the single and played it to the point where I had the lyrics down pat. If karaoke was around at the time in my area I would have killed with this tune! I thought it was a truly interesting song and I liked its message, which was basically that every generation is fucked up in its own way. I remember some reviewers dismissing the song for delivering a message like that but offering no solution. Like, what was he supposed to do? Provide a wish list of future initiatives and then sing "we can stop the fire?" It was ridiculous. As much as I still like the tune, I have to say it is one that I can't hear a lot anymore. It's a fun lark once in a great while to see how many of the lyrics I remember, but it was a song of a certain time and place. At least for me. However, the song still gets used and parodied in various ways and even went viral in 2020 thanks to a TV writing using Twitter to point out all the shitty things that happened on a specific day (March 11, 2020). His tweet was simple: "Today was like if 'We Didn't Start The Fire' was a day."

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) Joel got the idea for this song during a visit with John Lennon's son Sean and his 21-year-old friend. It seems the friend was talking about how bad the times were as he was growing up and that it seemed like everything was more or less hunky dory in the 50s. Joel disputed the assumption saying that growing up in the 50s was just as bad and cited several historical events. That conversation sparked Joel's creativity and he decided to continue to list out various historical events (or people involved) in a mostly chronological over a 40 year period from Joel's birth year of 1949 through to 1989. The song mentions 118 people/events from the worlds of politics, entertainment, science, and pop culture. The references sent many listeners scrambling to find out more about certain items in Joel's list. Even some history classes in schools would use the song as a springboard for lessons and discussions. Yet despite its teachable moments, weeks at #1, and multiple Grammy nods, the song would later find its way on a few "worst of" lists and the one person seemingly in partial agreement was Joel. When interviewed about the song, Joel once said of the music that "if you take the melody by itself, terrible. Like a dentist drill." He said he also forgets the lyrics often when performing it and relies on the audience to help along.  2) Joel's upturn of success with Storm Front would continue with his next album, '93's River of Dreams. It would reach #1 and sell over 5 million copies thanks mainly to the #3 gold title-track single. The LP would earn a Grammy nod for Album of the Year while the single would receive three nods including Record and Song of the Year. And then just like that, it was over. According to an interview with Joel, he got bored of writing 3-minute pop songs and wanted to do something different. While he could continue to tour on his own and with Elton John over the years, Joel would spend time coming up with that "different" thing. It would finally see the light of day in 2001 when Joel unveiled his first classical compositions with Fantasies & Delusions. The effort would get a mixed critical reaction, but it did reach #1 on the Classical chart and even got to #83 at Pop. As of this posting date, it remains Joel's last studio album. Since the time of River of Dreams, Joel has only released a couple of new pop songs. Both came in 2007. Joel wrote "All My Life" as an anniversary gift for his third wife Katie Lee. He would also write the charity single "Christmas in Fallujah." While the song was credited to Billy Joel, the vocals were done by singer Cass Dillon. Joel thought a younger voice would portray the lyrics much better. In addition to record breaking tours and stints at Madison Square Gardens, Joel would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"Don't Know Much" by Linda Ronstadt featuring Aaron Neville

Top 10 Alert!

Grammy Alert!

Song#:  4057

Date:  09/30/1989

Debut:  72

Peak:  2

Weeks:  26

Genre:  Pop, Adult Contemporary

Pop Bits:  Save for a one-off movie theme duet with James Ingram, '86's "Somewhere Out There" (#4), hadn't had a major solo Pop hit since 1980's "Hurt So Bad" (#8). As her pop music fortunes declined at the beginning of the 80s, Ronstadt then turned to other styles including three albums of standards, one of Mexican traditional songs, and a country trio effort with Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton. Grammys and good reviews followed, but as the decade was coming to a close Ronstadt thought it was time to return to the pop mainstream. Most of the songs on her sixteenth studio album Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind would be cover tunes. She would perform four songs from famed writer Jimmy Webb along with others from Karla Bonoff, Paul Carrack and Issac Hayes. Ronstadt would also bring in singer Aaron Neville to guest on four songs including this first single. The AC-leaning ballad would become a surprise hit making it to #2 on the Pop chart. It would do even better at AC getting to #1. The single would sell well enough to go gold. In turn, the hit would help send the album to #7. By the end of the year it would go platinum. This song would earn Ronstadt and Neville the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Duo or Group. A second single, "All My Life," would get to #11 Pop/#1 AC in 1990. Do to it being released in the next Grammy cycle, the song would earn Ronstadt and Neville a second Grammy in the same category. Cry Like a Rainstorm would eventually sell over three million copies becoming one of Ronstadt's biggest albums.

ReduxReview:  I remember when this came out that it confused me. I didn't recognize the title, but I knew the song. It took me a bit to remember that I knew the song as "All I Need to Know" from Bette Midler's '83 album No Frills. While I did like her version, I do have to admit that the pairing of Ronstadt and Neville on this song did take it to a different level. I've never been a fan of Neville's high, vibrato-laden voice, but it does meld well with Ronstadt's impeccable instrument. The track was nicely arranged and it made for a lovely listen. It was easy to peg this as an instant #1 at AC, but I was quite surprised that it nearly topped the Pop chart. It provided a nice boost to the careers of both Ronstadt and Neville.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) This is a remake of a song composed by Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, and Tom Snow, and originally recorded by Mann. It first appeared on his 1980 self-titled album. It was not released as a single. The following year it was picked up by singer Bill Medley. His single version became a minor chart entry at Pop (#88) and AC (#29).  Then Bette Midler gave the song a go in '83. Her version, which was titled "All I Need to Know," also stiffed only getting to #77 Pop/#39 AC. The song finally got its long awaited due when Ronstadt and Neville turned it into a duet.  2) Ronstadt's successful return to pop would be short-lived. She would go back to Mexican traditional music for two albums before putting out Winter Light in '93. It didn't generate much attention and stalled at a low #93. She would release four more solo albums and a collaboration effort with Ann Savoy before retiring from music in 2011 due to her battle with Parkinson's disease. Ronstadt would receive 12 Grammys in her career including the Lifetime Achievement Award. Her final Grammy came in 2021 when a documentary about her life and career, Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, won for Best Music Film.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"Love Song" by Tesla

Top 10 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  4052

Date:  09/30/1989

Debut:  90

Peak:  10

Weeks:  27

Genre:  Hard Rock, Glam Metal

Pop Bits:  Tesla's debut album, '86's Mechanical Resonance, would turn into a #32 gold record thanks to touring, MTV exposure, and the single "Little Suzi" getting a bit of airplay (#22 Rock, #91 Pop). The stage was set for a bigger breakthrough and by the beginning of '89 they had prepped their second effort The Great Radio Controversy. Its first single, "Heaven's Trail (No Way Out)," would do well at Rock getting to #13. A second single, "Hang Tough," would make it to #34 Rock. Despite neither song reaching the Pop chart, the album initially peaked at #18 in March of '89 and would go gold. It was a good result, but things were about to really pick up for the band with this third single. The power ballad would take a leisurely climb up the Pop chart eventually dipping into the Top 10 while also getting to #7 at Rock. The hit significantly boosted sales of the album and while it didn't eclipse its initial #18 peak, the LP did rebound and by the end of '89 it would go platinum. Eventually it would sell over 2 million copies. A fourth single, "The Way It Is," would do fairly well getting to #13 Rock/#55 Pop.

ReduxReview:  I really liked how this song built from the acoustic opening through to the guitar, then the final big chorus followed by the quiet coda. It was a well constructed tune that had shades of what would soon be known as grunge. It wasn't the typical hair metal power ballad. The result was an unexpected gold single that significantly expanded the band's audience.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  Tesla's next album would be a bit of a change. Encouraged by a live acoustical rendition of "Love Song" for an awards event, the band's manager pushed them to perform a full set of songs on acoustic instruments. Initially they balked as they were a hard rock band, but were eventually won over. Two acoustic performances were booked at a club and after the response they got, four more shows were booked during breaks from their tour with Mötley Crüe. One of the shows was taped and some of those performances would make up the concert LP Five Man Acoustical Jam. A track from the album, a remake of the Five Man Electrical Band's 1971 #3 hit "Signs," was released as a single. It would be their biggest charting hit reach #2 Rock and #8 Pop. The album would get to #12 and go platinum. Tesla would return in '91 with their third studio album Psychotic Supper. It would get to #13 and go platinum thanks to the #7 Rock/#86 Pop single "What You Give." Their fourth album, '94's Bust a Nut, would be the swan song to their heydays. It would get to #20 and go gold. The band would then split and go on an extended hiatus. Eventually, they would reunite in 2000 and have since toured and released a few albums.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"Poison" by Alice Cooper

Top 10 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  4048

Date:  09/23/1989

Debut:  66

Peak:  7

Weeks:  19

Genre:  Hard Rock, Glam Metal

Pop Bits:  Cooper had a rough 80s. His commercial fortunes dwindled to the point where his long time label Warner Bros. let him go after the failure of '83's DaDa. He was hospitalized for alcoholism (but once and for good got sober) and went through a divorce. He did a few things in music and made some appearances, but it seemed like his career was slipping away. Things began to turn around a bit in '86 when Cooper signed up with MCA and released the album Constrictor. It did modestly well as did the follow up Raise Your Fist and Yell. In addition, Cooper went out on tour for the first time since '81 and it was highly successful. With a bit of momentum behind him, Cooper figured the time was right to plot a real comeback album. He moved over to Epic Records and taking a cue from some other artists who were making comebacks at the time chose to work with hit making producers/writers of the era. Mainly, he collaborated with Desmond Child who would produce and co-write the majority of the tracks on Cooper's eleventh solo album Poison. Other artists like Joan Jett and Jon Bon Jovi would lend a hand in writing along with proven hitmaker Diane Warren. This first single would be issued out and it was the right song at the right time. It would get to #15 Rock while becoming Cooper's first Pop Top 10 single since '77's #9 "You and Me." It would also sell well enough to go gold. The hit would drive sales of the album and it would reach #20 and go platinum. It was his best result since his 1974 solo debut Welcome to My Nightmare (#5, platinum). (Note that from '69-'73, seven albums were released by the band Alice Cooper. Leader Vincent Furnier, aka Alice Cooper, would legal adopt the name and set out on a solo career in '74.)

ReduxReview:  This was a calculated move to revive Cooper's career and it paid off in spades. Collaborating with Child was a great idea. The pair were able to make airplay-worthy tracks that still kept Cooper's nightmare-ish style alive. This single couldn't have been better for Cooper. It was a loud, hooky glam rock track that had a definite dark side and cheeky lyrics that gave a wink and a nudge to Cooper's horror side. It was also released at the right time when glam metal was riding high. Trash was easily Cooper's best LP of the decade and it pushed his career back into high gear.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  Cooper's follow up album, '91's Hey Stoopid, wouldn't be quite as successful, but still did well enough to go gold and maintain his comeback status. It would reach #47 thanks mainly to the title track that got to #13 Rock/#78 Pop. The song's claymation video would be popular on MTV. Around that time, Cooper would cap off his comeback period with a memorable "we're not worthy!" appearance in the '92 hit film Wayne's World where he also performed the track "Feed My Frankenstein." With the advent of grunge, Cooper's record sales would dwindle, but he continued to record albums and have successful concert tours. In 2011, Cooper would record Welcome 2 My Nightmare, a sequel to his '74 debut album. It would reach #22, which was his best showing since Poison. That same year, Cooper, both the person and the band, would be induced into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"Don't Make Me Over" by Sybil

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  4044

Date:  09/23/1989

Debut:  79

Peak:  20

Weeks:  23

Genre:  R&B, Soul

Pop Bits:  New Jersey singer/songwriter Sybil Lynch was singing and making up her owns songs as a kid. As she grew up, she starting singing in church and then eventually picked up work singing with a local R&B band CeCe Rogers & Co. Although Sybil didn't have her sights set on a music career (she was aiming to be an attorney), fate stepped in when she was coaxed into singing on a demo for a pair of songwriter/producers. That track, "Falling in Love," would get picked up by Next Plateau Records and released in the fall of '86. The song did well enough to reach #26 on the Dance chart. A second single, "Let Yourself Go," would do a bit better getting to #23 Dance/#46 R&B. Next Plateau would sign Sybil and a debut album titled Let Yourself Go would be issued out. A third single, "My Love Is Guaranteed," would be a Dance hit reaching #4 (#54 R&B). Then in the summer of '89, a new remix of a track from her debut album, the cover tune "Don't Make Me Over," was issued out. It caught on and was able to reach #4 Dance and #2 R&B. That action led to the tune getting on the Pop chart where it just made the Top 20. The single sold well enough to go gold. A second album, Sybil, would quickly follow. A follow-up single, a remake of "Walk on By," would get to #7 Dance/#3 R&B/#74 Pop. The songs helped the album get to #12 R&B/#75 Pop.

ReduxReview:  This definitely had a Soul II Soul "Keep on Movin'" vibe. The beats were nearly identical. All Sybil and her team did was put them under a cover tune. The results were interesting in giving a bit of a spin on an old Warwick classic, but nothing about it really stood out. It was a good listen in a background kind of way. Something chill and easy on the ears while working on your laptop and sipping chai latte at the local coffee shop.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) This is a remake of a song originally recorded by Dionne Warwick. Written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, it was Warwick's first chart hit getting to #21 Pop/#5 R&B in 1962. The song started a long and successful collaboration between Warwick, Bacharach, and David. 2) For her second album, 1990's Sybilization, Sybil would collaborate with the Stock Aitken Waterman team for the song "Make It Easy on Me." Released as the first single, it didn't fare well only getting to #52 at R&B. Another single was a minor R&B chart entry and that left the album stopping at #70 R&B. In 1993, Sybil would release two albums. Doin' It Now! would be an R&B-leaning effort aimed at the US market while Good 'N' Ready focused more on Eurodisco and was released in the UK/European market. The LPs shared four tracks including the singles "You're the Love of My Life" and "The Love I Lost." The two songs were issued out as a double a-sided single in the US and it would get to #90 Pop. "You're the Love of My Life" would itself get to #37 R&B while "The Love I Lost" would get to #18 Dance. The album would not chart. However, "The Love I Lost" would become a big hit in the UK getting to #3. A second single, "When I'm Good and Ready" would get to #5. In turn, the Good 'N' Ready album would reach #13. Sybil would release one more album for the European/Japan markets that didn't do well and that brought an end to her heydays. Although she would continue to dabble in music over the years, Sybil would become an educator and along the way earn a master's degree

_________________________________________________________________________________

"Cover Girl" by New Kids on the Block

Top 10 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  4037

Date:  09/16/1989

Debut:  62

Peak:  2

Weeks:  18

Genre:  Pop

Pop Bits:  Although the group's second album Hangin' Tough had already generated four Pop Top 10 hits including a pair of #1s, there were no signs of it slowing down. Therefore this fifth single was issued out. It was the right choice as the song took off and nearly topped the Pop chart. It would also do well enough to become the group's third gold single (they also earned a platinum single with the album's #1 title track). The hit would help sell more albums and by the end of '89 Hangin' Tough would reach the seven-million mark (7x platinum).

ReduxReview:  The Kids were so popular that their label chose to promote this single and "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind)," a track from their debut album, as the same time. Both songs would debut on the Pop chart in the same week. It was an unusual tactic and one that other artists/labels have tried to avoid due to the potential of over saturating the market and tiring out listeners. Yet the label decided to strike while the iron was hot and it ended up paying off with both singles going Top 10. I was definitely not a fan of "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind)" as it didn't suit the Kids. However, this track was more inline with what I would expect from a young pop boy band. It was bubblegum-y, cheezy, catchy ear candy loaded with enough saccharine to give you a headache. Their fans ate it up and gave the group another gold record. While in general I didn't really care for the tune, it was a good vehicle for the Kids even though it would mostly be forgotten not long after its chart run.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  The lead vocals on this track were handled by Donnie Wahlberg. While Wahlberg would tour and record with NKOTB over the years, he pretty much changed his day job to acting. His first film appearance came with the 1996 crime drama Bullet. Wahlberg would appear in more movies and along the way branch out into TV. Two notable roles came his way. First as a patient of Bruce Willis' character in the 1999 hit psychological thriller The Sixth Sense. Then in the 2001 Emmy-winning miniseries Band of Brothers. Wahlberg would star in a couple of TV series that would last a season or less, but he finally landed a hit show in 2010 with CBS's Blue Bloods. He would portray Detective Danny Reagan and has stayed with the show since its debut. As of this posting date, the show is still running on CBS and is in its thirteenth season.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"When I See You Smile" by Bad English

#1 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  4035

Date:  09/16/1989

Debut:  72

Peak:  1 (2 weeks)

Weeks:  22

Genre:  Rock

Pop Bits:  This supergroup starring John Waite, Jonathan Cain, and Neal Schon kicked off their self-titled debut album with the #2 Rock hit "Forget Me Not." While the tune would get on the Pop chart, it stalled shy of the Top 40 at #45. Hoping to better that result, this power ballad was next up for release. It would become the band's mainstream breakthrough getting to #10 Rock and #11 AC while hitting #1 on the Pop chart for two weeks. The single would sell well enough to go gold. With that result, the album would peak at #21 and by the beginning of November it would go gold.

ReduxReview:  With the songwriting capabilities of the band's members, I'm pretty sure none of them said, "hey, let's go find a hit song for the album written by someone else!" It totally wreaks of label/A&R folks pushing the band to record a potential hit because they didn't hear one within the band's compositions. Bad English then opted to take on this Diane Warren power ballad and did their best to rock it up. The end result was a solid piece of commercial pop/rock that was bound to light up the charts. Lead singer John Waite sold it well and it became his biggest hit since his own #1, 1984's "Missing You." It would easily become the band's most recognizable tune and it is one that still gets a lot of airplay today.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  This song was penned by Diane Warren. It was only one of two tracks on the Bad English album where a band member was not listed as a composer. Warren had been on a hot streak for the past couple of years earning #1 songs in '87 ("Nothings Gonna Stop Us Now" by Starship) and in '88 ("Look Away" by Chicago). While other songs she wrote did well in '89 she had yet to grab a #1 through the majority of the year. Then this Bad English track did the job making it three years in a row that Warren had penned a #1 Pop single.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"Me So Horny" by The 2 Live Crew

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  4028

Date:  09/09/1989

Debut:  91

Peak:  26

Weeks:  30

Genre:  Rap

Pop Bits:  A good chunk of folks remember this outfit more for the controversy they created rather than their music. While that is somewhat unfair, 2 Live Crew shouldn't grouse about it as the furor around their lyrics actually helped to sell albums. As the old saying goes, controversy sells and it certainly did for the group. Initially formed in California in 1984, the Crew would make a move to Miami the following year after their first single, "The Revelation," became popular in Florida. After a second single, they were signed by Luther Campbell (aka Luke Skyywalker) who became their manager. He would later join the group as well. A debut album, The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are, would arrive in '86. The raw sexual lyrics of some of the tracks outpaced anything else on vinyl and it immediately rankled some feathers with many calling the LP obscene. It gained further notoriety when a record store clerk was arrested in Florida for selling the LP to a 14-year-old girl (he was acquitted later). While singles didn't get airplay or chart, the minor uproar drew attention to the group and the album sold (#128 Pop/#24 R&B). The outfit continued on with '88's Move Somethin', which would do even better getting to #68 Pop/#20 R&B. A couple singles would be mid-charters at R&B, but it would be the group's outlandish lyrics and controversy over another arrest (a record store owner in Alabama selling to an undercover cop - again charges dropped) that made the album go gold and would also make their debut LP go gold. The whole thing set 2 Live Crew up for their most outrageous and most successful album, 89's As Nasty as They Wanna Be. It would create a full-on media circus complete with obscenity charges and court cases. Oh, and yes this first single that sold well enough to go gold and despite getting very little airplay managed to crack the Pop Top 30 while reaching #34 R&B and #1 Rap. All the hubbub helped the album get to #29 Pop and #3 R&B. It would become a platinum seller. Although the LP sold and folks were listening to the group, the music would be overshadowed by all of the media attention and controversy.

ReduxReview:  I admit that all the brouhaha surrounding 2 Live Crew got my attention. I wanted to hear what all the fuss was about so I bought the Move Somethin' album when it came out. The lyrics were certainly coarse for the time and did make me laugh. Other than that, nothing about the tracks really stuck with me. So when As Nasty as They Wanna Be came out, I didn't bite. I figured they were a one trick pony just trying to be outlandish. They did build a reputation on being blatantly sexual using every dirty word in the book, but in a weird way I think the lyrics got in the way of what were actually good tracks. The jokey lyrics quickly wore thin (they were about as subtle as a Mack truck), but their beats and production were quality and it was apparent on As Nasty as They Wanna Be. If you replaced the spoken word samples and lyrics with something else, this track still had potential to be a hit. Yet by the time they were recording the album they had cemented their reputation as the dirty rappers so they went all in. Still, this is a fun relic from the time. While 2 Live Crew would not be the last artist to have such blatant sexual lyrics (Cardi B's 2020 "WAP" comes to mind), they were the ones to really cleared the way for other artists to express themselves however nasty they wanna be.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  Triple Shot!  1) What happened following the release of As Nasty as They Wanna Be is too much to document. The Reader's Digest condensed version is that between a lawyer, a sheriff, and a judge, the LP was declared obscene in Florida. Eventually a local retail salesperson was arrested for selling the album. Then members of 2 Live Crew were arrested for performing songs in a Florida club. In the end, everyone was cleared of charges and the ruling that the album was obscene was reversed. The Florida folks tried to get the Supreme Court to hear the case, but they refused. Freedom of speech won the day, but in some ways it cost 2 Live Crew a lot as the whole episode would always loom over everything they did.  2) The title along with the spoken vocal samples came from the 1997 Stanley Kubrick war film Full Metal Jacket. They were spoken by a Vietnamese prostitute to a US soldier played by Matthew Modine. The song also contains a sample of "Firecracker" by the R&B group Mass Production. That 1979 single would get to #4 R&B and #43 Pop.  3) 2 Live Crew would bounce back with 1990's Banned in the U.S.A. The title track would be a direct response concerning the obscenity charges and Bruce Springsteen granted the group permission to interpolate his hit "Born in the U.S.A." for the track. It would be the first single from the LP and it would get to #20 Pop/#13 R&B/#1 Rap and go gold. The album would also go gold hitting #21 Pop/#10 R&B. Their follow up in '91 Sports Weekend would have nearly identical results. Changes would take place within 2 Live Crew after that and their next three albums would successively sell less. By 1998, the group's heydays had come to an end.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"Don't Close Your Eyes" by Kix

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  4027

Date:  09/09/1989

Debut:  93

Peak:  11

Weeks:  23

Genre:  Hard Rock, Glam Metal

Pop Bits:  This Maryland band started to form in 1977. After a couple of name changes, the band settled on Kix and began playing covers in the local clubs. Over the course of three years, the band built up a sizable fan base around the Baltimore area. Finally in 1981, the band would get signed to Atlantic Records. Work began on a self-titled debut album with bassist Donnie Purnell serving as the main songwriter. While it got some good notices, the album didn't fare well and was unable to chart. Still believing in the band, Atlantic gave them another shot and they came up with '83's Cool Kids. Apparently, the label pushed the band in a more commercial direction and wanting some kind of radio hit got them to record three cover tunes. One of those tracks, a remake of the 1981 Nick Gilder song "Body Talk," was released as the first single. It would just miss the Pop chart stopping at #104. That minor attention along with the band's live shows helped the album get to #177. Their third album, '85's Midnight Dynamite, failed to chart and it left the band at a sort of crossroads. Atlantic was willing to give the band another shot, but it seemed like it could be their last chance. They went into the studio with veteran producer Tom Werman and emerged with Blow My Fuse. Released to good notices and a promotional push in '88, none if its initial singles would chart. However, the album sold and it would initially peak at #74. It was a definite improvement from their previous efforts, but the band still wasn't breaking through in a major way. That would change when nearly a year after the LP's release this power ballad would start to gain attention. The song would become their first charting hit eventually get to #16 Rock while nearly making the Pop Top 10, stopping at the dreaded #11. In turn, the album would re-enter the chart and move up to a peak of #46. Both the single and the album would be certified gold (the album would get to platinum status in 2000). It was the big break the band was looking for. Unfortunately, it would prove to be short-lived.

ReduxReview:  This intense power ballad led by Steve Whiteman's gritty, soaring vocals came along at the right time. The tune wasn't your basic glam metal ballad about a broken relationship or longing for home. It dealt with a person basically trying to stop someone from committing suicide. A heavy topic for pop radio, but it worked thanks in part to the big chorus and tight, radio-ready arrangement and production. It was a bummer this didn't slide into the Top 10 for a week, but it still sold well enough to go gold. Kix got the hit in just about under the wire. In a couple years glam metal would be on the outs with grunge taking over.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  For their next album, for whatever reason Atlantic would move Kix over to their new sub-label EastWest. The change threw the band for a loop, but they would rally and finish the album Hot Wire. It would be released in 1991. The only song to reach a chart was the first single "Girl Money," which got to #26 Rock. That left the album stalling at #64. Kix would fulfill their Atlantic contract with a 1993 live album and then were let go. However, by this time Nirvana had already busted down the grunge doors leaving metal bands like Kix in the dust, so the writing was already on the wall. They tried to rally with an indie album in '95, but it didn't do much to further their career. The band members would then go on to do other projects. Save for bassist/songwriter Donnie Purnell, the band would reunite in 2003. In 2014, they would release their first album in nearly twenty years. Rock Your Face Off would return the band to the Album chart where it peaked at #49.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"Love in an Elevator" by Aerosmith

Top 10 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  4021

Date:  09/02/1989

Debut:  56

Peak:  5

Weeks:  16

Genre:  Hard Rock, Glam Rock

Pop Bits:  After cleaning up their act, Aerosmith came back in a big way with their '87 album Permanent Vacation. Featuring the #3 hit "Angel," the album would peak at #11 and eventually sell over 5 million copies. The trick after a major comeback is to try to keep the momentum up and Aerosmith made the attempt with their tenth studio album Pump. Once again working with producer Bruce Fairbairn, the LP would be ready to go in the fall of '89. To kick things off, this first single was released. It would be a big hit at Rock where it would become the band's first song to top that chart. Over on the Pop chart, the tune would become their fourth Top 10 hit and first gold record. In turn, the album would make it to #5. It was Aerosmith's first Top 10 album since 1976's Rocks (#3). Within a short couple of months, the LP would go platinum. The song would earn the band a Grammy nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance.

ReduxReview:  For Permanent Vacation, Aerosmith's main writers Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, were coerced into writing with hit makers like Desmond Child and Diane Warren to help get them going on a more mainstream track. It ended up working and it seems the guys took what they learned ran with it for Pump. While they worked with others on a few tracks, the majority of the album was the Tyler/Perry show including this first single. From the opening riff to the whoa-yeah's to the hooky chorus, there was just no doubt this was going to be a hit. Tyler and Perry had found a way to keep Aerosmith's signature blues-rock sound while amping up the hooks and commercial viability. Fairbairn's production was nice-n-chewy and suited the band well. Pump built on what the band established with Permanent Vacation and it was great to see that their comeback wasn't just a one-and-done fluke.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  In 1998, Aerosmith was big enough and mainstream enough (thanks to the #1 Armageddon soundtrack hit "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing") that Disney, whose Touchstone Pictures released Armageddon, hit up the band to be the featured act on their new Rock 'n' Roller Coaster themed ride. The coaster would be installed in three parks - Disney's Hollywood Studios (California), Walt Disney World (Florida), and Walt Disney Studios Park (France). The indoors coaster was know for its immediate launch (0 to 58 in 3 seconds) and three inversions. Along the way speakers in the cars would play Aerosmith songs. While "Love in an Elevator" would play, it was redone as "Love in a Rollercoaster" just for the ride. The Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Featuring Aerosmith opened in 1999 and has been a mainstay at the two US parks for years.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"Dr. Feelgood" by Mötley Crüe

Top 10 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  4020

Date:  09/02/1989

Debut:  65

Peak:  6

Weeks:  16

Genre:  Hard Rock, Glam Metal

Pop Bits:  By 1988, Mötley Crüe were riding high (literally) and living fast. Their '87 album Girls, Girls, Girls had been their most successful to-date hitting #2 and eventually selling over 4 million copies. It was boosted by the album's title track, which was also their biggest hit yet getting to #12. While their music and live performances made them stars, their hard drinking and drugging lifestyle made them infamous. It got to the point where those close to the band thought someone would eventually die. Bassist Nikki Sixx nearly did in '87 when he overdosed on heroin. He survived, but the band's management wasn't having it. Faced with an ultimatum, the band agreed to go to rehab. After getting sober, the band then went into the studio with producer Bob Rock to cut their fifth studio album Dr. Feelgood. The renewed focus paid off as the LP would become for many the band's best effort. It would also become their commercial peak spending two weeks at #1 and eventually selling over 6 million copies. This first single would get things kicked off. It would quickly make the Rock Top 10 getting to #7. On the Pop chart it would become the band's first to make the Top 10. It would sell well enough to go gold. It would also earn the band a Grammy nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance.

ReduxReview:  This track was crunchy and rough, yet had enough hooks to make it memorable and palatable enough for mainstream radio. Bob Rock's production work took the band to another level and they never really sounded better on vinyl. With the band at a creative and popularity peak, this track was definitely going to do well. The fact that it finally got them in the Top 10 proved their power at the time.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  When this song first came out, some people may have thought this was a very odd song for the band to cover. However, it was not a cover tune, it was an original by band member Mick Mars and Nikki Sixx. Yet there was another popular song called "Dr. Feelgood" written and recorded by a legendary star. For her first Atlantic Records album in 1967 titled I Never Loved a Man the Way That I Love You, Aretha Franklin co-wrote (with husband Ted White) and recorded "Dr. Feelgood." The 12-bar blues style tune was a highlight from the LP, but was not released as a single. Of course, the famous hit from the album was her version of "Respect," which hit #1 and Pop and R&B. Later in 1971, Franklin would do a three night stint a San Francisco's famous Fillmore West. At the second show, Franklin performed a 7+ version of "Dr. Feelgood" that became somewhat legendary. She basically took the Fillmore to church in a way only Aretha could. The concerts were recorded and edited down to the 1971 album Aretha Live at Fillmore West. That LP would be a gold-selling #1 R&B/#7 Pop hit.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"Love Shack" by The B-52's

Top 10 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Rated 10 Alert!

Song#:  4018

Date:  09/02/1989

Debut:  84

Peak:  3

Weeks:  27

Genre:  Pop, Rock

Pop Bits:  The mid-80s were a particularly bad time for The B-52's. The biggest blow to the band was when guitarist Ricky Wilson died in '85 due to complications from AIDS during the recording of their fourth album Bouncing Off the Satellites. Following his death, the band attempted to rally and finish the album. In '86, the somewhat disjointed effort was released. While it would spawn a pair of Dance Top 10s, the LP fizzled at #85. The loss of Wilson and their dwindling popularity then led the band to go on an indefinite hiatus. A couple years later in '88, guitarist/keyboardist Keith Strickland began writing some new tunes and it wasn't long before the band started to reform and collaborate. This time around, the songs that they were coming up with had less quirk and more maturity than their previous works. For their initial set of tracks, the band worked with producer Nile Rodgers. Then they switched to producer Don Was for the balance of the songs. Cosmic Thing was set to go in the summer of '89 and its first single, "Channel Z," was issued out. While it would not make the Pop chart, the song became a hit with the college crowd and it would end up reaching #1 on the Modern Rock chart. It was an encouraging start, but things would explode for the band with this next single, which quickly became their second #1 at Modern Rock. It also reached #7 at Dance. That exposure along with a popular MTV video helped the tune get on the Pop chart. It would not only become the band's first Pop Top 40 hit, but their first Top 10. The song was popular enough to linger on the chart for a long while and that helped the single go gold. In turn, the album would also become their first to crack the Top 10 (#4). Just after "Love Shack" reached its peak, the album would go platinum.

ReduxReview:  The 80s generated plenty of iconic songs, but this one is easily among the best. It still remains a party staple and continues to get a lot of airplay. It is infectious, fun, hooky, quirky, and has unforgettable, quotable lines. It was also great that the band got hooked up with producer Don Was. His work took the B's songs to a new level. The arrangement for this track that included the horns was spot-on and Was' production was crisp and punchy. The band never sounded better. They went from being that oddball "Rock Lobster" Athens band to major mainstream players with Cosmic Thing and it was a well-deserved hit.

ReduxRating:  10/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) There were a couple of inspirations for this song that the band wrote together. For singers Fred Schneider and Cindy Wilson, they thought about a local Athens, Georgia, haunt that was out in the country called the Hawaiian Ha-Le. It was an oddball place where the band used to hang out. For singer/keyboardist Kate Pierson, she thought of her own little cabin in the woods where she lived in the 70s. The band would hang out and jam there and it is reportedly where one of their signature tunes, "Rock Lobster," was born. Apparently, both places had tin roofs, which led to one of the most famous lines from an 80s hit, "tin roof, rusted." That bit of the song was a happy accident. It seemed that during the recording of the song, Cindy Wilson was doing her vocal part when the track suddenly stopped. However, she kept on and finished the line she was on. That sudden stop of the music followed by Wilson's line sounded so cool that they worked the break into the track.  2) The song's memorable video became a favorite on MTV. It would end up winning two MTV Music Video Awards including for Best Group Video. Shot at a friend's house in upstate New York, the video featured a cameo by a soon-to-be drag superstar. RuPaul was a struggling drag queen in Atlanta when she got cast as an extra for the "Love Shack" video. At one point, it seems that RuPaul had to take charge. The director wanted to do a Soul Train style line dance, but no one really knew how to do that. So RuPaul took charge and taught them how to do the famous Soul Train line. In late '92, RuPaul's career would take off thanks to the #45 Pop/#2 Dance hit "Supermodel (You Better Work)." She'd reach a new level of stardom starting in 2009 with the hit Emmy-winning TV show RuPaul's Drag Race.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"Partyman" by Prince

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  4015

Date:  08/26/1989

Debut:  46

Peak:  18

Weeks:  10

Genre:  Funk Rock, R&B, Soundtrack

Pop Bits:  Prince got a much needed commercial shot in the arm when he wrote songs for Tim Burton's Batman film. He would assemble a soundtrack that included "Batdance," a song written as a sort of promo tool that would be released as a first single. It would end up becoming a #1 platinum hit, which in turn sent the Batman album to #1 - Prince's first to reach that spot since '85's Around the World in a Day. For a follow-up, this next track was selected. While it wouldn't do as well as "Batdance," it still was able to crack the Pop Top 20 while reaching #5 R&B and #45 Dance. Just after this single debuted on the Pop chart, the soundtrack album would be certified double-platinum, which was a significant boost after the disappointing gold result of '88's Lovesexy.

ReduxReview:  This was definitely a Prince-style jam, but it did sound like something he might have passed on to Morris Day and The Time, which makes sense (see below). It was a fun jam that fit the film and didn't make for a bad single. However, it certainly wasn't anything that was going to set alongside his best material. With the success of the film and the soundtrack, I thought this tune might have been able to get inside the Top 10. It didn't quite get there, but somehow it managed to go gold. Like "Batdance," this was a product of its time and it didn't have a life following its chart run.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  While not all the songs Prince wrote for the soundtrack album would actually be heard in the film, this was one that was prominently featured. It was used in a scene where The Joker (Jack Nicholson) and his followers run amok at the Gotham City Art Museum. The placement was fitting as Prince had stated in an interview with Rolling Stone that his inspiration for the song was Jack Nicholson himself. Prince encountered the actor for the first time on the set of the film. Of their first meet, Prince said, “He just walked over, sat down and put his foot up on a table, real cool. He had this attitude that reminded me of Morris [Day] — and there was that song.”

_________________________________________________________________________________