For once, I’m with the majority. Prince owns 1984. For that one year, the center of the musical universe was Minneapolis. Because Prince. The choice can be none other than Prince, because the Purple Rain album ruled like few other albums have ever ruled. Although I voted for it, I think “When Doves Cry” was only the 3rd best song on Purple Rain, after the song “Purple Rain” itself and “Computer Blue.” (I think “Let’s Go Crazy” is probably the 4th best).
Which in one respect is unfortunate, because 1984 was the year of the greatest comeback in music history: Tina Turner and “What’s Love Got to Do with It”—in any other year, she’d take the prize hands down and would vastly deserve it. But nothing in 1984 could compete with the juggernaut that was Prince. I move that a one-time supplemental prize for glorious achievement be added to the 1984 vote, just for Tina Turner.
Quite well said, and I agree with all of your points (‘ceptin’ I’d bump “Computer Blue” up to the top spot, and I’d make “Purple Rain” first runner up).
I love this. So true. I am a huge fan of Middle of the Road, too, and the song with the Big Country guys on it, Ohio, no - My City Was Gone. But it’s not The Wait, or Mystery Achievement, or Tattooed Love Boys, or…
I worship at the altar of Chrissie Hynde. That is all.
Agreed. Pretty much the whole first album, in my opinion. This is not to take away from “Back on the Chain Gang.” It’s to show how fricking awesome that first album is.
Sure, but you have to admit that James wasn’t making much music in 1984.
I’ve been having fun with these lists of #1 songs. Rhapsody has featured playlists of what they consider the top 50 songs of a certain year. They don’t cover all years, but the years they do have show that despite how bad the #1 songs might be for a certain year (and I’m talking about the 70s, not 1984) there were great songs during these years that just didn’t happen to hit the top of the charts for whatever reason. That’s what prompted me to mentioned the Pretenders here. They certainly could have been held as an example in previous years.
Yes while 1983 was Michael Jackson’s year, 1984 was Prince’s. He is the only with two entries. “When Doves Cry” is tied with “Jump” as the longest running #1 of 1984.
It should be mentioned that Bruce Springsteen released “Born in the U.S.A”, and he was close to hitting the top spot with “Dancing in the Dark”. Yet it was Prince’s hit that kept Bruce number one less.
Screw Prince though for his songs are not anywhere on YouTube, he is obsessed with Copy Right, seriously every artists’ songs are available, does he think he is special?
That is like a writer demanding bookstores not sell their book for fear of copy right issues. For that that he will play second fiddle to MJ!
You know, I was about to come in here with some post along the lines of, “America’s most popular and enduring rock band never to have a #1 single was probably Journey, and that really stands out during these 1981-1985 years where they were really ruling the album charts and packing the arenas.”
Then I revised it, qualifying the Journey superlatives with “with the exception of maybe the Grateful Dead.”
Then I thought, “and maybe I’d better throw Metallica in there.”
Finally now, I’m like: OK, what’s up with San Francisco musical mainstays and not having #1 singles?
It’s more like a writer demanding that libraries not carry his book, because he’s worried that people borrowing the book will cut into his sales. But yeah, silly and unrealistic either way. :dubious: <— at him, not you
It was double annoying when he pulled down all the versions of him covering Radiohead’s “Creep” at Coachella a few years back, so that a very cool and unique musical moment was simply…gone (since he never recorded it in the studio or released a live version for sale).
We’re on the same page. The song is a classic (no wonder that Miles Davis covered it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OddHP8_Em7s), Lauper’s delicate, almost fragile interpretation is very moving and I’m particularly fond of that little bass hook in the chorus.
Wow, I didn’t know about that cover. I’d have loved to hear his take on that song. Now, the fact that he pulled all the versions down doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily gone, does it? There could be a back-up somewhere.
Being The Straight Dope*, I am forced to very strongly and respectfully disagree regarding his work before “Sussudio” and “Invisible Touch” (Though that album has some nice tracks).
*Were we elsewhere, I would be insulting and snarky.
I chose “Jump,” as in “out a window” or “off a building” if I got stuck listening to the majority of these songs again.
Interesting how so many posts from the 70’s #1 polls berated the songs from which to choose, while many of these '80’s posts are lauding the choices. I graduated in '83, so maybe I have a more developed taste for (against) these songs versus the 70’s, which I still think was an awesome musical decade. But gawd, these songs are turrrrible.
I think it’s interesting how, If I look at a top 20 from a given year in the 70’s and 80’s, I can find several good and interesting picks…but from a list of number ones? Not so easily.
