# What was this song? 80s or early 90s, female singer. Mainstream pop. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 22, 2010, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-song-80s-or-early-90s-female-singer-mainstream-pop/565072 "2010-12-22T14:24:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-song-80s-or-early-90s-female-singer-mainstream-pop/565072/1 "2010-12-22T14:24:37Z")
OK, finally a song identification that’s not for some obscure song. This one is totally mainstream, like, I hear it in supermarkets and when holding for customer service on the phone. It sounds like it’s from the 80s or early 90s with a female singer. It has a Janet Jackson-esque production sound, very heavy on the synthesized drums and other totally synthesized instrumentals. Sort of Amy Grant sounding too. The beat is a shuffle, like “My Baby Takes The Morning Train.” or a slower version of “Lido Shuffle” just to name two other well known songs with shuffle beats. I can’t remember any specific lyrics other than part of the chorus which sounds like “Oooh oooh, baby I love you.” Yeah I know how generic those lyrics are…but I actually don’t think those are it, since a search did not bring up the song I’m thinking of. At any rate it’s _something_ that rhymes with “oooh, oooh” and then “baby, I…” and then two more syllables. If I could just play the melody that goes with those lyrics (which are probably all wrong) you would recognize it quickly. It’s a totally cloying, mainstream corporate '80s pop song that most people would probably change the radio station to avoid. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-song-80s-or-early-90s-female-singer-mainstream-pop/565072/2 "2010-12-22T14:37:06Z")
“Head to Toe” by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam? [http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play?p=head%20to%20toe%20cult%20jam&tnr=21&vid=285414981998&l=305&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fts1.mm.bing.net%2Fvideos%2Fthumbnail.aspx%3Fq%3D285414981998%26id%3D0735a513dd0c1ed98430e427a00f9a94%26bid%3DPuf1tpX%252bbxiGIA%26bn%3DThumb%26url%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252fwww.youtube.com%252fwatch%253fv%253dRgeuVjeOadA&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DRgeuVjeOadA&sigr=11adokujp&newfp=1&tit=Lisa+Lisa+%26+the+Cult+Jam+Head+2+Toe](http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play?p=head%20to%20toe%20cult%20jam&tnr=21&vid=285414981998&l=305&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fts1.mm.bing.net%2Fvideos%2Fthumbnail.aspx%3Fq%3D285414981998%26id%3D0735a513dd0c1ed98430e427a00f9a94%26bid%3DPuf1tpX%252bbxiGIA%26bn%3DThumb%26url%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252fwww.youtube.com%252fwatch%253fv%253dRgeuVjeOadA&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DRgeuVjeOadA&sigr=11adokujp&newfp=1&tit=Lisa+Lisa+%26+the+Cult+Jam+Head+2+Toe) ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-song-80s-or-early-90s-female-singer-mainstream-pop/565072/3 "2010-12-22T14:44:32Z")
Is it Amy Grant, with [“Baby Baby”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMXuuYnoRdI)? ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-song-80s-or-early-90s-female-singer-mainstream-pop/565072/4 "2010-12-22T16:28:58Z")
Use [this website](http://www.melodycatcher.com/) to play the melody and it will tell you the song. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-song-80s-or-early-90s-female-singer-mainstream-pop/565072/5 "2010-12-22T17:29:35Z")
From your description I would hazard a guess of Jane Child’s “Don’t Wanna Fall In Love”: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWd\_\_w5UWVc](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWd__w5UWVc) ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-song-80s-or-early-90s-female-singer-mainstream-pop/565072/6 "2010-12-22T17:58:22Z")
Hold me now - One 2 One? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_the_turtle/32/2926_2.png) [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_the_Turtle)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-song-80s-or-early-90s-female-singer-mainstream-pop/565072/7 "2010-12-22T18:20:49Z")
Sheila E. - Glamorous Life? ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-song-80s-or-early-90s-female-singer-mainstream-pop/565072/8 "2010-12-22T19:22:22Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Use [this website](http://www.melodycatcher.com/) to play the melody and it will tell you the song. It couldn’t identify it, but if anyone wants to hear the melody I mean, paste this into the notes bar on that website: D3 C3 A2 C3 D3 D3 C3 . ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-song-80s-or-early-90s-female-singer-mainstream-pop/565072/9 "2010-12-22T19:27:27Z")
I said in the OP that it was a shuffle beat…very distinctive kind of beat. None of the other songs that have been suggested are shuffles. A song with a beat very similar to the one in the song I am trying to find: [My Baby Takes The Morning Train.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9YwyfX33LU) ---
**Author:** ![fargingbastige](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/57b2e6/32.png) [@fargingbastige](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fargingbastige)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-song-80s-or-early-90s-female-singer-mainstream-pop/565072/10 "2010-12-22T19:35:39Z")
I Touch Myself by the Divinyls ---
**Author:** ![tripthicket](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripthicket/32/297_2.png) [@tripthicket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tripthicket)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-song-80s-or-early-90s-female-singer-mainstream-pop/565072/11 "2010-12-22T23:31:26Z")
Let’s try **Will to Power** - [_Baby I Love Your Way_](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38Y6-C-tKe8) ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-song-80s-or-early-90s-female-singer-mainstream-pop/565072/12 "2010-12-22T23:34:24Z")
That song is not a shuffle. Thanks anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-song-80s-or-early-90s-female-singer-mainstream-pop/565072/13 "2010-12-22T23:40:56Z")
You want to know what the instrumental and beat of the song sounds like? Listen to the first ten seconds of [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXco4bhuaks), which is _not_ the song in question, but has a very, very similar musical feel. You just need to listen to the first ten seconds, not the whole song. This is nearly identical to the rhythm and sound of the song that I am trying to find. This should help narrow it down. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-song-80s-or-early-90s-female-singer-mainstream-pop/565072/14 "2010-12-23T00:20:00Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > It couldn’t identify it, but if anyone wants to hear the melody I mean, paste this into the notes bar on that website: D3 C3 A2 C3 D3 D3 C3 . ??? It pulled up this: [http://www.free-ringtones.uk.com/tones/ArethaFranklin\_Pink\_Cadillac\_mono.mid](http://www.free-ringtones.uk.com/tones/ArethaFranklin_Pink_Cadillac_mono.mid) Can you play into that any other melody line from your song? Keep trying any snippets you can remember. It will find it if you have any correct melody lines. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-song-80s-or-early-90s-female-singer-mainstream-pop/565072/15 "2010-12-23T00:22:02Z")
This page gives more ways to find a missing melody, including humming it into your computer’s microphone. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-song-80s-or-early-90s-female-singer-mainstream-pop/565072/16 "2010-12-23T00:39:21Z")
Shuffle, female, late 80s/early 90s… all I could think of is Alannah Myles [Black Velvet](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uS870zCCAwM). I don’t quite think it’s the song given the rest of the description, but worth a shot. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-song-80s-or-early-90s-female-singer-mainstream-pop/565072/17 "2010-12-23T00:47:38Z")
I guess it’s not Amy Grant [The Things We Do For Love](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8-wdNDiYxg), a remake of the 10cc song. ---
**Author:** ![Trion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Trion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trion)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-song-80s-or-early-90s-female-singer-mainstream-pop/565072/18 "2010-12-23T00:58:23Z")
Rio by Duran Duran? ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-song-80s-or-early-90s-female-singer-mainstream-pop/565072/19 "2010-12-23T01:05:44Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > This page gives more ways to find a missing melody, including humming it into your computer’s microphone. Oops, I forgot [the link](http://www.wikihow.com/Identify-Songs-Using-Melody). ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-song-80s-or-early-90s-female-singer-mainstream-pop/565072/20 "2010-12-23T01:16:28Z")
Thanks for the attempts, people, I do appreciate it. And I’m glad that people are starting to understand the shuffle part of it. Unfortunately nobody’s nailed it yet. I ask again that you listen to just the first 10 seconds of [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXco4bhuaks) song, which has almost exactly the same rhythm, tempo, instrumental feel (highly synthesized, overproduced and cheesy), and maybe it’ll come to you. The song I’m thinking of was very popular and is still heard in supermarkets, waiting music for customer service numbers, etc…I bet as soon as someone figures it out (which they will, sooner or later) people will be astonished that they didn’t think of it first. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-song-80s-or-early-90s-female-singer-mainstream-pop/565072.md?page=2)