On this day in 1981: Kim Carnes was beginning her NINTH and final week at #1 on the U.S. singles chart with ‘Bette Davis Eyes.’ “Bette Davis Eyes” was written and composed by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon in 1974. It was originally recorded by DeShannon in that year for her album ‘New arrangement’, but […]
This Day In 80s Music, July 17th
On this day in 1982: Irene Cara was at #1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Fame’, which was based on the hit TV series about a New York drama school. Cara (who played the role of Coco Hernandez in the original movie) won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and the Golden Globe […]
This Day In 80s Music, July 16th
On this day in 1981: U.S. singer-songwriter Harry Chapin, who had success in the 70s with ‘Taxi’, ‘W-O-L-D’ and the #1 hit ‘Cats In The Cradle’, was killed at age 38, suffering a cardiac arrest while driving on the Long Island Expressway in New York. His car was hit from behind by a tractor-trailer, causing […]
This Day In 80s Music, July 15th
On this day in 1989: Simply Red scored their second U.S. #1 single with ‘If You Don’t Know Me By Now’, a 1973 hit for Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes. It would spend one week in the top spot. “If You Don’t Know Me by Now” is a song written by Kenny Gamble and Leon […]
This Day In 80s Music, July 14th
On this day in 1982: The movie premier for Pink Floyd’s The Wall was held at The Empire, Leicester Square, London, England. The film which centers around a confined rocker named Floyd “Pink” Pinkerton earned $22 million in its first year and won two British Academy Awards. On this day in 1986: Madonna was at #1 […]
This Day In 80s Music, July 13th
On this day in 1985: At 12:01, Status Quo started the Live Aid extravaganza, held between Wembley Stadium, London and JFK Stadium, Philadelphia. The cream of the world’s biggest rock stars crop took part in the worldwide event, The TV broadcast was transmitted to 1.5 billion people in 160 countries which made it the biggest live […]
This Day In 80s Music, July 12th
On this day in 1980: Olivia Newton-John and the Electric Light Orchestra had the UK #1 single with ‘Xanadu’, taken from the film of the same name. It gave Olivia Newton-John her third UK #1 single. On this day in 1986: Simply Red scored their first U.S. #1 single with ‘Holding Back The Years’. Simply […]
This Day In 80s Music, July 11th
On this day in 1981: The Specials had their second and final UK #1 single with ‘Ghost Town’. Despite being a song about Coventry, the band chose to film the video of themselves driving a Vauxhall Cresta around some empty London streets. On this day in 1982: Phil Collen, former guitarist with the glam rock […]
This Day In 80s Music, July 10th
On this day in 1982: The Human League started their second of three weeks at #1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Don’t You Want Me.” It was the fourth single released off their third studio album ‘Dare.’ It would be ranked the #6 song for the entire year of 1982 by Billboard Magazine on […]
This Day In 80s Music, July 9th
On this day in 1983: The Police started an EIGHT week run at #1 on the U.S. singles chart with ‘Every Breath You Take’ also #1 in the U.K. Taken from the bands album ‘Synchronicity’, it won Grammys for Song of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance at the 1984 Grammy Awards. It would […]