On this day in 1984: Duran Duran stared a two week run at #1 on the U.S. singles chart with “The Reflex.”
The single entered the Hot 100 in America on April 21, 1984 at #46. It became Duran Duran’s first of two singles to hit #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 (for 2 weeks) on June 23, 1984, and was a huge hit internationally. (Their only other single to hit #1 in the U.S. was the title song to the James Bond film “A View To A Kill”) It was also the first of two songs that kept “Dancing In The Dark” by Bruce Springsteen out of the top spot (the other one being Prince’s “When Doves Cry.”) The band wanted it to be the lead single from their album ‘Seven and the Ragged Tiger’, but their label did not like the warbling singing during the “why don’t you use it” segments, thinking this would hinder its success as a stand-alone single track.
The remixes for both the 7″ and 12″ singles were created by Nile Rodgers of Chic fame. It was his first work with the band, and he would later go on to produce “The Wild Boys” single as well as the album Notorious in 1986 and several tracks on ‘Astronaut’ in 2004.
Main photography for the video for “The Reflex” took place during the ‘Seven and the Ragged Tiger’ tour at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario on March 5, 1984. Director Russell Mulcahy filmed some of the closeup footage in the indoor arena that afternoon, and the band’s performance was filmed live during that evening’s concert.
Here’s a look at the Top 20 on the U.S. singles chart from this day back in 1984:
1 2 THE REFLEX –•– Duran Duran (Capitol)-10 (1 Week at #1) (1)
2 1 TIME AFTER TIME –•– Cyndi Lauper (Portrait)-11 (1)
3 3 LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY –•– Deniece Williams (Columbia)-12 (1)
4 9 DANCING IN THE DARK –•– Bruce Springsteen (Columbia)-5 (4)
5 7 SELF CONTROL –•– Laura Branigan (Atlantic)-11 (5)
6 6 THE HEART OF ROCK ‘N ROLL –•– Huey Lewis & The News (Chrysalis)-10 (6)
7 8 JUMP (For My Love) –•– The Pointer Sisters (Planet)-9 (7)
8 17 WHEN DOVES CRY –•– Prince (Warner Brothers)-4 (8)
9 4 OH SHERRIE –•– Steve Perry (Columbia)-12 (3)
10 11 EYES WITHOUT A FACE –•– Billy Idol (Chrysalis)-8 (10)
11 10 BORDERLINE –•– Madonna (Sire)-16 (10)
12 14 ALMOST PARADISE –•– Mike Reno & Ann Wilson (Columbia)-7 (12)
13 13 IT’S A MIRACLE –•– Culture Club (Virgin)-7 (13)
14 5 SISTER CHRISTIAN –•– Night Ranger (MCA / Camel)-16 (5)
15 16 YOU CAN’T GET WHAT YOU WANT (Til You Know What You Want) –•– Joe Jackson (A&M)-10 (15)
16 19 STAY THE NIGHT –•– Chicago (Full Moon / Warner Brothers)-8 (16)
17 12 BREAKDANCE –•– Irene Cara (Geffen)-14 (8)
18 15 HELLO –•– Lionel Richie (Motown)-18 (1)
19 23 LEGS –•– ZZ Top (Warner Brothers)-6 (19)
20 24 MAGIC –•– The Cars (Elektra)-6 (20)
