Billy Ocean’s pop breakthrough with “Caribbean Queen” came a decade after the singer began his life as a musician. It became a radio and MTV hit, and topped the pop and R&B charts towards the end of one of the greatest years for singles in pop history. It began a four album string of lead singles with eight word titles (which also included “There’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)”, “Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car” and “I Sleep Much Better (In Someone Else’s Bed)”. It’s a damn good song, too. Danceable without being frantic, hooky as hell, and boasting a creamy sax solo that seemed to be an omnipresent feature in mid ‘80s pop (for proof, see my previous entry). There’s even a fair amount of camp, including the silly sound effects (a tiger growl, panting, the “electric eyes” sound) and the intro (”she’s simply…awesome!”) “Caribbean Queen” isn’t Billy’s best song, but it might be his best hit.