Before John Mellencamp began taking himself a mite too seriously, he was just a fun rocker guy who hit on a massive earworm with summer ’82’s “Hurts So Good”. “Hurts” broke him wide open, catapulting its parent album American Fool to the top of the album charts and peaking at #2 on Billboard’s Top 100.… Read More “Hurts So Good” by John Cougar (Mellencamp) (1982)
“Hungry Like The Wolf” was the first time many of us in America heard of Duran Duran. Perhaps more importantly, “Hungry Like The Wolf” marked the first time many Americans saw Duran Duran. And while there was certainly a contingent of people who saw the Fab Five as major eye candy (like my cousin Antoinette… Read More “Hungry Like The Wolf” by Duran Duran (1982)
The inclusion of “Hungry Heart” on this list gave me a little bit of internal tumult. By adding it, was I trying to puff up my Springsteen bona fides? Or my rock bona fides? Was my intention to include it based on the nostalgia of it being the first Springsteen song I was aware of?… Read More “Hungry Heart” by Bruce Springsteen (1980)
When I was a kid, there were definitely people that cast aspersions on Michael Jackson’s sexuality. In the late ‘70s and ‘80s, the “Michael is gay” rumors were prevalent, to the point that a rumor floated (and was published) that MJ had actually undergone a sex change operation. Allegedly, the sex change was so that… Read More “Human Nature” by Michael Jackson (1982)
I remember at the height of “Human”‘s success, someone (I’m fairly sure it was Donnie Simpson on BET’s “Video Soul”, but I’m not 100% positive) remarking that it was the “hardest” sounding slow jam that he’d ever heard. That’s the truth. Slow jams were…well, soft. “Human” was sensitive, but the beat kicked. Producers Jimmy Jam… Read More “Human” by The Human League (1986)
“How Will I Know” was the song that made Whitney Houston America’s sweetheart. And as calculated as Clive Davis’s plan to make her a superstar were (release a couple of singles that solidified a base of R&B fans before making an all-out pop push), it worked. And it worked with a great song, even if… Read More “How Will I Know” by Whitney Houston (1985)
I have to start by saying that I find Morrissey an absolutely reprehensible human being. That said, he has a way with words that occasionally taps into great sentiment. And the main hook of “How Soon Is Now?” (“I am human and I need to be loved…”) is one of the great lyrics in rock… Read More “How Soon Is Now?” by The Smiths (1984)
“How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?” is such an intimate song, you can close your eyes and feel like Prince is right next to you, hashing his thoughts about a recent breakup out on the piano. The only percussion is Prince’s feet kicking away at the pedals. It would be within reason to think… Read More “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?” by Prince (1982)
“Housequake” isn’t so much a song as it is a groove. And what a groove it is. Prince’s appreciation for the music of James Brown was never a secret (and it certainly isn’t now, as revelations of hours-long rehearsals with The Revolution where they just grooved on JB’s “Bodyheat” have come to light), and “Housequake”… Read More “Housequake” by Prince (1987)
Was Luther Vandross the premier “love song” singer of his generation? I think if you look a little closer, you might realize that Luther’s most affecting vocal performances were not so much love songs as they were songs of lost love, unrequited love, or straight up loneliness. This holds true especially when you look at… Read More “A House Is Not A Home” by Luther Vandross (1981)
Five Star Jamz 