One Hit Wondering – Michael Damian

One Hit Wondering is a series of columns where I listen to the album of a one hit wonder, and find three songs, other than the hit, that people should hear. 

The ‘80s were a decade filled with great covers, and Michael Damian’s take on the 1973 David Essex song “Rock On” was an especially memorable one.

“Rock On” had been a hit for Essex, reaching #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, but Damian took it all the way to the top spot in June of 1989.

Damian’s version would spend one week at #1, a total of five weeks in the Top 10, and eight weeks in the Top 20.

Leading off his 1989 album Where Do We Go From Here, “Rock On” was also featured in the teen film Dream a Little Dream, which is how the film’s stars – Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, and Meredith Salenger – ended up in the music video (although they might be tough to see since the video hasn’t received the HD treatment yet).

Damian’s music career actually started a decade prior to “Rock On,” when he was a member of his family band, The Weirz.

Everything changed for him, however, after an appearance on American Bandstand in 1981 in support of his debut single, which also happened to be a cover, as he put his own spin on Eric Carmen’s “She Did It.” His appearance on the show led to him being offered the part of Danny Romalotti on The Young and the Restless. The character was a struggling singer.

The struggle was only partially real for Damian, as while he never had another hit song, he didn’t need another hit song, his gig on The Young and the Restless lasted from 1981 to 1998, and he returned for multiple stints in the ‘00s, ’10s, and the present.

Even while acting Damian continued to release music throughout the ‘80s, ‘90s, and ‘00s, and right around the same time as “Rock On” he lent his vocals to another song that’s instantly recognizable to this day, even though it was never played on the radio. He performed the theme song to Saved by the Bell.

Damian’s status as a one hit wonder is actually debatable, because while VH1 ranked him on their 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the ‘80s list, Where Do We Go From Here featured two songs in addition to “Rock On” that charted. “Was It Nothing At All” almost cracked the Top 20, peaking at #24, and “Cover of Love” reached #31.

That’s pretty much as close as you can get to no longer having the title of one hit wonder, but you know what – people remember one hit wonders way more than they remember two hit wonders, or three hit wonders.

The other day while I was digging through used vinyl I found a copy of Where Do We Go From Here, so of course I picked it up.

After giving it a spin, I found the album was more than just the hit.

Here are three songs from Where Do We Go From Here, other than “Rock On,” that you should hear.

“My Mistake”

 

The only mistake of “My Mistake” was that it wasn’t released as a single. With a fantastic late ‘80s pop-rock sound, and a Michael Jackson-like chorus, this one would’ve been huge on both radio, and MTV.

“A Question of Time”

 

“A Question of Time” has a driving beat that’s pure ‘80s, and it leads into a chorus that features Damian hitting a nice falsetto note. This song really had all the makings of an ‘80s classic, but instead it’s a hidden gem for those who listen past the hit.

“Heartbreak Monday”

 

It’s hard to imagine a woman friend zoning Michael Damian, especially in 1989, when he was not only a huge soap opera star, but was also all over the teen magazines, but “Heartbreak Monday” is the ultimate friend zone song. In it he’s the lovelorn friend who will forever be the guy that the girl of his dreams tells her troubles to, but that is all.

I suppose it could also be a “break out of the friend zone” song if it were to change a girl’s mind.

Good Lord, what kind of powers might Michael Damian wield???

Until next time, here’s to discovering more great music from one hit wonders!