Pop Shots – A Look At The Charts … From 38 Years Ago

Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week I’m hopping into my time machine again, this time setting the coordinates for 38 years ago this week.

Touching down in 1988 … what a time to be alive, and listening to the radio!

Whitney Houston was at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 wondering “Where Do Broken Hearts Go,” but there was nearly every genre of music on the air, and that included a pop ballad that while just cracking the Top 50 this week, would go on to make chart history with an achievement that still stands to this day.

So let’s get into this exploration of chart history! Of course, since this is Pop Shots, you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.

2. Terence Trent D’arby – Wishing Well

Terence Trent D’arby released some truly fantastic tunes, “Wishing Well” being one of his most well known. Unfortunately, for as much as listeners liked him, he liked himself even more, comparing his work favorably to The Beatles.

Now going by his government name of Sananda Maitreya, he continues to release music, but some of us are still tossing coins into a “Wishing Well,” wondering how some humility would’ve changed his course.

3. Aerosmith – Angel

One thing I’ve always loved about Aerosmith’s ballads is that you can always hear the blues influence, especially in Steven Tyler’s songwriting. The man’s roots were in the right place, and he always sounded amazing, especially when he was in need of an “Angel.”

4. INXS – Devil Inside

Moving from angels to devils, coming in at #4 was INXS with “Devil inside.”

Every time an INXS song comes on I get hyped. In many corners they’re considered a legendary band, but even with that I still think they’re still a tad bit underrated. Their music was just THAT good, and Michael Hutchence was one of the greatest frontmen of any generation.

6. Billy Ocean – Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car

“Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car” is an incredible song, although it probably won’t work as a pickup line unless you’re actually Billy Ocean. In fact, it’s probably a good way to get the cops called on you.

A fun bonus of this song coming in at #6 is that it was followed at #7 by Natalie Cole’s “Pink Cadillac.”

Perhaps a carpool was in order?

9. Tiffany – I Saw Him Standing There

Imagine a time when a teen pop artist would cover The Beatles.

That time was the ‘80s, and the artist was mall queen Tiffany, as she did a very fun version of The Beatles’ “I Saw Her Standing There,” changing the “her” to a “him.”

Older Beatles fans may have rolled their eyes at it (an irony not lost on some of us, who recognize older Beatles fans were once teenyboppers screaming for their pop faves), but personally I wish we had more pop artists bringing back classics. The fact that Tiffany covered The Beatles and Tommy James and the Shondells … yeah, she was cooler than most, and deserves an extra large Orange Julius.

18. The Deele – Two Occasions

The Deele were quite the big deal in the R&B world, and two of the members – Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, and L.A. Reid – would turn out to be an even bigger deal when they formed LaFace Records in 1989.

Just one year prior to the label’s founding they were still members of The Deele, but the end was clearly near, as “Two Occasions” was the only song where Babyface contributed lead vocals on the group’s third album, Eyes of a Stranger, which would be their last with him and Reid.

Fun Fact – The Deele were discovered by the Calloway brothers, of “I Wanna Be Rich” fame! Read all about it in my One Hit Wondering column on Calloway.

32. Morris Day – Fishnet

Morris Day fronted the iconic funk rock band The Time, a group created by Prince, that played a major role in Prince’s sound in the ‘80s.

Day would also branch out as a solo artist, with “Fishnet” being one of his biggest hits.

Unfortunately, the Prince Estate is doing the thing so many estates of famous people do – they’re holding everyone hostage for money. In this case, the’ve made it so Morris Day can’t use the name Morris Day and the Time without paying the estate.

You know, because Prince’s estate is clearly having trouble keeping the lights on.

43. Belinda Carlisle – Circle in the Sand

Yes, “Heaven is a Place on Earth” was her gigantic solo hit, but I also absolutely love “Circle in the Sand.” It’s ‘80s pop goodness, as are “I Get Weak,” and “Mad About You.”

They truly don’t make ‘em like this anymore, and perhaps it’s because very few can match Belinda’s vocals.

48. Debbie Gibson – Foolish Beat

Speaking of unmatched, coming in at #48 is Debbie Gibson with “Foolish Beat.” She was also at #33 with “Out of the Blue,” but I’m focusing on “Foolish Beat” for a reason – the song reached #1 in June of 1988, when Gibson was just 17 years old, making her the youngest artist in history to write, produce, and perform a #1 song on her own.

To this day she is still the youngest women to achieve the feat.

There ain’t nothin’ foolish about that!

That’s all for this edition of Pop Shots, but come back next Monday for more shots on all things pop.