4 Amazing Songs That Barely Scraped the Top 100 in 1983

Artists boast about Top 10 hits. They can even do some preening about songs that crack the Top 40. But songs that peak in the lower reaches of the Top 100 aren’t usually a cause for celebration, at least not for established acts.

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That said, some of those low-charting songs can turn out to be classics once they stand the test of time. Check out these excellent songs that were modest chart hits in 1983.

“Holiday Road” by Lindsey Buckingham

When you hear the opening strains of this song, it’s impossible to ignore the mental image of Clark Griswold, as played by Chevy Chase, tooling down the road in a beat-up station wagon. That’s because “Holiday Road” will forever be tied to the classic comedy Vacation. The song didn’t do much on the charts, hitting just No. 83. But it delivered a lighter side of Lindsey Buckingham, who often gave off those tortured-artist vibes around that time. As for the barking dog sound effects at the end of the song, Buckingham apparently added those completely unaware that the film would feature a canine who meets his untimely end.

“Don’t Change” by INXS

INXS took a while finding its way to American prominence, even as they did well Down Under. The Aussies finally enjoyed a US Top 10 smash with the 1985 song “What You Need”, which then, in turn, opened the doors for their massive 1987 album Kick. Well before that, their 1982 album Shabooh Shoobah started to earn them some looks on an international basis. “The One Thing”, a slinky, danceable track, gave them their first US Top 40 hit as the album’s lead single. “Don’t Change”, an anthemic rocker, had the feel of a big hit itself as a follow-up single. But it couldn’t crawl above No. 80. These days, it stands as one of the band’s most beloved songs.

“I Melt With You” by Modern English

Modern English had a hard time distinguishing itself from the rest of the post-punk British bands on their 1981 album Mesh & Lace. A year later, they connected with producer Hugh Jones, whose pop smarts helped the band get a bit more organized for radio. But none of that would have mattered if lead singer Robbie Grey hadn’t come up with a brilliant song. He wrote “I Melt With You” in about five minutes or so, focusing on the theme of a couple making love as nuclear war is about to destroy the world. In Modern English’s hands, you notice the romance far more than the doom. And yet this 80s standout only made it to No. 83 upon its original US release.

“Radio Free Europe” by R.E.M.

The Big Bang of college rock in the 80s, “Radio Free Europe” introduced a band that clung to traditional rock and roll traits like rhythmic propulsion and entangled guitars that had somewhat fallen out of favor. The secret sauce that transformed it all was the stream of consciousness flowing out of the mouth of singer Michael Stipe. We tend to think of these Georgians as the ultimate underground band, at least early in their career. But it says something about the inherent catchiness of R.E.M. that this single, released without an album behind it, was able to make it to No. 78 in 1983, even if it took nearly two years after its release to reach that point.

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