The year 1980 was kind of an odd year in music. Because MTV hadn’t yet dawned, the wave of telegenic hitmakers from across the pond hadn’t yet crested. And disco and soft rock were both running out of steam in terms of chart success.
Videos by American Songwriter
That left the door open for top rock acts to fill in the void. Even with that advantage, these four excellent rock songs somehow came up just shy of the US Top 40 in 1980.
“The Horizontal Bop” by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
Bob Seger went into the making of his 1980 album Against The Wind with the goal of it landing on top of the album charts. For all his success on records like Night Moves and Stranger In Town, that No. 1 spot evaded his grasp. As such, he set out with the intent of touching all the bases for every possible audience member. “Horizontal Bop” doesn’t cover some of the weightier territory occupied by songs like the title track. But it allows those listening to the record to turn their brains off for a second and just sink into a sumptuous Chuck Berry-style groove. Although the song stalled at No. 42, it helped the album that contained it achieve Seger’s chart-topping goal.
“Play The Game” by Queen
For a long time in their careers, Queen had eschewed the use of synthesizers. That’s why it probably struck folks as odd that the first sounds heard on their 1980 album The Game came courtesy of synths emulating a spaceship touchdown. That auspicious opening set the table for “Play The Game”, written and sung by Freddie Mercury with his typical mixture of brio and pathos. Brian May added guitar riffs that lodged themselves somewhere in the furthest reaches of the stratosphere. The Game represented a commercial peak for Queen thanks to world-beating singles “Another One Bites The Dust” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”. “Play The Game”, however, only made it to No. 42 in the US.
“Games Without Frontiers” by Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel looked for a while like he might be doomed to cult-artist status on this side of the pond forever. The former Genesis frontman didn’t seem to mind, releasing willfully weird and artsy records that he continuously named after himself. That said, it’s hard to understand how “Games Without Frontiers”, from the third of those LPs, only made it to No. 48 in the US. (It soared much higher in Gabriel’s native England.) Everywhere you turn, there’s a hook. That includes the mesmerizing guitar riff, the chorus of whistles, and Gabriel sighing out the song title in French. He also made some subtle points along the way about the childishness inherent in international rivalries.
“Teacher, Teacher” by Rockpile
Make a list of outstanding 80s supergroups, and you’d have to include Rockpile. Sadly, they’ll also end up on any rundown of one-album wonders from the decade. As promising as Seconds Of Pleasure, the 1980 LP from the quartet of Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, Billy Bremner, and Terry Williams, may have been, it turned out to be their first and last record. Lead single “Teacher, Teacher” only climbed to No. 51 on the pop charts in the US. And yet, the song, written by Eddie Phillips and Kenny Pickett of the 60s rock band The Creation, displays this band’s ability to combine the rumbling rhythms of rockabilly with the catchy immediacy of New Wave.
Photo by Michael Montfort/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.