It doesn’t get much more competitive in terms of pop music excellence than 1984. That calendar year produced many monumental singles and albums. As a result, it’s not so surprising that some excellent songs didn’t get the chart spotlight they deserved. All four of these songs at least hit the Top 40 in the US in 1984, but none went any higher than that. But we’re willing to bet that plenty of you still think of these songs quite fondly.
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“It’s My Life” by Talk Talk
The British trio Talk Talk released “It’s My Life” as the title track to their second album. Considering the song made it to No. 31 in 1984, it seemed like this band might be bound for further pop success. Instead, they went off in more of an art-rock direction, becoming a cult act drawing fans away from the mainstream. The song itself, however, was due for a brighter limelight down the road. No Doubt covered it and took it to the Top 10 in 2003. Written by singer Mark Hollis and producer Tim Friese-Greene, the original does an excellent job of balancing out the synthetic elements with more traditional instrumental charms, such as Paul Webb’s bouncy bass.
“What Is Love?” by Howard Jones
It was common in the 80s for artists to preview their album with multiple singles before the LP ever made its debut. Howard Jones utilized just such a tactic on his 1984 album Human’s Lib. “New Song” came out first, followed by “What Is Love?”, released in November 1983. The latter song did some chart damage in 1984 as well, topping out at No. 33 in the US. The song did much better in Jones’ native United Kingdom, just missing the top of the charts at No. 2. Jones had a way of pairing philosophically questing lyrics with relentlessly rhythmic musical beds. That strategy is in evidence on this winning track.
“Pride (In The Name Of Love)” by U2
This is probably the song on this list that will surprise people the most. After all, “Pride (In The Love)” is now considered one of the defining moments in U2’s career. How is it possible that it was only a No. 33 song in America? Well, you must remember that the band hadn’t yet made inroads at pop radio in the US by this time. In fact, “Pride” represented the band’s first-ever trip to the Top 40 in America. U2 had the song in gestation for a while before Bono came up with the lyrics that tied into the story of Martin Luther King Jr. It was a bold move for the Irish band, but it foreshadowed their willingness to go for the gusto in future years.
“Boys Do Fall In Love” by Robin Gibb
The Bee Gees, having been largely abandoned by the pop world in the early 80s, decided to try some solo opportunities circa 1984. At the same time Robin Gibb was making his 1984 album Secret Agent, Barry was churning out his solo debut album Now Voyager, which included the No. 37 hit “Shine, Shine”. That’s the same peak position achieved by “Boys Fall In Love”, which, like much of the album, was co-written and co-produced by Robin’s brother Maurice. With all that Bee Gees’ pedigree, the sturdiness of the songcraft comes as no surprise. What might surprise you is the vocal range of Robin, who goes into an Elvis-like register in the verses before soaring in the refrain.
Photo by Stoddart/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
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