Who knows why some great songs don’t quite make it very high in the charts? Any number of factors cause this phenomenon. The truth is that many minor chart hits have the staying power that some big smashes lack.
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Many impressive tracks lurked in the bottom reaches of the Top 40 in 1987 and never made it any higher. These four songs are fine examples of minor hits and major musical accomplishments.
“True Faith” by New Order
The British synth-pop act New Order had released several songs in the earlier part of the 80s that made their mark in US dance clubs. But they came nowhere near the American pop charts. By 1987, they had signed a US record deal with Quincy Jones’ QWest label, meaning that their US exposure level was rising. New Order released a greatest hits album named Substance to capitalize. They recorded two new songs to promote it, one of which was “True Faith”. The track managed to be both thrilling and dark all at once, as New Order lead singer Bernard Sumner moaned lines about being caught in the “shade of the morning sun.” “True Faith” topped out at No. 32 in 1987, which was the band’s first-ever Top 40 appearance in America.
“853-5937” by Squeeze
For most of their career, Chris Difford and Glenn Tillbrook, the songwriters at the heart of the legendary British band Squeeze, had a certain way of working. Difford would pen a set of lyrics. Tilbrook would take over from there, writing the music. But on the album Babylon And On, the pair tried something a little bit different, working out songs together in the same room. The experiment yielded the band’s best-ever commercial results in America. “Hourglass”, spurred on by a danceable groove and a unique video, gave them a beachhead in the Top 40. “853-5937” earned them another Top 40 single at a peak of No. 32. And it showcased the effortless pop ingenuity of this marvelous group.
“Light Of Day” by The Barbusters (Joan Jett & The Blackhearts)
The creation of this one is a bit convoluted. Bruce Springsteen was asked by film director Paul Schrader to write a song for an 80s film entitled Born In The U.S.A. Springsteen liked the title and used it for the title track for his 1984 landmark album. Feeling bad that he’d hijacked the name of the movie, Springsteen offered Schrader “Light Of Day” as a consolation prize. Schrader renamed the film, which starred Michael J. Fox and Joan Jett, after the song. Jett and Fox performed the song in the film as The Barbusters, while Jett released a version to radio featuring her band The Blackhearts. Springsteen later made the song a staple of his live shows. In any case, the fiery style is a good fit for Jett’s vocals.
“I Don’t Mind” by Bourgeois Tagg
The band name stands out as one of the most unusual of the 80s, which is saying something. There’s no great mystery behind the origin, and Brent Bourgeois and Larry Tagg founded the band. For their second album, Yoyo, Bourgeois Tagg employed none other than Todd Rundgren as producer. Rundgren knew a thing or two about adding Beatlesque touches to songs, so you can imagine he had something to do with the lovely strings on “I Don’t Mind”. Beyond that, it’s a lovely, albeit lyrically cryptic, song written by Bourgeois and guitarist Lyle Workman. It was good enough to land at No. 38. Bourgeois Tagg disbanded not long after their lone hit.
Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images
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