4 Songs That You Might Not Remember Hit the Top 10 in 1984

Landing a song somewhere near the top of the charts in any calendar year is an achievement to be recognized. Doing it in 1984 was something extra special, as that was one of those boom years in pop music.

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But not all the big hits from 1984 have enjoyed the same kind of shelf life. Here are four songs that reached the Top 10 on the US pop charts that you might have forgotten. And, if you did, these songs are good enough that you’ll be glad you jogged your memory.

“Got A Hold On Me” by Christine McVie

Fleetwood Mac struggled to get along with each other throughout the 80s, meaning that the band’s output slowed considerably. That allowed their individual members to launch solo careers in the interim between Mac LPs. Among the band’s three singers, Stevie Nicks enjoyed the most solo chart success, while Lindsey Buckingham went more of an experimental route. And Christine McVie simply did what she did best when she was in the band, which was to deliver picture-perfect pop songs with a surprising emotional tug lurking beneath them. “Got A Hold On Me”, which hit No. 10, showed off her effortless craft and ingratiating performance skills.

“Desert Moon” by Dennis DeYoung

Like many of their arena rock brethren, Styx was dealing with some squabbles within the band as the middle of the decade neared. As such, they splintered off into separate factions for a while. Dennis DeYoung, who’d been responsible for writing and singing most of the band’s biggest hits, was a natural for a solo career. And he struck big with his first single, the title track to his 1984 album Desert Moon. Anyone who’d been listening to Styx with any regularity should have known that DeYoung would be able to handle a sweeping ballad like this one, which leans into bittersweet nostalgia and offers a stirring chorus.

“Some Guys Have All The Luck” by Rod Stewart

You would not pinpoint Rod Stewart as someone who’s had an unlucky life, would you? Nonetheless, it’s a tribute to Stewart’s artistry that he made us all believe in the sad-sack tendencies of the narrator in this No. 10 hit. 1984 was quite a big year for Stewart, as “Infatuation”, also found on his album Camouflage, made it to No. 6. As for “Some Guys Have All The Luck”, it had already been a hit a couple of times in Great Britain by the time Stewart did his take. He conjured a perky arrangement that keeps things lively even when the problems pile up on the poor guy at the heart of the song. Stewart’s dance moves in the video also charmed fans, helping the song’s success level.

“They Don’t Know” by Tracey Ullman

TV stars like Don Johnson and Bruce Willis parlayed their small-screen success into a taste of pop music stardom in the 80s. When she recorded “They Don’t Know”, Tracey Ullman was still a somewhat unknown entity in the US as a comedic actress, although UK audiences knew her talent. American music fans, however, certainly knew a pristine pop song when they heard one. Kirsty MacColl wrote and first performed “They Don’t Know”. Ullman wisely stuck close to MacColl’s original arrangement when she recorded the song. And she even enlisted MacColl to sing the exclamatory “Baby” part leading into the final verse because Ullman couldn’t hit the note. Ullman’s biggest-ever pop hit peaked at No. 8 in the US.

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