4 Cover Songs That Dented the Top 10 in 1985

Cover songs were all the rage in 1985, although it was often the case that few people realized the songs in question had actually been done before. Several of those songs made it all the way to No. 1 that year.

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We’re not going that high with this list. Instead, we’re checking out four songs that at least hit the Top 10 in ’85, all of which were cover versions.

“I Feel For You” by Chaka Khan

Chaka Khan ascended to the top of the R&B world in the 70s with Rufus. When she went solo, she at first concentrated on jazzier albums that didn’t court the pop mainstream. But when she decided she’d make a play for a more widespread chart splash, she went to a pretty reliable hitmaking source. Prince wrote and first recorded it back in 1979. When Khan recorded “I Feel For You”, she kept much of the arrangement the same, while adding some touches that were very much in keeping with the times in ’85. That included a robotic drum machine beat and a little bit of a hip-hop intro from the rap pioneer Melle Mel. A No. 3 spot in the charts marked Khan’s best-ever performance in the pop world.

“Sea Of Love” by The Honeydrippers

Unless 80s fans were tuned in to oldies stations on the regular, they might have missed the fact that this one was a cover. The original version of “Sea Of Love”, co-written and performed by one-hit wonder Phil Phillips, stormed the charts in 1959. It topped out at No. 2 back then. As for The Honeydrippers, many people instantly recognized the voice out in front as none other than Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin. The band formed as a loose outfit in 1981, playing cover songs to get Plant back in the swing of things after the end of Led Zep. When they recorded their lone EP in 1985, they boasted an all-star cast. Jimmy Page joins his ex-bandmate here, playing the guitar solo on this No. 3 cover.

“Obsession” by Animotion

Animotion stands out as one of the more interesting chart entities in music history. They made their first splash with “Obsession”, all stabbing synths and innuendo-laced back-and-forth between lead singers Bill Wadhams and Astrid Plane. Three years later, they had another Top 10 hit with “Room To Move”, by which time the earlier two leads had left the band. Going back to “Obsession”, it made it to No. 6 in ’85. Very few people heard the first version of the song. That was done by the song’s writers, Holly Knight and Michael Des Barres. It was very much in line with the he-said, she-said vibe of the hit. But it lacked the instrumental punch of the latter version.

“Get It On (Bang A Gong” by The Power Station

We mentioned Michael Des Barres in the last write-up. He has a connection here, as he took over from Robert Palmer in The Power Station when Palmer decided to go back to his solo career. Which was ironic, because Palmer’s performance on this song was what made former Duran Duran members John Taylor and Andy Taylor originally decide that they didn’t need to rotate lead singers, which was the original plan for The Power Station. Coming off the heels of the band’s debut hit single “Some Like It Hot”, their thundering version of “Get It On” peaked at No. 9. Classic rock fans remember well the original by the Brit glam pioneers T. Rex. That track also made it to the US Top 10.

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