We Can’t Believe These 4 Songs From Rock Giants Missed the Top 40 in 1986

It’s always fun as a music fan to look back at what was happening in the charts in years past. Chances are you’ll find some strange anomalies, such as examples of outstanding songs that never made it too high up the chart ladder.

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In 1986, several songs from esteemed rock artists didn’t make it to the Top 40. These four songs from 1986 all deserved better than that.

“A Kind Of Magic” by Queen

You’ll hear Freddie Mercury sing the phrase “There can be only one” in the middle of “A Kind Of Magic”. If you know your 80s films, that will sound familiar. The phrase plays a key role in the 1986 film Highlander. Queen provided several memorable songs for the soundtrack, songs that then popped up on their A Kind Of Magic album. Hey, these guys had a soft spot for sci-fi movies, as evidenced by the work on Flash Gordon earlier in the decade. Drummer Roger Taylor wrote this one, while his bandmates all get in on the action in the recording with excellent efforts. None of that was enough to propel the song past No. 42 on the US pop charts.

“Don’t Stand So Close To Me ’86” by The Police

It’s kind of lost to history that The Police initially intended to get back together once they took a little break after Synchronicity. After Sting’s success with The Dream Of The Blue Turtles solo album, he briefly reunited for sessions with Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland. But Copeland suffered an injury to stymie the momentum, meaning that this quasi-remake was really the only thing to get done. It appeared as a single in 1986 to promote a greatest hits compilation. And while it doesn’t improve on the original, it does add enough value to justify its existence. But it wasn’t enough to make it past No. 46 on the charts when released.

“Ruthless People” by Mick Jagger

Mick Jagger was more a solo act than a member of The Rolling Stones circa 1986, or so it sometimes seemed. While the Stones struggled through the listless album Dirty Work that year, Jagger was building off the commercial success of She’s The Boss, his first solo effort. “Ruthless People”, a soundtrack song from a high-profile, big-budget comedy film of the same name, seemed a good way to extend his hot streak in that regard. Jagger co-wrote the song with Daryl Hall and David Stewart, quite the pop star triumvirate at that time. The song possesses more bite than the singles off She’s The Boss. But Jagger walked away with only a No. 51 hit.

“Absolute Beginners” by David Bowie

David Bowie struggled to find his footing after the massive success of the Let’s Dance album in 1983. He found himself caught between going all-in on courting the pop audience and indulging the off-kilter tendencies of his 70s classics. But even in that stretch, he stepped up with a few solid movie songs. “Absolute Beginners” is the title track to a musical film of the same name, one that didn’t really make much of a mark here in the US. Bowie’s song is one of his best of the 80s. It finds him in unabashedly romantic mode, singing over a slightly retro musical foundation. Looking back at the quality level of this track, it’s hard to fathom it only reached No. 53 in America.

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