What Were Robert Palmer’s 5 Biggest US Hits?

Robert Palmer stood out as an artist who could write his own stuff but never fell into the singer-songwriter lane. He showed more interest in attempting different styles of music and bringing his unique flavor to each.

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Along the way, he scored a passel of major hits here in the United States. Here are the five songs of Palmer’s that did the best on the US charts.

5. “Mercy Mercy Me/I Want You” – No. 16 in 1990

In addition to being a stellar songwriter in his own right, Palmer made a lot of impact with his interpretive skills. He took songs from a wide range of artists and made them his own with his vocals, which he could keep at a low boil or unleash for raw power. He seemed especially comfortable in the R&B lane. That made him a natural to tackle a pair of Marvin Gaye songs in a medley from his 1990 album Don’t Explain. The juxtaposition of the world-conscious “Mercy Mercy Me” and the sultry “I Want You” was genius.

4. “Bad Case Of Loving You (Doctor Doctor)” – No. 14 in 1979

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Palmer caught on to New Wave ahead of many of his peers. His one-two punch of the albums Secrets (1979) and Clues (1980) arguably represents his artistic peak. From the former album comes “Bad Case Of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)”. He sourced the song from the cult songwriter Moon Martin. It’s an ideal vehicle for Palmer at his most urgent. His studio band offers a potent punch as a foundation. Meanwhile, Palmer has us in the palm of his hands right from the opening wordless squeal he uncorks at the beginning of the song.

3. “I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On” – No. 2 in 1986

There’s no doubt that Robert Palmer stumbled upon a video formula that spearheaded the three biggest hits on this list. You know what we’re talking about: Palmer, immaculately dressed, fronting an imaginary band full of deadpan female models. That shouldn’t discount the aural joys presented by these three songs. In fact, we’re partial to “I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On” as the best of the trio. Palmer lent a cool electronic edge to the original R&B hit performed by Cherrelle and written by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

2. “Simply Irresistible” – No. 2 in 1988

You can understand Palmer wanting to return to the well with a song sounding somewhat similar to the top song on this list. “Simply Irresistible” offers the same type of thunderous drums on top of an R&B backdrop. Palmer cleverly throws together some loose rhymes throughout the song (“permissible/principle/mythical/typical”). The production here gets a little bit overbearing, however, hiding some of those charms. Nonetheless, it launched Palmer to a spot just shy of his second US No. 1 hit.

1. “Addicted To Love” – No. 1 in 1986

The seeds of “Addicted To Love” can be found in Robert Palmer’s stint as the lead singer of The Power Station. That band scored a pair of hit singles that were typified by grinding guitars, cacophonous drums, and hitchy rhythms. To make the connection even more valid, he imported guitarist Andy Taylor, bassist Bernard Edwards, and drummer Tony Thompson, all Power Station principles, to play on this track. Palmer then added just a bit more pop ear candy in the melody. The result was a runaway hit in 1986.

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