Showing posts with label Foreigner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Foreigner. Show all posts

Sunday, November 5, 2023

Mutt Lange: Top 100 Songs/Top 20 Albums

Mutt Lange

Top 100 Songs

Producer Mutt Lange was born Robert John Lange on November 11, 1948, in Mufulira, Zambia. His father was a mining engineer from South Africa and his mother was from a prosperous family in Germany. He was nicknamed “Mutt” at an early age. He grew up a fan of country music, particularly Slim Whitman. He and future-wife Stevie Vann played together in the band Hocus during the ‘70s, but the marriage dissolved by decade’s end.

In the late ’70, he wrote and sang for his own band Supercharge, including the 1979 song Do You Believe in Love? which became a hit for Huey Lewis & the News in 1982. He also did his first production work for the Boomtown Rats, most notably on their 1978 #1 UK hit Rat Trap.

During the ‘70s and ‘80s, he did production work for some of the biggest albums in rock history, including AC/DC’s Highway to Hell (1979) and Back in Black (1980), Foreigner’s 4 (1981), and Def Leppard’s Pyromania (1983) and Hysteria (1987). He was also a co-writer on major singles including Def Leppard’s Photograph (1983) and Rock of Ages (1983), Loverboy’s Lovin’ Every Minute of It (1985), and Billy Ocean’s Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car (1988).

He also co-wrote one of the biggest hits of the ‘90s, Bryan Adams’ Everything I Do (I Do It for You) and produced his Waking Up the Neighbours album. He met and married Shania Twain in 1993, producing her next three smash albums.

He has also produced or written songs for the Backstreet Boys, Celine Dion, Lady Gaga, Maroon 5, Loverboy, Muse, Nickelback, Britney Spears, Tina Turner, and Dionne Warwick.

Links:

Awards:

Top 100 Songs

Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists, appearances on compilations and live albums by the featured act, and songs’ chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. These are the top 100 songs produced and/or written by Mutt Lange.

DMDB Top 1%:

1. Bryan Adams “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” (1991)
2. AC/DC “You Shook Me All Night Long” (1980)
3. Shania Twain “You’re Still the One” (1997)
4. AC/DC “Back in Black” (1980)
5. Def Leppard “Pour Some Sugar on Me” (1987)
6. AC/DC “Highway to Hell” (1979)
7. Foreigner “Waiting for a Girl Like You” (1981)

DMDB Top 2%:

8. Def Leppard “Photograph” (1983)
9. Bryan Adams, Sting, & Rod Stewart “All for Love” (1993)
10. Bryan Adams “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?” (1995)
11. Def Leppard “Love Bites” (1987)
12. Shania Twain “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” (1997)
13. The Cars “Drive” (1984)

DMDB Top 5%:

14. Foreigner “Urgent” (1981)
15. The Cars “You Might Think” (1984)
16. Def Leppard “Rock of Ages” (1983)
17. Foreigner “Juke Box Hero” (1981)
18. Shania Twain with Bryan White “From This Moment On” (1997)
19. Shania Twain “That Don’t Impress Me Much” (1997)
20. Billy Ocean “Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car” (1988)

21. Def Leppard “Hysteria” (1987)
22. AC/DC “Hells Bells” (1980)
23. Billy Ocean “When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going” (1985)
24. Shania Twain “Forever and for Always” (2002)
25. Def Leppard “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak” (1981)
26. Bryan Adams “Please Forgive Me” (1993)
27. Def Leppard “Foolin’” (1983)
28. Def Leppard “Animal” (1987)

DMDB Top 10%:

29. Heart “All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You” (1990)
30. Huey Lewis & the News “Do You Believe in Love?” (1982)

31. Bryan Adams “Can’t Stop This Thing We Started” (1991)
32. AC/DC “For Those About to Rock We Salute You” (1981)
33. Def Leppard “Armageddon It” (1987)
34. Michael Bolton “Said I Loved You…But I Lied” (1993)
35. The Cars “Magic” (1984)
36. Maroon 5 “Misery” (2010)
37. Billy Ocean “Loverboy” (1984)
38. Shania Twain “Any Man of Mine” (1995)
39. Def Leppard “Rocket” (1987)
40. Def Leppard “Let’s Get Rocked” (1992)

41. Lady Gaga “You and I” (2011)
42. Def Leppard “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad?” (1992)
43. Shania Twain “If You’re Not in It for Love, I’m Outta Here” (1995)
44. Shania Twain “I’m Gonna Getcha Good!” (2002)
45. The Corrs “Breathless” (2000)

DMDB Top 20%:

46. The Cars “Hello Again” (1984)
47. Bryan Adams “The Only Thing That Looks Good on You” (1996)
48. AC/DC “Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution” (1980)
49. Bryan Adams “Thought I’d Died and Gone to Heaven” (1991)
50. AC/DC “Shoot to Thrill” (1980)

51. The Cars “Why Can’t I Have You?” (1984)
52. Loverboy “Lovin’ Every Minute of It” (1985)
53. Def Leppard “Too Late for Love” (1983)
54. Def Leppard “Stand Up (Kick Love into Motion)” (1992)
55. Def Leppard “Make Love Like a Man” (1992)
56. Bryan Adams “There Will Never Be Another Tonight” (1991)
57. Bryan Adams “Let’s Make a Night to Remember” (1996)
58. The Boomtown Rats “Rat Trap” (1978)
59. Michael Bolton “Can I Touch You…There?” (1995)
60. Bryan Adams “Do I Have to Say the Words?” (1991)

61. Muse “Dead Inside” (2015)
62. Shania Twain “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?” (1995)
63. Def Leppard “Tonight” (1992)
64. Def Leppard “Promises” (1999)
65. Foreigner “Break It Up” (1981)
66. Barbra Streisand & Bryan Adams “I Finally Found Someone” (1996)
67. Huey Lewis & the News “It Hit Me Like a Hammer” (1991)
68. Shania Twain “You’ve Got a Way” (1997)
69. Nickelback “This Afternoon” (2008)
70. AC/DC “Let’s Get It Up” (1981)

71. Tina Turner “Why Must We Wait Until Tonight” (1993)
72. Shania Twain “Up! (2002)
73. Def Leppard “Women” (1987)
74. Heart “Will You Be There in the Morning” (1993)
75. Shania Twain with Mark McGrath or Billy Currington “Party for Two” (2004)

Beyond the DMDB Top 20%:

76. Michael Bolton “Ain’t Got Nothing if You Ai’t Got Love” (1993)
77. AC/DC “Girls Got Rhythm” (1979)
78. AC/DC “Have a Drink on Me” (1980)
79. The Boomtown Rats “Diamond Smiles” (1979)
80. Eddie Money “Heaven in the Back Seat” (1991)

81. Nickelback “Never Gonna Be Alone” (2008)
82. Nickelback “Something in Your Mouth” (2008)
83. Shania Twain “Don’t Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)” (1997)
84. XTC “This Is Pop?” (1978)
85. Shania Twain “Come on Over” (1997)
86. Maroon 5 “Never Gonna Leave This Bed” (2010)
87. Shania Twain “Don’t” (2004)
88. Shania Twain “It Only Hurts When I’m Breathing” (2002)
89. The Boomtown Rats “Someone’s Looking at You” (1979)
90. The Boomtown Rats “Like Clockwork” (1978)

91. Bryan Adams “18 Til I Die” (1996)
92. The Boomtown Rats “She’s So Modern” (1978)
93. Shania Twain “Love Gets Me Every Time” (1997)
94. Def Leppard “Let It Go” (1981)
95. The Boomtown Rats “Looking After No. 1” (1977)
96. Shania Twain “Honey I’m Home” (1997)
97. Bryan Adams “I’ll Always Be Right There” (1996)
98. City Boy “5.7.0.5.” (1978)
99. Maroon 5 “Give a Little More” (2010)
100. The Cars “Heartbeat City” (1984)

Top 20 Albums

Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by album’s appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, critics’ ratings, and awards. These are the top albums which prominently feature Mutt Lange as a producer and/or songwriter.
  1. AC/DC Back in Black (1980)
  2. Shania Twain Come on Over (1997)
  3. Def Leppard Hysteria (1987)
  4. AC/DC Highway to Hell (1979)
  5. Def Leppard Pyromania (1983)
  6. Shania Twain Up! (2002)
  7. Foreigner 4 (1981)
  8. Shania Twain The Woman in Me (1995)
  9. Shania Twain Greatest Hits (compilation: 1994-04, released 2004)
  10. Def Leppard Vault (compilation: 1980-1995, released 1995)

  11. Bryan Adams Waking Up the Neighbours (1991)
  12. Def Leppard Adrenalize (1992)
  13. Bryan Adams The Best of Me (compilation: 1984-1999, released 2001)
  14. The Cars Heartbeat City (1984)
  15. Def Leppard High ‘N’ Dry (1981)
  16. Nickelback Dark Horse (2008)
  17. AC/DC For Those About to Rock We Salute You (1981)
  18. Muse Drones (2015)
  19. Maroon 5 Hands All Over (2010)
  20. Bryan Adams 18 Til I Die (1996)

Resources and Related Links:

DMDB Encyclopedia Entries for:

First posted 11/11/2018; updated 11/5/2023.

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Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Top 100 Power Ballads

First posted 6/3/2020.

Power Ballads:

Top 100 Songs

Classic rock came about in the 1970s, built on the backs of staples from the ‘60s like Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and the Who. Newer acts like Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Rush, and Boston were added to the fold to create a radio format which still maintains presences in major U.S. markets.

As rock became more commercialized, some acts like Foreigner, Journey, REO Speedwagon, and Styx were mocked as “corporate rock” for their more pop-friendly songs. One of the trends was for such bands was to produce “power ballads,” which were slower-tempo songs which fit well into adult contemporary radio and attracted female fans in addition to the more male-oriented fans which dominated classic rock. As the ‘80s wore on, the trend extended to more glammed-up “hair bands” (Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Poison, Mötley Crüe) also crooning about love and finding huge success.

This list of the top power ballads of all time was created by aggregating more than 25 best-of lists. Click here to see other genre and category specific song lists.

1. Poison “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” (1989)
2. Foreigner “I Want to Know What Love Is” (1984)
3. Heart “Alone” (1987)
4. Whitesnake “Is This Love?” (1987)
5. Guns N’ Roses “November Rain” (1991)
6. Skid Row “I Remember You” (1989)
7. Night Ranger “Sister Christian” (1984)
8. Aerosmith “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” (1998)
9. Bonnie Tyler “Total Eclipse of the Heart” (1983)
10. Cinderella “Don’t Know What You Got ‘Til It’s Gone” (1988)

11. Def Leppard “Love Bites” (1987)
12. Meat Loaf “I’d Do Anything for Love But I Won’t Do That” (1993)
13. Warrant “Heaven” (1989)
14. REO Speedwagon “Keep on Loving You” (1980)
15. Bon Jovi “Always” (1994)
16. Journey “Open Arms” (1981)
17. Mötley Crüe “Home Sweet Home” (1985)
18. Journey “Faithfully” (1983)
19. Bad English “When I See You Smile” (1989)
20. Cutting Crew “I Just Died in Your Arms” (1987)

21. Tesla “Love Song” (1989)
22. Cheap Trick “The Flame” (1988)
23. Journey “Don’t Stop Believin’” (1981)
24. Prince & the Revolution “Purple Rain” (1984)
25. Aerosmith “Dream On” (1973)
26. The Cars “Drive” (1984)
27. The Scorpions “Wind of Change” (1990)
28. Bon Jovi “I’ll Be There for You” (1988)
29. REO Speedwagon “Can’t Fight This Feeling” (1984)
30. Whitesnake “Here I Go Again” (1987)

31. U2 “With Or Without You” (1987)
32. Queensrÿche “Silent Lucidity” (1990)
33. Mr. Mister “Broken Wings” (1985)
34. Starship “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” (1987)
35. Nazareth “Love Hurts” (1975)
36. The Scorpions “Still Loving You” (1984)
37. Bryan Adams “Heaven” (1984)
38. Boston “Amanda” (1986)
39. John Waite “Missing You” (1984)
40. Boston “More Than a Feeling” (1976)

41. Bon Jovi “Never Say Goodbye” (1986)
42. Guns N’ Roses “Patience” (1988)
43. Bryan Adams “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” (1991)
44. Foreigner “Waiting for a Girl Like You” (1981)
45. Chicago “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” (1982)
46. Kiss “Beth” (1976)
47. Alias “More Than Words Can Say” (1990)
48. Metallica “Nothing Else Matters” (1991)
49. Harry Nisson “Without You” (1971)
50. Phil Collins “Against All Odds” (1984)

51. Eric Carmen “All by Myself” (1975)
52. Lita Ford with Ozzy Osbourne “Close My Eyes Forever” (1988)
53. Aerosmith “Angel” (1988)
54. Goo Goo Dolls “Iris” (1998)
55. Led Zeppelin “Stairway to Heaven” (1971)
56. The Beatles “Something” (1969)
57. John Farnham “You’re The Voice” (1986)
58. Bangles “Eternal Flame” (1988)
59. Alannah Myles “Black Velvet” (1989)
60. Thunder “Love Walked In” (1990)

61. T’Pau “China in Your Hand” (1987)
62. Alice Cooper “Poison” (1989)
63. Nickelback “How You Remind Me” (2001)
64. Slaughter “Fly to the Angels” (1990)
65. Aerosmith “What It Takes” (1989)
66. Styx “Lady” (1973)
67. Europe “Carrie” (1986)
68. Sinéad O’Connor “Nothing Compares 2 U” (1990)
69. Chad Kroeger with Josey Scott “Hero” (2002)
70. Heart “These Dreams” (1986)

71. Mr. Big “To Be with You” (1991)
72. Def Leppard “Hysteria” (1987)
73. Roxette “It Must Have Been Love” (1990)
74. Poison “Something to Believe In” (1990)
75. Loverboy “Heaven in Your Eyes” (1986)
76. Roxette “Listen to Your Heart” (1989)
77. L.A. Guns “The Ballad of Jayne” (1990)
78. Van Halen “When It’s Love” (1988)
79. White Lion “When the Children Cry” (1987)
80. The Beatles “Let It Be” (1970)

81. Red Hot Chili Peppers “Under the Bridge” (1991)
82. Chicago “You’re the Inspiration” (1984)
83. Pink Floyd “Wish You Were Here” (1975)
84. Maria McKee “Show Me Heaven” (1990)
85. Metallica “The Unforgiven” (1991)
86. The Rolling Stones “Angie” (1973)
87. The Beatles “Yesterday” (1965)
88. The Rolling Stones “Wild Horses” (1971)
89. Eric Clapton “Tears in Heaven” (1992)
90. Def Leppard “When Love and Hate Collide” (1995)

91. Damn Yankees “High Enough” (1990)
92. Pearl Jam “Black” (1991)
93. Kansas “Dust in the Wind” (1978)
94. Tina Turner “We Don’t Need Another Hero” (1985)
95. Extreme “More Than Words” (1990)
96. Styx “Babe” (1979)
97. Van Halen “Love Walks In” (1986)
98. Eric Clapton “Wonderful Tonight” (1977)
99. Billy Idol “Eyes Without a Face” (1984)
100. Berlin “Take My Breath Away” (1986)

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Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Are These the New Faces of Classic Rock?

Originally published in my "Aural Fixation" column on PopMatters.com on July 27, 2011. See original post here.

image from popmatters.com

In recent weeks, VH1 has launched a handful of new episodes of Behind the Music, keying in on artists like Missy Elliott and Ice Cube. The show was a music mainstay in the late ‘90s and the first half of the 21st century with documentaries of the music world’s legends. It became a running cliché that the average episode delved into a band’s humble beginnings in crappy clubs, its sudden rise to fame, the inevitable fall from grace thanks to a member’s drug overdose, and the band’s hopeful comeback.

In 2011, some of yesteryear’s stories could add a new chapter. Pick an established classic rock band which celebrated its heyday in the ‘70s and early ‘80s. The group stubbornly refuses to hang it up, even in the face of less-than-stellar reunions in recent years. The lead singer, to whom the band attributed the lion’s share of its success, has been felled by some strange disease rendering him unable to perform on stage. It’s best if it is an obscure ailment that makes the general public scratch its collective head and say, “never heard of that before. Is that for real?”  The band unceremoniously dumps said vocalist. To rub salt in his wounds, they don’t turn to a well-respected veteran (a la Queen tapping Paul Rodgers to sub for Freddie Mercury), but scour YouTube videos for a fresh-faced frontman who has belted out the group’s catalog for a decade in a cover band.

While this may sound like a sequel to the film This Is Spinal Tap, this is no mockumentary. Case in point: Journey. The band got its start in the mid-‘70s as an offshoot of Santana. After three albums and little fanfare, it tapped Steve Perry to helm the mic. His arrival signaled a more pop-oriented sound which peaked with Escape in 1981, an album which secured three top ten US hits. Two more successful albums followed before the band hung it up, seemingly for good.

The group inevitably reunited in 1996. Then the drama began. A hiking injury in the summer of 1997 left Perry needing hip replacement surgery. The intended tour was canceled, but guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain were determined to keep the dream alive (or the paychecks flowing, depending on one’s perspective).

Journey didn’t immediately go the lead-singer-from-cover-band route. After two studio albums, an EP, and two different lead singers, Journey hired Arnel Pineda in 2007. He was the leader for the Zoo when Schon saw him singing covers of Journey songs on YouTube. While haters would love to snicker at the assumed failure of such a proposition, Journey had the last laugh. Its next album, Revelation, went top five and platinum in the US. This was a far cry from the number 170 peak of the Generations album in 2005.

Let’s explore another recent case. Progressive rock band Yes just released Fly from Here, its first studio album in a decade. Since the group’s 1968 inception, nearly 20 musicians can boast I-was-once-in-Yes membership cards. The only constant has been bassist Chris Squire. However, no member has been more associated with the group than Jon Anderson, who sang on all their albums but Drama (1980).

In 2008, Yes reassembled for a summer tour. Anderson had to bow out when he was hospitalized with acute respiratory failure. Once again, the lure of the tour (or the payday it offered) led the remainder of the band to say, “Screw it, the show must go on.” It brought in Benoît David, a Canadian singer with Close to the Edge, which was—say it with me—a Yes cover band. How did Yes stumble across this guy? If you have to ask, you haven’t been paying attention: Squire found him on YouTube.

Perhaps you’re curious to see if Arnel can convince you to “Don’t Stop Believin’”. You can catch Journey out on the road this summer. Interestingly enough, the band is touring with Foreigner. Fans will remember Foreigner as the group with Lou Gramm belting out power ballads like “Waiting for a Girl Like You” and “I Want to Know What Love Is” as well as rockers like “Hot Blooded” and “Urgent”. By the early ‘90s, Gramm left the group. Mick Jones, the band’s only constant, kept things plodding along and Gramm attempted a return by decade’s end, but—here we go again—medical problems affected his singing voice. By 2002, Gramm and Jones parted for good so this summer’s “Juke Box Hero” will be Kelly Hansen. Who? Exactly.

If you want to take in a Yes show this summer, you’ll also find Styx on the bill. This story is getting repetitive. Styx also found its voice in the ‘70s and early ‘80s when founder Dennis DeYoung gave the group its biggest hits via “Babe”, “Come Sail Away”, and “Mr. Roboto”. The group was defunct by the mid ‘80s and muddled through a couple reunions in the ‘90s. Personality conflicts and differences over musical direction escalated. DeYoung contracted a viral illness which left him light-sensitive. The rest of the group opted to continue without him, bringing Lawrence Gowan into the fold to try to convince audiences that these were still “The Best of Times”.

There are two schools of thought on how aging bands should approach their golden years. They can play until they drop, unashamed that the few hairs they have left are gray and that they can no longer strut across a stage without a walker. The more dignified approach would be to accept age and gracefully hang it up, sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch and reminiscing about the other kind of rocking days.

My mocking tone would suggest that I fall into the latter camp. Surprisingly, I’m all for groups beating a dead horse. I say rock until you can’t walk! Sing until your oxygen tank sputters! Wail on that guitar until the arthritis renders your fingers useless stubs.

Here’s the thing: rock ‘n’ rollers don’t just clock out one day and take home a retirement watch. They long to play. Sure, seeing Mick Jagger prance across a stage at 70 may crank up the ick-factor, but here’s the rub: no one has to see the Rolling Stones 40 years past their prime. No one has to watch a Super Bowl half-time show starring half the Who and trying not to think of the irony of Pete Townshend’s most famous lyric ever: “I hope I die before I get old.”

No one is twisting fans’ arms. The audience will always dictate the market. As long as people still buy Journey records or see Yes in concert—even if the numbers are far less than the glory days—then I say, “Play on.” Congrats to Arnel, Benoît, Kelly, and Lawrence. Here’s hoping you can lead your bands into the next generation—when you’ll be old enough to catch a disease of your own and get replaced by the next generation’s cover band sensation found on YouTube.

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Sunday, December 31, 1989

Dave’s Faves: #1 Albums in the 1980s

First posted 9/20/2020; updated 10/7/2020.

Dave’s Faves:

#1’s: 1980-1989

These were my personal #1 albums during the 1980s.

1980:
1981:
1982:
  • Feb. 20: Olivia Newton-John Physical (5 weeks)
  • Mar. 27: Asia Asia (4 weeks)
  • Apr. 24: Toto Toto IV (3 weeks)
  • May 15: John Cougar (Mellencamp) American Fool (2 weeks)
  • May 29: Van Halen Diver Down (2 weeks)
  • June 12: Neil Diamond Greatest Hits Vol. II (2 weeks)
  • June 26: Alan Parsons Project Eye in the Sky (3 weeks)
  • July 17: Men at Work Business As Usual (4 weeks)
  • Aug. 14: Don Henley I Can’t Stand Still (3 weeks)
  • Sept. 4: Olivia Newton-John Olivia’s Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 (4 weeks)
  • Oct. 2: Brimstone and Treacle soundtrack (2 weeks)
  • Oct. 16: The Beatles 20 Greatest Hits (1 week)
  • Oct. 23 Eagles Greatest Hits Volume 2 (2 weeks)
  • Nov. 6: Squeeze Singles: 45’s and Under (2 weeks)
  • Nov. 20: Pat Benatar Get Nervous (4 weeks)
  • Dec. 18: Little River Band Greatest Hits (1 week)
  • Dec. 25: Foreigner Records (1 week)
1983:
1984:
  • Jan. 28: Eurythmics Touch (3 weeks)
  • Feb. 18: Footloose soundtrack (4 weeks)
  • Mar. 17: Marillion Fugazi (2 weeks)
  • Mar. 31: Alan Parsons Project Ammonia Avenue (1 week)
  • Apr. 7: Styx Caught in the Act (5 weeks)
  • May 12: Steve Perry Street Talk (2 weeks)
  • May 26: Chicago Chicago 17 (2 weeks)
  • June 9: Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A. (8 weeks)
  • June 23: Marillion Real to Reel (2 weeks)
  • Aug. 18: Prince & the Revolution Purple Rain soundtrack (8 weeks)
  • Oct. 13: Bangles All Over the Place (2 weeks)
  • Oct. 27: Dennis DeYoung Desert Moon (2 weeks)
  • Nov. 10: Pat Benatar Tropico (3 weeks)
  • Dec. 1: Don Henley Building the Perfect Beast (5 weeks)
1985:
  • Jan. 5: REO Speedwagon Wheels Are Turnin’ (3 weeks)
  • Jan. 26: Foreigner Agent Provocateur (4 weeks)
  • Feb. 23: Alan Parsons Project Vulture Culture (2 weeks)
  • Mar. 9: Tears for Fears Songs from the Big Chair (5 weeks)
  • Apr. 13: Phil Collins No Jacket Required (1 week)
  • Apr. 20: Various Artists We Are the World (2 weeks)
  • May 4: Hooters Nervous Night (2 weeks)
  • May 18: Dire Straits Brothers in Arms (3 weeks)
  • June 8: Sting The Dream of the Blue Turtles (2 weeks)
  • June 22: Marillion Misplaced Childhood (12 weeks)
  • July 6: Billy Joel Greatest Hits Volume I & II (compilation: 1973-85, released 1985) (2 weeks)
  • Sept. 9: John Cougar Mellencamp Scarecrow (4 weeks)
  • Oct. 19: Squeeze Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti (3 weeks)
  • Nov. 9: Olivia Newton-John Soul Kiss (4 weeks)
  • Dec. 7: Bob Dylan Biograph (2 weeks)
  • Dec. 21: Asia Astra (2 weeks)
1986:
  • Jan. 4: Mike + the Mechanics Mike + the Mechanics (4 weeks)
  • Feb. 1: Alan Parsons Project Stereotomy (3 weeks)
  • Feb. 22: Bangles Different Light (3 weeks)
  • Mar. 15: Marillion Brief Encounter (3 weeks)
  • Mar. 29: Dennis DeYoung Back to the World (3 weeks)
  • Apr. 26: Journey Raised on Radio (2 weeks)
  • May 10: Crowded House Crowded House (3 weeks)
  • May 31: Peter Gabriel So (3 weeks)
  • June 21: Genesis Invisible Touch (3 weeks)
  • July 12: Supertramp Classics (2 weeks)
  • July 26: Sting Bring on the Night (3 weeks)
  • Aug. 16: Billy Joel The Bridge (2 weeks)
  • Aug. 30: David + David Boomtown (3 weeks)
  • Sept. 20: The Rainmakers The Rainmakers (4 weeks)
  • Oct. 18: Berlin Count Three and Pray (2 weeks)
  • Nov. 1: The Police Every Breath You Take – The Singles (2 weeks)
  • Nov. 15: Bruce Springsteen Live 1975/1985 (4 weeks)
  • Dec. 13: Paul Simon Graceland (3 weeks)
1987:
1988:
  • Jan. 9: Marillion B-Sides Themselves (4 weeks)
  • Feb. 6: Lyle Lovett Pontiac (3 weeks)
  • Feb. 27: Alan Parsons Project Best of, Vol. 2 (1 week)
  • Mar. 5: She’s Having a Baby soundtrack (4 weeks)
  • Apr. 2: Everything But the Girl Idlewild (1 week)
  • Apr. 9: Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman (3 weeks)
  • Apr. 18: Eric Clapton Crossroads (2 weeks)
  • May 14: Giraffe The Power of Suggestion (2 weeks)
  • May 28: Melissa Etheridge Melissa Etheridge (5 weeks)
  • July 2: Toni Childs Union (4 weeks)
  • June 30: Little River Band Monsoon (2 weeks)
  • Aug. 13: Crowded House Temple of Low Men (4 weeks)
  • Sept. 10: Tori Amos Y Kant Tori Read (2 weeks)
  • Sept. 24: Olivia Newton-John The Rumour (3 weeks)
  • Oct. 15: U2 Rattle and Hum (studio/live soundtrack) (3 weeks)
  • Nov. 5: Bangles Everything (3 weeks)
  • Nov. 26: Mike + the Mechanics Living Years (1 week)
  • Dec. 3: Marillion The Thieving Magpie (6 weeks)
1989:
  • Jan. 14: Lou Reed New York (2 weeks)
  • Jan. 28: Lyle Lovett Lyle Lovett and His Large Band (2 weeks)
  • Feb. 11: Shona Laing South (1 week)
  • Feb. 18: Elvis Costello Spike (2 weeks)
  • Mar. 4: Indigo Girls Indigo Girls (6 weeks)
  • Apr. 15: Giraffe The View from Here (2 weeks)
  • Apr. 29: Tom Petty Full Moon Fever (2 weeks)
  • May 13: John Cougar Mellencamp Big Daddy (2 weeks)
  • May 27: Simple Minds Street Fighting Years (1 week)
  • June 3: Dennis DeYoung Boomchild (1 week)
  • June 10: The Rainmakers The Good News and the Bad News (3 weeks)
  • July 1: Don Henley The End of the Innocence (1 week)
  • July 8: Faith No More The Real Thing (4 weeks)
  • Aug. 5: Tim Finn Tim Finn (2 weeks)
  • Aug. 19: The Rolling Stones The Singles Collection: The London Years (3 weeks)
  • Sept. 9: Del Amitri Waking Hours (2 weeks)
  • Sept. 23: David Bowie Sound + Vision (1 week)
  • Sept. 30: Marillion Seasons End (3 weeks)
  • Oct. 21: Tears for Fears The Seeds of Love (4 weeks)
  • Nov. 18: Tracy Chapman Crossroads (1 week)
  • Nov. 25: Shawn Colvin Steady On (2 weeks)
  • Dec. 9: Billy Joel Storm Front (2 weeks)
  • Dec. 23: Terence Trent D’Arby Neither Fish Nor Flesh (2 weeks)
 
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Saturday, February 2, 1985

Foreigner hit #1 with “I Want to Know What Love Is”

I Want to Know What Love Is

Foreigner

Writer(s): Mick Jones (see lyrics here)

Released: November 13, 1984

First Charted: December 7, 1984

Peak: 12 BB, 12 BA, 11 CB, 11 GR, 12 RR, 3 AC, 85 RB, 11 AR, 13 UK, 13 CN, 15 AU, 1 DF (Click for codes to charts.)

Sales (in millions): 2.0 US, 2.0 UK, 4.14 world (includes US + UK)

Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 865.93 video, 1000.27 streaming

Awards:

Click on award for more details.

About the Song:

Prior to “I Want to Know What Love Is,” Foreigner had never hit #1. They came close – in 1978 “Double Vision” made it to the runner-up spot and “Waiting for a Girl Like You” spent a whopping 10 weeks at #2 in 1981/1982. The latter was a ballad, not the typical fare for a group who’d built its following based on its classic rock hits. It made the group a little leary of releasing the “balladish” “I Want to Know What Love Is.” As guitarist Mick Jones said, “That was the one thing I was sort of dubious about – the fact that people might think we’d gone soft or something.” FB

After all, the band had built their reputation on “simple, straight-ahead rock & roll…[with] crunching guitars and lyrics about hot girls.” SS Bassist Rick Wills called the tune “fluffy” and singer Lou Gramm said, “We worried that it might do irreparable damage to our rock image.” FB However, Jones said, that “the song was so strong, and because it was coming out at Christmas, and it had the right kind of mood.” FB Ahmet Ertegun, the head the band’s label Atlantic, cried when he heard the song. SF Gramm had been “given the best tune of his life.” DM Thomas Ryan said, “It is as powerful a single as I have ever heard.” SS

Jones was inspired to write “the soul-searching rock ballad” SS after a series of failed relationship. He said, I “was still searching for something that could really endure. It became more of a universal feeling. I adjusted that during the recording of it, and ended up putting a gospel choir on it.” RC The backing vocals from the New Jersey Mass Choir marked the first time a gospel choir appeared on a #1 pop hit. SF

The song also featured keyboard work from Tom Bailey of the Thompson Twins, and backing vocals from Jennifer Holliday, the star from the Broadway musical Dreamgirls. The New Jersey Mass Choir released its own version of the song and hit #37 on the R&B chart. In 1998, Tina Arena recorded the song with an extended bridge written by Jones and it was a hit in Europe. WK In 2004, Wynonna Judd took the song to #14 on the adult contemporary chart; Mariah Carey went to #10 on the same chart in 2009. WK

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First posted 11/26/2020; last updated 1/31/2025.

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Monday, December 31, 1984

Dave’s Faves: My Album Collection in 1984

Dave’s Faves:

My Album Collection in 1984

By year’s end, this was what my collection looked like. Albums acquired in 1984 are noted with an asterisk.

  1. Air Supply Lost in Love (1980)
  2. Air Supply The One That You Love (1981)
  3. Asia Asia (1982)
  4. Asia Alpha (1983)

  5. The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
  6. The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
  7. The Beatles Hey Jude (1968)
  8. The Beatles 1962-1966 (compilation: 1962-66, released 1973)
  9. The Beatles 1967-1970 (compilation: 1967-70, released 1973)
  10. Pat Benatar Crimes of Passion (1980) *
  11. Pat Benatar Get Nervous (1982)
  12. Pat Benatar Live from Earth (live, 1983) *
  13. Pat Benatar Tropico (1984) *
  14. Blondie Parallel Lines (1978)
  15. Blondie Eat to the Beat (1979)
  16. Chicago Chicago 16 (1982)
  17. Chicago Chicago 17 (1984) *

  18. Def Leppard Pyromania (1983)
  19. John Denver Greatest Hits (compilation: 1969-72, released 1973)
  20. Dennis DeYoung Desert Moon (1984) *
  21. Neil Diamond The Jazz Singer (soundtrack, 1980)

  22. Eurythmics In the Garden (1981) *
  23. Eurythmics Sweet Dreams Are Made of This (1983) *
  24. Eurythmics Touch (1983) *
  25. Dan Fogelberg Greatest Hits (compilation: 1972-82, released 1982)
  26. Foreigner 4 (1981)
  27. Foreigner Records (compilation: 1976-82, released 1982)
  28. Foreigner Agent Provocateur (1984) *

  29. J. Geils Band Freeze Frame (1981)
  30. Genesis Genesis (1983) *

  31. Daryl Hall & John Oates H2O (1982)
  32. Daryl Hall & John Oates Rock ‘N’ Soul Part I (compilation: (1973-83, released 1983)
  33. Don Henley Building the Perfect Beast (1984) *

  34. Michael Jackson Off the Wall (1979) *
  35. Michael Jackson Thriller (1982)
  36. Billy Joel The Stranger (1977) *
  37. Billy Joel The Nylon Curtain (1982)
  38. Billy Joel An Innocent Man (1983)
  39. Journey Escape (1981)
  40. Journey Frontiers (1983)

  41. Cyndi Lauper She’s So Unusual (1983) *
  42. Huey Lewis & the News Sports (1983) *

  43. Barry Manilow Greatest Hits (compilation, released 1978)
  44. John Cougar (Mellencamp) American Fool (1982)
  45. John Cougar Mellencamp Uh-Huh (1983) *
  46. Men at Work Business As Usual (1981)
  47. Men at Work Cargo (1983)

  48. Olivia Newton-John Greatest Hits (compilation: 1971-76, released 1977)
  49. Olivia Newton-John Totally Hot (1978)
  50. Olivia Newton-John/Electric Light Orchestra Xanadu (soundtrack, 1980)
  51. Olivia Newton-John Physical (1981)
  52. Olivia Newton-John’s Olivia’s Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (compilation: 1978-82, released 1982)
  53. Stevie Nicks The Wild Heart (1983)

  54. Alan Parsons Project The Best of (compilation: 1977-83, released 1983) *
  55. Alan Parsons Project Ammonia Avenue (1984) *
  56. Steve Perry Street Talk (1984) *
  57. The Police Ghost in the Machine (1981)
  58. The Police Synchronicity (1983)
  59. Prince & the Revolution Purple Rain (1984) *

  60. Queen Greatest Hits (compilation: 1973-81, released 1981)

  61. REO Speedwagon Wheels Are Turnin’ (1984) *
  62. Kenny Rogers Greatest Hits (compilation: 1977-80, released 1980)

  63. Lionel Richie Can’t Slow Down (1983) *

  64. Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A. (1984) *
  65. Styx Styx II (1973)
  66. Styx Equinox (1975) *
  67. Styx The Grand Illusion (1977)
  68. Styx Pieces of Eight (1978) *
  69. Styx Cornerstone (1979)
  70. Styx Paradise Theater (1981)
  71. Styx Kilroy Was Here (1983)
  72. Styx Caught in the Act (live, 1984) *

  73. Toto Toto IV (1982)

  74. John Williams (composer) Star Wars IV: A New Hope (soundtrack, 1977)

  75. Yes The Yes Album (1971) *
  76. Yes Fragile (1971) *
  77. Yes Classic Yes (compilation: 1971-77, released 1981) *
  78. Yes 90125 (1983) *

    Various Artists:

  79. Flashdance (soundtrack, 1983)
  80. Footloose (soundtrack, 1984) *
  81. K-Tel: High Energy (1979)
  82. K-Tel: Starflight (1979)
  83. K-Tel: Wings of Sound (1979)
  84. Two of a Kind (soundtrack, 1983)

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First posted 8/31/2021.

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