Every Billboard #1 Mainstream Rock hit discussion thread (1981 - present)

Did you mean Warren Zevon?

 

Tom Petty, Free Fallin'
Unlike Runnin' Down a Dream, this song fully highlights the annoying nasal timbre of Petty's voice. Skip.

The Rolling Stones, Mixed Emotions
The Rolling Stones, Rock And A Hard Place
The Stones were past making great albums, but they could still drop a great single or two. The latter of these two is particularly good.

Aerosmith, Love In An Elevator
So Aerosmith simultaneously proved they were past doing the gritty, hard hitting real rock that made them icons, and now also had to fall back on sophomore sexual innuendo rather than writing strong lyrics.

 

Well, they hadn't been given Diane Warren's number yet.

 

Continuing...

Orange Crush
One of the most important tracks in my life. Big statement I know, but it really started
My love affair with R.E.M., still s top 10 band of all time for me. And let’s face it, it really rocks! Unlike some of the songs on this chart.

Angel of Harlem
I already alluded to it, but this one’s a fail for me. I think I just prefer my U2 to be guitar-based, rather than... not.

Got It Made
Long forgotten track. I’m not even sure I knew it was CSNY at the time, and if I did, it probably didn’t mean anything to me. And yet, I dig it. Yes, it is the very definition of dad rock as someone already said but after hearing the “classics” so many times o er the decades, this one comes as a breath of fresh air on the rare times I actually hear it.

Eddie Money
The Money-Man is extremely hit or miss for me. This one’s a miss.

Stand
You saw my review of “Orange Crush” but I loved this one almost as much back in the day. Unbelievably though, it’s only in the last 5 years or so that I begin to hear what many long time fans of this band have always known. It kind of sucks.

Driven Out
I’ve got no strong reasoning for this. I can’t really explain it at all. Buy what I can say is that “Driven Out” is one of my very favorite songs of all time by anyone. And I’m not even a huge Fixx fan either though I do like them. I also wouldn’t call myself a huge environmentalist either, but I think this song handles that topic brilliantly. Those biting lyrics combined with what feels like the last gasp of that classic ‘80’s sound just does it for me for some reason.

Chris Rea
Never heard this particular track before. He didn’t really catch my ear until... a possible future number 1... was released shortly after this point. I probably didn’t even make the connection to that ‘70’s song that I really liked way back in the day but had long forgotten “Fool...”. This song here though. It’s less than mediocre.

The Replacements
Not a group I know particularly well, especially given their reputation, but I do know tho one. It’s good, but I know I appreciate some of their other songs more. I just can’t name them because I don’t know them well enough.

Julian Lennon
I never heard this before and if I had, I never would have guessed in a million years that it was John’s boy. We’re a far cry from the Two songs I know I know by Julian that bookend this “Too Late For Goodbyes” and “Saltwater”. Those two are great. This one... isn’t. Give me Sean’s brand of experimentation over this anytime.

 

Continuing to continue...

I Won’t Back Down
I loved this track back in the day. The Harrison and Wilburys connection were really my first introduction to Mr Petty though I was certainly aware of many of his previous hits from Classic Rock radio. This was the first one I was enjoying in real time, though. I’ve since cooled in this one since then but it’s still a strong track from a VERY strong album, to say the least.

Doobie Brothers
Really liked this one back in the day, and, how about that, I still do. This is a great example of why the Classic Rock playlist got so stale before only improving somewhat in the last few years. I know I talked about my “invisible line” theory on classic rock on this thread previously. Unfortunately. The timing of this song meant it fell on the wrong side of the line. So it never got played after its original run ended, but we continued to heat “Listen To The Music” and “China Grove” to death as nauseum. Is this song better than those tired old warhorses? You bet it is! Luckily I can still enjoy this one today whereas I really can’t stand some of their older tracks.

Stevie Nicks
Loved this one back in the day. In recent years years I’ve somewhat cooled on it, but it still stands favorably with some of her bigger hits like “Edge...”, “Talk To Me”, and “Stand Back”.

 

Am I caught up? No...

In Running’ Down A Dream
This one rocks harder than perhaps any petty song I can think of. I used to use this track to get fired up when I was swimming competitively in college. Instant classic that holds up today.

Don Henley
An album that I. My mind always competed with Mr. Tom Petty’s for best of the year. Tom wins, but this track, and the vast majority of the album is quite good, too. Hornsby as co-star here doesn’t hurt.

Crossfire
Hell! Yes! I didn’t know a single SRV song at this point. For all I knew, he was a brand new artist. But this was absolutely one of my favorite songs during the summer of ‘89. And if anything, it’s only gotten better over the years. A+.

The Call
I was all set to say I’d never heard this before, but what do you know? I have. However, here’s one to add to the “I didn’t know that until today pile”... until today, I didn’t realize The Call and The Fall were type different band. I limped them into one ‘80’d band in my head under whichever band was being discussed at the time. I still couldn’t identify a Fall song to save my life but I think they had an early ‘80’d synth type of sound. But I could very well be wrong. As for this track, maybe it’s a little too earnest but I like it. Completely forgot it existed. Seems like it belongs in a Commercial of some kind, anc I have a sneaking suspicion that that’s where I heard this.

Free Fallon’
I really thought this was generic Tom Oetty at the time. As the third single, I didn’t think it would get any traction. Boy, was I wrong! I still think there are better tracks on this album like “Face...” and “...Long Road”, but this ones a keeper after all.

Mixed Emotions
I don’t care what anyone says, this song stand with the classics of the ‘60’s and ‘70’s. What some people see as clunky lyrics, I see as witty and amusing. And what can I say, I will always love that ‘80’s high gloss!

Love in an Elevator
I had the cassette back in the day and saw them for the first and only time on this tour. The song is ridiculous to me now, but it still puts a smile on my face despite (or maybe because of) the immature lyrics. Especially the introduction. Follow up singles, some of which may have hit number 1 on this chart, have held up better.

Rock & A Hard Place
One of the best Keith Richards riffs ever! Anfc good use of the horns. I normally don’t go for song titles that are literally a cliche, but this one works. Do I like Steel Wheels more than you average Stones fan? You bet I do. Over the years? I’ve learned to appreciate the older material much more, but this song and album still hold up for me. Much so more than their mid-70’s to mid-80’s material that is much more appreciated around here.

 

i sure did. Warren Haynes I love! Well, except the vocals.

 

You’re aware of “Lord of the Thighs”, right?

 

Its beat and arrangement did seem to harken back to their 1973 hit "China Grove."

 

Simple answer: Yes.

 

That Hornsby co-wrote this sort of becomes obvious in its arrangement. Especially if you listened to one of the Range songs that came after "The Way It Is" . . . (I'm thinking specifically "The Valley Road").

 

And certainly one of his most iconically famous.

 

Of course. I know they always had it in them. The difference is it eas once a lark, part of the deep cuts between the more substantive songs. Here its the best they have to offer.

 

but is it really the best they had to offer? This is the album with “Janie’s Got A Gun” after all.

 

I'd always thought this was one of those songs which tries to flatter the audience.

Here's to the teachers in the crowded rooms
Here's to the workers in the fields
Here's to the preachers of the sacred words
Here's to the drivers at the wheel​

I hate that kind of thing. Blech.

But upon reading the lyrics in their entirety, the song is considerably more ambiguous than a feel-good tribute to ordinary people humbly doing their jobs.

Here's to the winners of the human race
Here's to the losers in the game
Here's to the soldiers of the bitter war
Here's to the wall that bears their names​

The song has a spiritual quality to it, which I can appreciate. Sorry, Call guys - I never gave you a fair chance.

 

I noticed you didn't say it's good.

 

Permanent Vacation marked a huge change in direction for the band. For the first time they brought in outside songwriters for assistance, and aimed for mainstream pop chart success. Commercially it worked - they became huge stars with a string of hit singles and multiplatinum albums. Artistically? Ugh. I dislike every single they released from that point forward. (Well, "Janie's Got a Gun" is OK.)

I generally don't mind at all if bands sell out. They're in this to make money, and more power to them if they can. I enjoy highly commercial, well-crafted pop-rock. I just don't think they're very good at this kind of material. Apparently the market thought otherwise.

 

"Sellout beer commercial material".... Ha!...good line. It's almost a whole genre, and late 80s Winwood was one of the worst offenders.

I'm with you on Rattle and Hum. I try to act as if it was never released. It's not terrible, but it was a big letdown right between two great albums. And the film was unbearably pretentious.

I think my favorite Randy Newman track might be "It's a Jungle Out There" ... aka the Monk TV show theme song. As for his track which went to #1 on this chart, someone mentioned that Mark Knopfler was involved. Which is probably why it actually sounds like a radio single.

 

But Desmond Child was already on the case. Sigh....

 

Same here - I didn't know The Call and The Fall were different bands until today.

 

I think it is.

 

#161 Eric Clapton, Pretending
Written by Jerry Lynn Williams
Produced by Russ Titelman
Mastered by Ted Jensen
Label: Reprise
Debuted November 11, 1989 at #5
Issued November 25, 1989 - #2 previous week - 5 weeks at #1
^3 weeks

#55 on the Billboard Hot 100

Album: Journeyman (1989)

Songfacts page? Yes



There's something gratifying about Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, and the Rolling Stones having #1 hits in the rock chart's first year and coming back to bookend its first decade. Especially with Clapton since he had the chart's first ever #1 hit.

 

#162 Rush, Show Don't Tell
Written by Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart
Produced by Rupert Hine and Rush (Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart)
Mastered by Bob Ludwig
Label: Anthem/Atlantic (international)
Debuted November 18, 1989 at #10
Issued December 30, 1989 - #3 previous week - 2 weeks at #1
^7 weeks

Album: Presto (1989)



Show Don't Tell does have a Songfacts page, but there's only one piece of information on it:

If that's the only thing on the Songfacts page, the song might as well not have one.
But anyway, Show Don't Tell brought the 1980s to a close. And with that, we now enter the 1990s.
This'll be a trip.

 

Interesting, that's my approach when I go to work in the morning. I try to make money rather than lose money.

 

Eric Clapton, Pretending
I'm just slightly above lukewarm on this song. The last couple Clapton hits were a little more engaging and this one, while still somewhat interesting, seems to point to the more milquetoast efforts to come.

Rush, Show Don't Tell
I had no idea this was a chart topper. Very cool. Actually, I (and many hard-core fans) rate Presto at the very bottom of Rush's 19 studio albums. But this song itself is killer. The band's insane musicianship is on full display here, to the point it's almost impossible to believe the song could gain mainstream success. Great lyric too.