4 Memorable Tracks That Made It to No. 2 (But No Higher) in 1983

1983 featured its share of iconic No. 1 singles. Michael Jackson delivered several of them. The Police gave us the chilling “Every Breath You Take”, while Toto took us to “Africa”. And Dexys Midnight Runners achieved legendary one-hit wonder status with “Come On Eileen”.

But what about the songs that came up just short and never ascended past No. 2? These four tracks prove that 1983 was a pretty good year for runners-up as well.

“Making Love Out Of Nothing At All” by Air Supply

Air Supply had earned their soft rock credibility with hits like “Lost In Love” and “All Out Of Love”. Why not return to the well with another “love” song? And why not turn to a writer/producer who couldn’t really miss that year? We’re talking about Jim Steinman, who was in between his sporadic collaborations with Meat Loaf and working on a for-hire basis. Around the same time he was delivering the typically bombastic “Making Love Out Of Nothing At All” to Air Supply, he was coming up with “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” for Bonnie Tyler. In fact, at one point in 1983, the two Steinman songs stood at No. 1 and 2 on the US pop charts.

“Say It Isn’t So” by Hall & Oates

Because they churned out their pop hits with such regularity, you could easily take for granted any single one of Daryl Hall & John Oates’ gems. “Say It Isn’t So” glides along with such ease that you get lost in enjoying it, perhaps not noticing the craft at hand. That includes the title, which takes a phrase that was already in the culture and repurposes it to tell a tale of heartbreak. Then there are the synths, which bounce across the landscape in relaxed, fetching fashion. Finally, take note of Daryl Hall’s lead vocal. He knows just when to play it casual and when to turn on the afterburners. In other words, take this one for granted at your own peril.

“Girls Just Want To Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper

Cyndi Lauper was such a musical force of nature that she was bound to strike at some point. “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” proved the ideal vehicle for her to make that happen. She uncorked her vocals, giving the lyrics, which might have come off as trite in other hands, the sense of a statement of purpose. Interestingly enough, the song flailed a bit at radio when it was first released. Only after the appearance of the video, which put a face to Lauper’s vocals and introduced her rock and wrestling connection with the appearance of Captain Lou Albano, did the song take off. This one has held up quite well over time. And Lauper’s all-in performance never goes out of style.

“Jeopardy” by The Greg Kihn Band

Greg Kihn was one of those rockers who knew what his strengths were and generally didn’t try to push it much further than that. That reliability earned him a steady following even before he started to churn out some hits. With “Jeopardy”, which he wrote with Steve Wright, he extended his comfort zone ever so slightly to keep up with the times. The song features a swinging bottom end, all the better to make it viable on dance floors at the time. To his credit, Kihn’s vocals also skew toward a modern slickness. Not long after, the song would provide fodder for one of Weird Al Yankovic’s greatest parodies. But that doesn’t happen without Kihn and his band first providing the outstanding foundation.

(Photo by Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images)

The post 4 Memorable Tracks That Made It to No. 2 (But No Higher) in 1983 appeared first on American Songwriter.