4 Outstanding Songs From Rock Acts That Didn’t Do Much on the 1981 Pop Charts

The 80s were by no means a walk in the park for many previously successful rock acts. They had to deal with changing tastes and technologies. And they occasionally struggled to find their way when trying to cross over to the pop charts. These four songs from top rock acts all sound as sharp and powerful today as the day when they were released. But in 1981, those rock acts had to settle for the lower reaches of the pop charts.

“Don’t Let Go The Coat” by The Who

The Who were trying to find their way back into a groove at the start of the 80s. Keith Moon’s death in 1978 forced a pause in their activity. Kenney Jones, formerly of The Faces, took his place for their comeback album, Face Dances, in 1981. Meanwhile, songwriter Pete Townshend was spread pretty thin between writing songs for the band and developing material for his solo career. Face Dances started off with a bang, as lead single “You Better, You Bet” soared into the Top 20. “Don’t Let Go The Coat” followed it up. You can kind of understand how this somewhat muted, albeit compelling, number didn’t hit the same heights. Still, a No. 84 peak on the pop charts was a bit of a disappointment.

“Destroyer” by The Kinks

By the early 80s, The Kinks had abandoned their concept album ambitions. They wanted to get back to a more streamlined approach, specifically so that they could court the American audience. Give The People What They Want, their 1981 album, was a pivotal one for them in this respect, at least in terms of the quality of the results. Ray Davies intentionally crafted “Destroyer” so that it would cause some déjà vu among listeners. The music recalls the band’s early 60s classic “All Day And All Of The Night”, while the lyrics mention “Lola” to call back to their 1970 No. 1 single. But all that nostalgia didn’t matter to pop audiences, who only pushed this song to No. 85.

“A Woman In Love (It’s Not Me)” by Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers

The lack of pop success of this song stuck in the craw of Tom Petty for many years, in part because he felt that something that went beyond his control caused it. In later years, “A Woman In Love (It’s Not Me)” would be recognized as an absolute classic by the Petty faithful, what with Petty’s snarling vocals and thrilling guitar work from Mike Campbell within the quiet-to-loud dynamic. But at about the same time that the song was trying to work its way up the charts, “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around”, which Stevie Nicks turned into a Petty duet with the help of producer Jimmy Iovine’s involvement, was dominating radio. As a result, “A Woman In Love (It’s Not Me)” only reached No. 79.

“Talking Out Of Turn” by The Moody Blues

The Moody Blues made big changes on their first album of the 80s. Long Distance Voyager, which arrived in 1981, was the band’s first without keyboardist Mike Pinder, who left early in the LP’s planning. The band also parted ways with producer Tony Clarke, who’d been at the helm of their records for over a decade. Sensing an opportunity to change a bit with the times, they went to a more synthesizer-heavy approach. It fit them well, mainly because Justin Hayward and John Lodge hit a writing groove. By the time the gorgeous ballad “Talking Out Of Turn” arrived, the band had already churned out two hits from the LP. That helps explain why this gem topped out at No. 65.

Photo by George Rose/Getty Images

The post 4 Outstanding Songs From Rock Acts That Didn’t Do Much on the 1981 Pop Charts appeared first on American Songwriter.