Should have tried what Billy Vera and Sheriff did

[woolebull]

We all know in the late 80's that many songs released in the early 80's came back to be bigger hits. What song do you think would have benefited from being released a second time down the road? It can be from any era. For example: I think that "Genius Of Love" would have been a bigger hit if it had come out five to ten years later. I'm sure we can think of some good examples of songs that would have been bigger hits if they had come out at another time.

[chrislc]

Just my opinion, but I found the early 80s so superior to the late 80s that there would be dozens of examples.

Not sure why, but the first one I thought of was More Than Just The Two Of Us. It's a beautiful song.

[matt]

I would say the mid-80s for me was the best, but my least favorite part of the decade would most certainly be the very end (Fall '88 through the Fall of '89). Hard to say--and funny thing: several songs made comebacks during 1989. "When I'm With You", "Into the Night", "Send Me an Angel", "What About Me", and a few others...strange year it was.

Interesting debate about what other songs might have been able to make comebacks...

[ronnie21]

more thna just the two of us was a kinda biggie around late 81/early 82. I remmeber hearing it alot back then and really liking it. Then i didnt hear it again until 1993 and really remmeber how great it was.. I even bought the 45 off record rama

[woolebull]

"More Than Just The Two OF Us" was a song I had never heard and when I heard it back in '03 or so, I was like, "Wow...this song should have done way better than it did".

I know the Korgis made it up to 18 in 1980...but that song sounds like it should be in another part of the decade as well...great song.

[ronnie21]

the korgis song was great. but not many remember it today.. most people under 45 anyway.

[woolebull]

I didn't know it (I was seven when it came out). It really sticks out as a different song from that time. The last part of 1980 was great because you had songs that showed the way to what the 80's would become...but then 1981 kinda snatched it away. Not that is a bad thing...it's just interesting to me. But the Korgis song...something about it makes it just not sound like it is 32 years old.

[bottlerocket]

I distinctly remember during the late 80s revival of early 80s songs wishing Climax Blues Band's "I Love You" would get a second chance. I always thought it deserved more exposure.

[tpanther775]

The Korgis song I never remembered back in '80. I heard it on an AT 40 from 11/15/80 about two years ago. Think the song is great, it defintely doesnt sound like it was from late 1980. I have to agree about "I Love You" from Climax Blues Band. I thought it needed a second chance also. It never received the exposure it should have. I remembered hearing something about the band saying they didnt really like performing that song. I guess since it skewed away from the way their music normally sounded.

[woolebull]

"I Love You"... I had that special ordered from millennium records not far from where you are tpanther back in 1999/2000... that is one of my favorite songs ever. I don't know if it would have done any better, but I wish it could have made the top 10.

[matt]

Dec 18, 2012 22:46:35 GMT -5 woolebull said:

"More Than Just The Two OF Us" was a song I had never heard and when I heard it back in '03 or so, I was like, "Wow...this song should have done way better than it did".

I know the Korgis made it up to 18 in 1980...but that song sounds like it should be in another part of the decade as well...great song.

Totally agree on the Korgis' "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime"-- I think that song sounded ahead of it's time for late 1980 and could definitely have had a good chart run later in the 80s. That's a song I don't remember at all from when it was out, but rediscovered thanks to the Premiere reruns. Great song...

[woolebull]

Speaking of late 1980, I think, "Whip It" would have been a Top 5 song a couple of years later. I understand "Whip It" is still a very popular song to this day...but I think it could have had a more memorable first run in the winter of 1982 v. 1980.

[doomsdaymachine]

If "Rapper's Delight" had come out 7-8 years later, it almost certainly would've gotten higher than #36.

The record-buying public might have been more receptive to "Turning Japanese" in 1983 or '84, rather than in 1980.

[woolebull]

Dec 19, 2012 16:58:46 GMT -5 doomsdaymachine said:

If "Rapper's Delight" had come out 7-8 years later, it almost certainly would've gotten higher than #36.

The record-buying public might have been more receptive to "Turning Japanese" in 1983 or '84, rather than in 1980.

Totally agree with you on both accounts. I think the Buggles would have done better as well if it had come out three years later. The dynamic would have changed because it obviously would have not been the first song played on MTV...but I think it could have done better on a first go around in '82.

[mkarns]

Dec 19, 2012 18:32:50 GMT -5 woolebull said:

Dec 19, 2012 16:58:46 GMT -5 doomsdaymachine said:

If "Rapper's Delight" had come out 7-8 years later, it almost certainly would've gotten higher than #36.

The record-buying public might have been more receptive to "Turning Japanese" in 1983 or '84, rather than in 1980.

Totally agree with you on both accounts. I think the Buggles would have done better as well if it had come out three years later. The dynamic would have changed because it obviously would have not been the first song played on MTV...but I think it could have done better on a first go around in '82.

Also from 1980, "I Got You" by Split Enz, "New Romance" by Spider, and "Switchin' to Glide" by the Kings either missed or just grazed the top 40; I think they sound as if they could done better two years or more later, in the MTV era.

That same year, the Romantics hit #49 with "What I Like About You". I'm somewhat surprised that was never reissued/recharted given how well known it became later, in commercials, soundtracks, and such.