Summary: Editorial cartoon: man talking on a telephone labeled “Wiretap Bill 1962”; he is looking at a poster with a bust portrait of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy
Some of the #1 hits of 1984 on the pop charts are from movie soundtracks. All of the movie albums listed here I own on vinyl, except Footloose, which I have on CD. RB means rhythm and blues/soul, and AC is adult contemporary.
Like A Virgin – Madonna (Sire), #1 pop for six weeks, #9 RB, #29 AC, gold record
When Doves Cry – Prince (Warner), #1 pop for five weeks, #1 RB for eight weeks, platinum record. From the semi-autobiographical movie Purple Rain, starring Prince and Apollonia, which I saw in the theater. The album won the Oscar for Best Original Song Score.
Jump – Van Halen (Warner), #1 pop for five weeks, #88 RB, gold record.
[This is not to be confused with the Pointer Sisters hit Jump (For My Love), which went to #3 the same year. Here is a cinematic footnote: the Pointer Sisters’ version of Jump (For My Love) appears on the US soundtrack for the 2003 movie Love Actually, but the UK soundtrack uses the version by Girls Aloud.]
Three weeks at #1 pop
Footloose – Kenny Loggins (Columbia), platinum record. The title song of the movie starring Kevin Bacon and Lori Singer. It was nominated for an Oscar as Best Original Song (Loggins and lyricist Dean Pitchford).
What’s Love Got To Do With It – Tina Turner (Capitol), #2 RB for five weeks, #8 AC, gold record
Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) – Phil Collins (Atlantic), #2 AC for six weeks, gold record. From the movie Against All Odds, starring Jeff Bridges and Rachel Ward. The song was nominated for an Oscar as Best Original Song.
I Just Called To Say I Love You – Stevie Wonder (Motown), #1 RB and AC for three weeks, gold record. From the movie The Woman In Red, starring Gene Wilder and Kelly LeBrock. The song won the Oscar for Best Original Song.
Ghostbusters – Ray Parker, Jr. (Arista), #1 RB for two weeks, #9 AC, gold record. The title song from the movie starring Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, and Sigourney Weaver, which I saw in the theater. It was nominated for an Oscar as Best Original Song.
Karma Chameleon – Culture Club (Virgin/Epic), #67 RB, #3 AC, gold record
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go – Wham! (Columbia), #4 AC, platinum record
Two weeks at #1 pop
Hello – Lionel Richie (Motown), #1 RB for three weeks, #1 AC for six weeks, gold record
Owner Of A Lonely Heart – Yes (Atco), #69 RB. As I noted here, I remember the first time I heard this song.
Out Of Touch – Daryl Hall and John Oates (RCA), #24 RB, #8 AC
Time After Time – Cyndi Lauper (Portrait), #78 RB, #1 AC for three weeks, gold record
Let’s Hear It For The Boy – Deniece Williams (Columbia), #1 RB for three weeks, #3 AC for three weeks, platinum record. It is also from the movie Footloose and was nominated for an Oscar as Best Original Song (Tom Snow and Dean Pitchford).
Let’s Go Crazy -Prince & the Revolution (Warner), #1 RB, gold record. It is also from the movie Purple Rain. I have a 12″ EP with an extended version of this song.
The Reflex – Duran Duran (Capitol), gold record
Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run) – Billy Ocean (Jive), #1 RB for four weeks, #7 AC, gold record
A single week at #1 pop
Missing You – John Waite (EMI America), #7 AC
To my surprise, putting this together gave me a touch of melancholy over the passing of Tina Turner, Eddie Van Halen, Prince, George Michael, and even Irene Cara (in the Ghostbusters video).