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1984: The Year In Top 40 Hits (Week 50: December 15, 1984)
Wham! (sorta), Prince, Hall and Oates, Culture Club, and what Glenn Frey has to do with the role of the saxophone in ’80s pop
(Note: If you’re new here, you might want to read an introduction to this series to get caught up on what we’re doing. Glad you could make it.)
I have absolutely no memory of Christmas 1984, in terms of presents or celebrations or whatever. Primarily because we had already closed on and taken possession of our new house in Lubbock and were scheduled to be out of our place in Levelland by December 31. So while I’m sure we did have a tree and presents and all that — my mother would have had a fit if not — I mostly remember packing everything I owned into cardboard boxes for the third time in 18 months. Anyway, “Out Of Touch” spent its second week at number 1. There were 11 new entries, the highest being the first song below.
At #37, “Careless Whisper” by Wham! featuring George Michael
In some circles, “Careless Whisper” has become a cliché, or even worse, a joke. It’s an easy trope to signify the excess of the big-haired dayglo ’80s: just cue that instantly recognizable saxophone riff and there you are.