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How was Modern English's Melt With you not a top 40 hit
- Thread starter Viper252
- Start date
No station anywhere within about 100 miles of me played it, and I lived near Memphis at the time. I never heard it until it was used in a Taco Bell, and later, Burger King, commercial. That was in the '90s.
Likewise, I never heard the Romantics' version of "What I Like About You" while it was supposedly a "hit." To this very day, I still associate that one with Michael Morales, who hit #28 with it in 1989. The Romantics never came anywhere close to that. There are those on here who claim to have heard it while it was a "hit," but apparently no one east of the Sierra Nevada ever heard it back then.
Likewise, I never heard the Romantics' version of "What I Like About You" while it was supposedly a "hit." To this very day, I still associate that one with Michael Morales, who hit #28 with it in 1989. The Romantics never came anywhere close to that. There are those on here who claim to have heard it while it was a "hit," but apparently no one east of the Sierra Nevada ever heard it back then.
"I Melt With You" is one of those hits that didn't become a hit until long after it was released, and due to it's then lack of immediacy, did not suddenly sprint up the charts. When it was released in in 1982, the only stations really playing it were modern rock stations like KROQ, 91X, The Quake, etc. In addition, enough AOR stations played it to put it in the top 10 rock songs chart. MTV also played the video, and the song was featured in the movie "Valley Girl" (which had some stone-cold new wave classics in it!). Most top 40 stations pretty much ignored it at the time, though, so it didn't do well on the Hot 100. It likely did better in certain parts of the country than others. Over time, some CHR programmers added it as a recurrent, though it was too little, too late. Modern English did re-record it in 1990, but the song was a bit too stale to become a spontaneous hit at that point, so it didn't do well on the charts (though quite a few stations played it).
There are many other songs like this one that weren't chart hits but did better as long-simmering recurrents. "What I Like About You" by the Romantics (the only version most people really know) and "Blue Monday" by New Order come to mind.
The charts don't really reflect on a song's long-term endurance. There are some minor chart hits that have become classics and are played on the radio quite often. And there's big chart hits that have essentially fallen off the face of the earth. When's the last time you heard "Stars on 45" played on the radio?
There are many other songs like this one that weren't chart hits but did better as long-simmering recurrents. "What I Like About You" by the Romantics (the only version most people really know) and "Blue Monday" by New Order come to mind.
The charts don't really reflect on a song's long-term endurance. There are some minor chart hits that have become classics and are played on the radio quite often. And there's big chart hits that have essentially fallen off the face of the earth. When's the last time you heard "Stars on 45" played on the radio?
I was not aware that Modern English had re-recorded "I Melt With You." I thought that the second version was merely a remix of the first. Someone had mentioned on my "late '80s re-release craze" thread that "I Melt With You" had been rereleased in about 1989 or so, but I pointed out on that thread (as you did here) that it was never a hit then, either.
Interesting that there are some songs that WERE hits back in their heyday, and still receive airplay now, but were blacklisted for a number of years, and were basically "banned" from airplay, before making a "comeback." Many disco records fell into this category, like "YMCA" by the Village People, nearly anything by the Bee Gees, particularly from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, and almost anything by KC & the Sunshine Band. Some of these had to become "retro" before they could get airplay again!
Interesting that there are some songs that WERE hits back in their heyday, and still receive airplay now, but were blacklisted for a number of years, and were basically "banned" from airplay, before making a "comeback." Many disco records fell into this category, like "YMCA" by the Village People, nearly anything by the Bee Gees, particularly from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, and almost anything by KC & the Sunshine Band. Some of these had to become "retro" before they could get airplay again!
Ive heard it on 3 top 40 stations in early 1983 on airchecks. WCAU in Philly, Q94 in Richmond, and Z104 in Norfolk. Im talking February-March 1983 here.
The original 1982 release of "I Melt With You" only reached #78 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and it was recorded in mono:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kv_2B57XIpY
Most stations play one of the later stereo re-recordings of the song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kv_2B57XIpY
Most stations play one of the later stereo re-recordings of the song.
I heard "Goodbye to You" by Patti Smythe/Scandal this morning on JACK-FM. It was never a hit, as far as I know, but nowadays it gets more airplay than anything by them that actually WAS a hit.
G
Groove1670
Guest
Never played Melt With You back in the day. Don't even remember it (didn't get any play in South Florida). Don't care for it. Sounds like a bad OMD rip off. "Goodbye to You" was huge on MTV, didn't receive mainstream airplay. What I Like About you. Great song. Very little (if any) airplay also.
JACK FM will play that "could of been a hit" every once in awhile. Mostly at night.
JACK FM will play that "could of been a hit" every once in awhile. Mostly at night.
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I heard it on JACK yesterday morning about this time (6:30-ish). Another one that I hear that was never a hit (so far as I know) is "Shakin'" by Eddie Money. When was that a hit? I have seen him live a few times, and he always performs that one at his shows. Did it become a hit strictly out of his live performances?
"I Melt With You" and the original "What I Like About You" never got any airplay in Memphis. It wasn't until the Michael Morales remake (1989) that I ever heard "What I Like About You." And never heard "I Melt With You" until the aforementioned commercials.
"I Melt With You" and the original "What I Like About You" never got any airplay in Memphis. It wasn't until the Michael Morales remake (1989) that I ever heard "What I Like About You." And never heard "I Melt With You" until the aforementioned commercials.
H
Hot Hits
Guest
You must be out of your alleged mind. These songs were heard Regionally, Nationally, locally and Worldwide?
You don't remember these songs? What about "Tarzan Boy" by Baltimora for Listerine, or Baggy Trousers by Madness in a Colgate commercial posted below. Kids loved it and brushed better! I did review the South Florida new bands, never heard of a single one of them and I was there for 8 years?
Dance along with the Kids!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdcVRueT2cw
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1977–1982[edit]
Bands[edit]
The Bobs
The Eat
The Front
The Cichlids
Charlie Pickett and the Eggs
Critical Mass
The D.T. Martyrs
The Essentials
Futurisk
The Happiness Boys
KTH (Kill The Hostages)
Larry Joe Miller and His Rockabilly Rockets
Live Bait
Mysfitz
R.A.F.
Radio Berlin
Violent Love and The Dead Whores
The Abusers
The Kids
Crucial Truth
The Reactions
The Roll N Pinz
The Screaming Sneakers
The Spanish Dogs
The Wrap
Z-Cars
1983–1985[edit]
Bands[edit]
The Chant
Amazing Grace
Broken Talent
Lethal Yellow
Crank
D. A. M.
"F"
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I stand by what I originally posted. "What I Like About You" and "I Melt With You" got NO airplay in Memphis back when they were supposedly "hits." Never heard "What I Like About You" until the Michael Morales remake in 1989 (which was 10,000 times better anyway, and WAS a legitimate hit), and did not hear "I Melt With You" until the Taco Bell commercial of the '90s. Later used in Burger King commercials, too.
H
Hot Hits
Guest
Yes it did, I must accept the fact that some members here are teenagers. Cable wasn't available in my part of Los Angeles yet, but Modern English was a staple on the old Mono MTV, before TV was broadcast in Stereo. Thanks for bringing this up!
It would be somewhat ironic that "I Melt With You" was never a bona fide "hit," despite receiving heavy MTV airplay, because so many other early '80s songs became hits specifically BECAUSE of MTV airplay. Duran Duran, anyone?
There were a number of near-miss "hits" back in the early '80s, which are played now as though they actually were hits back in the '80s. In addition to "What I Like About You" and "I Melt With You" and "Goodbye to You," all already mentioned here, there was also "Tempted" by Squeeze, and "And She Was" by Talking Heads.
Some of those other near-miss hits (not any mentioned above) got second chances at becoming actual hits when reissued during the late '80s re-release craze. I had a thread here about that a few years ago.
There were a number of near-miss "hits" back in the early '80s, which are played now as though they actually were hits back in the '80s. In addition to "What I Like About You" and "I Melt With You" and "Goodbye to You," all already mentioned here, there was also "Tempted" by Squeeze, and "And She Was" by Talking Heads.
Some of those other near-miss hits (not any mentioned above) got second chances at becoming actual hits when reissued during the late '80s re-release craze. I had a thread here about that a few years ago.
"Melt" has gotten more airplay in the past 20 years than several 80's #1 hits combined! It was a hit, as far as I'm concerned regardless of where it peaked. Great multi-format song.
There has been a LOT of revisionist history in this thread. Back in the early '80s, most (supposedly) "pop" stations were playing LOTS of country "crossovers." Those were (unfortunately) the "hits" back about that time. Radio stations were in the business of playing whatever were the "hits" at that time, not predicting what would still be popular 30 years later.
I still remember FM 100 in Memphis promoting a show by a then up-and-comer named Rodney Crowell back in 1980. They promoted him as being the "next big thing." While he has gone on to have a successful career, it has been as a country performer. He was never heard on top 40 radio again after 1980.
But in the rural areas, it was even worse. Stations in rural west Tennessee often ran as much as a MONTH behind the Memphis stations when it came to introducing new music. (And they would often hold on to the recurrents for too long, too!) I still remember the station in the small town where I grew up never playing ANYTHING from the Cars' debut album! But they were only too happy to play "Elvira" to death! They even played "Swingin'" by John Anderson back in '83!
That said, I do NOT want to hear "Elvira" or "Swingin'" ever again. I remember near universal dislike for "Elvira" at my school. The reason why no one wants to hear these songs again is because they were forced on us by the record companies back then! I would much rather have heard "What I Like About You" or "I Melt With You" back then, but local radio never offered those to us.
Even if MTV never did anything other than force "crossover" songs off of (otherwise) "pop" radio, then I would say that it served its purpose, at least at that time.
I still remember FM 100 in Memphis promoting a show by a then up-and-comer named Rodney Crowell back in 1980. They promoted him as being the "next big thing." While he has gone on to have a successful career, it has been as a country performer. He was never heard on top 40 radio again after 1980.
But in the rural areas, it was even worse. Stations in rural west Tennessee often ran as much as a MONTH behind the Memphis stations when it came to introducing new music. (And they would often hold on to the recurrents for too long, too!) I still remember the station in the small town where I grew up never playing ANYTHING from the Cars' debut album! But they were only too happy to play "Elvira" to death! They even played "Swingin'" by John Anderson back in '83!
That said, I do NOT want to hear "Elvira" or "Swingin'" ever again. I remember near universal dislike for "Elvira" at my school. The reason why no one wants to hear these songs again is because they were forced on us by the record companies back then! I would much rather have heard "What I Like About You" or "I Melt With You" back then, but local radio never offered those to us.
Even if MTV never did anything other than force "crossover" songs off of (otherwise) "pop" radio, then I would say that it served its purpose, at least at that time.
I grew up in Knoxville and I REMEMBER HEARING EACH ONE OF THOSE SONGS BEING PLAYED ON KNOXVILLE RADIO STATION WHEN THEY WERE HITS!!! "What I like About You" - the Romantics was played a lot on WOKI-FM 100 in 1979/1980 and "Shakin"- Eddie Money on Rock 104 in 1982 and "I Melt With You"- Modern English on both WOKI (Top 40 station) and Rock 104 (WIMZ, AOR station) in the Spring 1983. And all three songs were in Heavy Rotation on MTV at the time. If they were being played in Knoxville at the time, I don't understand how they weren't played in Memphis.
Well, they weren't. Trust me on that.
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