When you look at the musical landscape of the year I’m examining, it shouldn’t be a surprise that there’s been a lot of synth-pop and New Wave present on this list. And it should also be no surprise which band from that genre ranks highest.
The Boston quintet known simply as The Cars had been on the rise since their debut in 1978. They had soundtracked an iconic scene in the seminal teen movie of the early 80s: Fast Times At Ridgemont High. And their 1982 album’s title track “Shake It Up” had become their first top 10 hit.
Their career reached its zenith in 1984 with the release of their fifth album Heartbeat City.
They just so happened to release their best songs at the same time they learned how to embrace music video. MTV played a big role in the success of a lot of the songs on this list, and The Cars were in heavy rotation on the channel pretty much the whole year thanks to a trio of massive hits.
First came the effects-heavy clip for “You Might Think,” the video that featured the indelible image of singer Ric Ocasek’s head on a fly buzzing around the object of his affection. Not only did it become the band’s second top 10 hit, it also won the very first ever MTV Video Music Award for Best Video of the Year.
Then Ocasek literally walked on water in the clip for the album’s second single “Magic.” Both songs are top-notch, but neither is the one that lands them in the top 5 of my ranking because of what came next.
Ocasek took a supporting role on the third single, letting the band’s other singer, bassist Benjamin Orr take center stage on a tender synth-drenched ballad about a friend coming apart at the seams. There can be beauty even in sadness and the atmosphere the band sets musically is pitch perfect for Orr’s lyrical delivery, especially the pleading chorus: “You can’t go on thinking nothing’s wrong.”
The song was a major left turn for a band known for its more energetic fare, but it was also an instant classic. It became the band’s biggest hit of their career, reaching #3 on the pop chart. And it’s both a touchstone song for the sound of the 80s and a timeless classic in equal measure.
The Cars motor onto the countdown at #5 with “Drive.”