Tag Archives: Falco

Artists, Music, Remember That Song?

Remember That Song – 4/8/22

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Can you name the artist and song:

A dream that seemed for real
If it’s a dream, please don’t wake me up
It feels so real

Rock_Me_Amadeus_(Falco_single_-_cover_art)Last Song: “Rock Me Amadeus” by Falco from Falco 3 (1986)

Great job Karina (@WillieSun), Adora (@Adora2000), Craig (@cdennis0130) and Erwin (@erwin_green)!!!

Er war Superstar
Er war populär
Er war so exaltiert
Because er hatte Flair

1986, Artists, Music, Top 40

Top 40 Songs This Week – April 5, 1986: Songs 10-1

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Well we have arrived at our Top 10 of the week. If you missed the previous songs, check out songs 40-31, 30-21, and 20-11. This has been a fun week so far. So, let’s get this going, and Return to the week ending April 5, 1986, and wrap up this week’s countdown! And as usual, if you’d like to listen to the song on YouTube, click on the song title. And if you want to listen or buy this song on Amazon, you can click on the album cover.

10. “Nikita” by Elton John

Ah, the good ole days of the Cold War. Too bad those days are over, right? Right? Well, maybe we’ll get a Nikita ’18 update version this year.
One cool thing about this song that I didn’t know, is that George Michael and Nik Kershaw are on the backing vocals.

 

9. “Addicted to Love” by Robert Palmer

This is one of the most iconic music videos ever. The five models in the video are Julie Pankhurst (keyboard), Patty Kelly (guitar), Mak Gilchrist (bass guitar), Julia Bolino (guitar), and Kathy Davies (drums). Andy Taylor of Duran Duran (and a bandmate of Palmer’s from The Power Station) provides lead guitar.

 

8. “Let’s Go All the Way” by Sly Fox

This very cool song was the only Top 40 hit for Sly Fox, making them a one-hit wonder.

7. “Manic Monday” by The Bangles

This worldwide smash hit was The Bangles’ first hit single. It was originally intended for the group Apollonia 6 in 1984. And yes, that means it was written by Prince.

 

6. “What You Need” by INXS

This was the first Top 10 hit for INXS in the U.S. At the Countdown Music and Video Awards for 1985, in Australia, this won for Best Video.

 

 

5. “These Dreams” by Heart

This was the first Heart single on which Nancy Wilson performed lead vocals instead of Ann. It would also be Heart’s first number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

 

4. “Secret Lovers” by Atlantic Starr

This was was Atlantic Starr’s true breakthrough hit on the pop charts in both the US and UK.

 

 

3. “Kiss” by Prince & The Revolution

I still remember listening to the radio while playing a computer game, when the DJ said that they were going to play the new Prince song, “Kiss”, for the first time. It was exciting for me to be able to catch the debut of a song on the radio. I’ve been a fan of this song ever since.

2. “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.” by John Cougar Mellencamp

This is a fun rocker by Mellencamp, who had quite a good run of hit songs throughout the ’80s.

1. “Rock Me Amadeus” by Falco

And we have arrived at the #1 song of the week! Of course, it’s a song that will be stuck in your head the rest of the day. While Falco was wildly popular in Germany, his native Austria, and much of Europe, this was his only #1 hit in both the U.S. and U.K. With “Rock Me Amadeus”, Falco became the first German-speaking artist to be credited with a number-one single in all mainstream US pop singles charts: the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100 Singles. Prior to Falco, “99 Luftballons” by Nena got to number one on Cashbox, but peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100.

Well that wraps up this week’s countdown. I hope you enjoyed it. What were some of your favorite songs this week? And get your passports ready! The next time, we will go back to the U.K. to do a Top 40 there! Until then, Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars.

1982, Artists, Guest Bloggers, Music, One-Hit Wonders

One Hit Wonders: After the Fire

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Der Kommissar by After the Fire

by Robert Mishou

In 1981, I had just moved to Frankfurt, Germany and, at first, my radio was my best friend. There was one American radio station who played Casey Kasem’s American Top 40 every Sunday from 2-6 in the afternoon. I listened to that show religiously, but also experimented with some German radio stations. During one of these forays, I heard a song with one of the coolest guitar riffs I had heard. The song was completely in German so I could not understand a word, but I did pick up on the artist: Falco. Fast forward to 1983 and I hear that guitar riff again, only this time I could understand the lyrics. After the Fire covered (and translated) Falco’s song and hit #5 on the AT 40 with “Der Kommissar.” My wife, who is a high school German and Spanish teacher, tells me that the translations is not bad, understanding that they had to change things to have it make sense in English. A ‘kommissar’ is a police chief or government officer and in this song he is on the trail of a couple who is constantly trying to escape his notice. The lyric that remains in German, “Alles klar, Herr Kommissar?” is translated into “Everything OK, officer?” They know he is chasing them and they are feigning innocence. When you watch the video look for the waiter – that’s Falco! This song has legs. Not only is it recorded in German by Falco and in an English translation by After the Fire, but the music is also used by Laura Branigan in her song “Deep in the Dark” (yes, I am a closet Branigan fan). Of course, we all know that Falco will have his own hit “<a href="http://” target=”_blank”>Rock Me Amadeus” in just a few years – can I count him as a One Hit Wonder for that song? I am including links to Falco’s German version, After the Fire’s English version, and Branigan’s song that uses the music.

After the Fire

Falco

Laura Branigan

Movies, Music, This week ...

This Day in History

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On January 27, 1756, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born. What does this have to do with the ’80s? Well, in the mid-1980s, Mozart had a little resurgence in pop culture.

First of all, the movie Amadeus was released in 1984. It would go on to dominate the Academy Awards, winning 8 categories including Best Actor (F. Murray Abraham), Best Picture, and Best Director (Miloš Forman).

And who can forget Falco’s 1985 smash hit “Rock Me Amadeus”? Whenever I hear the words of Wolfgang, Amadeus, or Mozart, the first thing that pops in my mind is:

“Amadeus Amadeus, Amadeus
Amadeus Amadeus, Amadeus
Amadeus Amadeus, oh oh oh Amadeus”

Anybody else have an earworm now? Your welcome! Here is the #1 smash hit:

Mozart died in 1791 at the young age of 35. But his legacy lives on, and we appreciated it in the ’80s.

Artists, Music, Remember That Song?

Remember That Song: 7/19/12

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Can you name the Artist and Song and complete the lyrics:

It ain’t much I’m asking I heard him say
Gotta find me a future ____ ___ __ __ ___

Last Song: “Rock Me Amadeus” by Falco (Great job Wilhelmina!!:

He was a Punker
And he lived in the big city
It was Vienna, was Vienna