’80s non-top 40 hits, yet classics today

MMathews wrote: And yet the original never needed to be a top 40 hit, it just became a classic of the era without chart status. The 80's produced a few of those.... -MM

Thought I'd steal MMathews' comment above regarding Modern English's 1983 "hit"(?), "I Melt With You", which of course managed to climb to only #78 in "Billboard" and #68 in "Cash Box" at the time. However, I agree w/ him 100% that it somehow turned into a classic that still gets a lot of airplay to this day - w/ countless CD appearances to match - despite the fairly poor chart showing...

I also agree that there are many other examples from the '80s, so rather than hijack the "IMWY" thread, I thought I'd open the topic in this new one instead...

So what other '80s songs that topped out below the top 40 - including those that perhaps only "bubbled under" or failed to chart at all - qualify as classics today??? (By coincidence, a few years ago I made just such a list of about a dozen songs, although I by no means consider it complete!) At this time, I'll go ahead and add:

THE ROMANTICS - "What I Like About You" (1980) (#49 "Billboard"/#53 "Cash Box")

Agree??? Disagree??? :-)

Madonna's "Into The Groove".

Most. Irritating. Witheld. Single. Ever. (thanks Billboard)

Edited by Underground Dub

Underground Dub wrote: Madonna's "Into The Groove". Most. Irritating. Witheld. Single. Ever. (thanks Billboard)

Not sure if this song fits this theme. The only reason it didn't chart on the Hot 100 is because it was only available as a 12" single which Billboard didn't count at the time. By any other definition the song was a big hit...it was all over CHR radio in 1985.

A couple others I'd add to the list are
"It's The End Of The World As We Know It"-REM
"Tenderness"-General Public

Hykker wrote: Underground Dub wrote: Madonna's "Into The Groove". Most. Irritating. Witheld. Single. Ever. (thanks Billboard) Not sure if this song fits this theme. The only reason it didn't chart on the Hot 100 is because it was only available as a 12" single which Billboard didn't count at the time. By any other definition the song was a big hit...it was all over CHR radio in 1985.

Agreed, not to mention they made a video for it as well. I remember "Billboard" having to justify its absence from the "Hot 100" at the time, as I'd already been buying the magazine for a couple years, at that point. But w/ the extra effort that Sire went to to promote "Into the Groove", it made no sense to me at the time why they didn't just go ahead and press a 45, too...

But I'd probably disqualify "ITG" from this list for the same reason, Hykker...

A couple others I'd add to the list are "It's The End Of The World As We Know It"-REM

Agreed...

"Tenderness"-General Public

Ineligible, due to hitting #27 in "Billboard" and #24 in "Cash Box" in 1985 - and thus its appearance in Pat's book/database as well...

Some more:

Why Me - Planet P
Bizzare Love Triangle - New Order
Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top
And She Was - Talking Heads
I Will Follow - U2
Shakin' - Eddie Money
Working In a Coal Mine - Devo
Walking In LA - Missing Persons
Girl's Talk - Dave Edmunds
Message In a Bottle - The Police
Save It For Later - English Beat
Love On Your Side - Thompson Twins
Candy Girl - New Edition
Popcorn Love - New Edition
Body Talk - The Deele
Everybody - Madonna
Physical Attraction - Madonna
IOU - Freeze
Situation - Yazoo