Joe Dolce - "Shaddup You Face"

(Debuted May 2, 1981, Peaked #53, 14 Weeks on the Chart)  

Here's a novelty song to take you into the weekend.

Despite the low chart position in the U.S., it was a popular (and heavily-played) song on the Dr. Demento radio program. Joe Dolce was an Ohio native who moved "Down Under" to Australia during the late 1970s. When he wrote "Shaddup You Face," it was a way of reaching out to others who shared his Italian heritage in his new country, as well as a reflection on his upbringing.

I personally didn't understand it. But then again, I'm not of Italian ancestry. However, I appear to be in the minority, as the song went to #1 in 11 countries, including the U.K. and Dolce's adopted Australia. In the days before viral videos can spread worldwide in a matter of hours, "Shaddup You Face" took the old-fashioned approach of getting airplay and sales by word-of-mouth in the U.S. My friends who grew up under Italian households love it.