Brenda Russell - "Piano in the Dark"

(Debuted February 20, 1988, Peaked #6, 25 Weeks on the Chart)

In the spring of 1988, I remember hearing this song being played on the Top 40 radio station I used to listen to. While I didn't think it was that bad, I also really didn't care for it, either. However, at 15 years old, my musical tastes were such that songs like "Piano in the Dark" really didn't speak to me. And that's exactly what I thought about it at the time: it was an adult song.

As time has gone by, I have really warmed up to the song. It really stands out among the other songs of its era.

The label on the record (but not in the video) credits Russell as the artist, but also gives a credit to Joe Esposito was the male vocalist. "Piano in the Dark" was a return for both artists into the Top 40 since 1979, when Russell had her first hit "So Good, So Right" and Esposito -- as a member of the group Brooklyn Dreams -- dueted with Donna Summer on "Heaven Knows."