The Go-Gos - "Head Over Heels"

(Debuted March 17, 1984, Peaked #11, 16 Weeks on the Chart)

The Go-Gos are labeled as pioneers today, vanguards of a New Wave sound that saw them become one of the first all-female acts (who played their own instruments as opposed to a vocal combo) to make regular inroads into the Top 40. I was too young to appreciate that when I was a kid. Back then, their music was just fun.

In 1984, they came out with a new LP called Talk Show, which skewed more pop than the two previous albums that made them stars. While that might have otherwise led to more hits, it sold poorly when compared to their earlier work. There was also some internal dissention between group members and personal problems that eventually led to their breakup. That said, the new album managed to contain two Top 40 hits including "Head Over Heels," which was a bright spot on a record that many of the bandmates really want to forget. It was the perfect marriage of pop music and solid production, and the video for the song was fun to watch. For a band that was about to fracture, they didn't look like it from afar.