(Debuted July 13, 1985, Peaked #11, 18 Weeks on the Chart)
The Pointer Sisters had a long career, first as a quartet that spanned several genres (blues, R&B, funk and even country) during the 1970s and then as a trio that was solidly pop-oriented in the 1980s. That latter period was their most successful, which is ironic because they tried to avoid the pop sound during their early years. By 1985, their "sound" had been pretty well set.
"Dare Me" was another song that closely followed the format of the group in the 1980s. An uptempo number that was driven by a synthesizer-led accompaniment, it peaked just short of the Top 10, which turned out to be as close as the sisters managed to get to the level again. Despite that, it was the only single of theirs that ever topped the Billboard dance chart. That said, the song has become part of a legend that is unrelated to them.
During the chart run of "Dare Me," it was the song that was scheduled before one of Casey Kasem's "Long Distance Dedications" during the American Top 40 radio show that was about a beloved dog that had gone off to the Big Meadow in the Sky. Feeling that it wasn't right to come out of a high-energy dance number only to segue into a serious matter (which, as a former radio guy, I will admit is a tough thing to do), Kasem launched into a rant that has become an Internet legend. Part of the reason for the rant was justified, but due to fact that it was yet another example of a radio host ripping into his production staff and a complete change from Kasem's image as an affable host -- this was the voice of Shaggy dropping the F-bomb, for crying out loud -- it has continued to live on in sound bites.
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