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December 1, 1985
The Los Angeles-based synth-pop band Mr. Mister flew onto the top perch of the Billboard Hot 100 with their first of two #1 million-selling singles called Broken Wings.
It’s three-week stay there was a significant feat during the musically volatile year of 1985, in which twenty-six different records occupied the prime position. That’s an average rate of change at every other week.
In fact, only two singles achieved that year’s maximum stay of 4 weeks at number one – Billboard’s top two songs of ’85, Say You, Say Me by Lionel Richie (which succeeded ‘Broken Wings’) and the multi-artist, relief-aid recording We Are The World by USA for Africa, respectively.
[Note] 1985 was also the dawn of the age of MTV, when, through the power of massive television exposure, creative and well-produced videos began to dramatically increase the promotion of the artists and their recordings. (Can you say “video killed the radio star?)
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[NOTE]
Due to copyright issues, some audio song files may not play on smartphones, tablets or connected devices. A laptop, desktop PC or Mac may be required for optimal enjoyment.
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BROKEN WINGS
Mr. Mister
(Single Version)
[1985]
According to the band, lyricist John Lang wrote this uplifting song, which encourages recovery from personal loss, in just 20 minutes with Mr. Mister frontman Richard Page and their keyboardist Steve George.
Broken Wings was a track their second album Welcome To The Real World.
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EXTRA TRAK!
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KYRIE
Mr. Mister
(Radio Edited Single Version)
[1985]
The immediate follow-up single, also written by Page-George-Lang, was called Kyrie (pronounced KEER-ee-eh) – again from the ‘Welcome To The Real World’ album.
It hit number one on March 1st of 1986, and held on for just two weeks in a year that saw an even greater number of songs reaching to top – thirty!
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Songs Source: The Music Vault of HouseoftheHits, Inc.
Billboard® Chart Data: Joel Whitburn’s Record Research (eBook Editions)
Record Sleeve & Label Graphics: Courtesy of 45cat
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