You don’t always have to listen to modern stuff to find radio-worthy hits. Here are some hidden gems from 1982 that still have a kick to them, decades later.
“Don’t Cha Wanna” by Juicy
“Don’t Cha Wanna” was the R&B band Juicy’s debut single in 1982. The song has a feel reminiscent of 70s disco, which makes sense, since one of Juicy’s members, Jerry Barnes, was also part of the band Chic. This song asks, are you ready to have the time of your life or not?
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“The Other Woman” by Ray Parker Jr.
This song is about being unfaithful to your partner, but from the perspective of the person who’s doing the cheating. This song was Parker’s first solo hit, peaking at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. He sings about falling in love by accident with someone he probably shouldn’t be in love with.
I’m just the average guy
I fooled around a little on the side
Never thought it would amount to much
Never met a girl whose love was so tough
Who’d have though a one night stand
Could turn into such a hot romance
Mmm, well she did it to me
I slipped and fell in love.
“Street Corner” by Ashford And Simpson
Husband and wife duo Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson were not only successful writers for other artists, but they were also great performers. In the 60s, Ashford and Simpson found success writing for artists like the 5th Dimension, Aretha Franklin, and Ray Charles, before eventually joining the staff at Motown in 1966.
“Street Corner” is a fun song about a lady getting hit on who insists that, no, you’re not gonna find her standing on a street corner. This song is groovy, and I’m surprised it’s not talked about more.
“Man On Your Mind” by Little River Band
“Man On Your Mind” was released in 1982 as the third single from Little River Band’s album, Time Exposure. This song totally sounds like it’s about someone that’s having boy troubles. That’s why, I suppose, there’s a “man on [her] mind.”
I can feel it floating away
Inch by inch, day by day
Love boat set itself free
Castaway, slipping out to sea
I can feel it coming adrift
Even a blind man could see the rift
From an ocean liner to a Chinese junk
There ain’t been a ship that can’t be sunk.
Photo by: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
More The List
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British-born Australian Pop singer Olivia Newton-John (1948 – 2022) performs onstage at Forest Hills Stadium, Queens, New York, New York, August 13, 1982. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images) -
Alan Jackson performs at Shoreline Amphitheatre on September 12, 1992 in Mountain View, California. (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images) -
British singer, songwriter and guitarist Eric Clapton, wearing a white blazer over a white shirt, with his Fender Stratocaster, 'Blackie', in concert, circa 1990. (Photo by Suzie Gibbons/Redferns/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) -
(Original Caption) : The Beastie Boys are shown performing on stage with an audience member dancing on stage. Undated. (Photo by Lynn Goldsmith/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images) -
Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images -
OLLYWOOD – DECEMBER 13, 1975: Disco singer Gloria Gaynor performs a song on December 13, 1975, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) -
Photo by Larry Hulst/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
