My 100 Favorite Charted Pop Songs: Starry Eyes

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Along with the country music you get a rock song. And today, you’ll probably be pulling your hair out either way. Fear not, there will be better days (not to mention that there are only 25 left after today). Meanwhile, let’s go to England for today’s song from the favorites on the Hot 100. Starry Eyes - The Records This is a scathing, nasty, mean song. It’s a big middle finger to the manager of The Records, who made like Steve Miller and took the money and ran while the band was on tour. But it’s also such a stinking GREAT power pop song. In fact, All Music called it “a near-perfect power pop song that defined British power pop in the 70s.” Even if I didn’t like this song I’d have to include these guys because their lead guitarist (Huw Gower) was in a band called The Ratbites From Hell. But I’ll tell you how much I do love this song: I was in a restaurant and it came on the piped-in music. I went out to the car and listened (and re-listened) to it for 15 minutes. Apparently, given that it didn’t even make the top 50, it didn’t have that effect on others. Of course, 1979 was still a disco era, so power pop — with the exception of “My Sharona” — wasn’t making a dent in American music. Too bad. Starry Eyes Written by Will Birch and John Wicks Recorded by The Records From Shades in Bed, 1979 Peak chart position: #56 Today’s country song: “That’s When I See the Blues (In Your Pretty Brown Eyes)” The writ has hit the fan: