My 100 Favorite Charted Pop Songs: Steppin’ Out

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The dirty S word is officially in the forecast. They say it’ll be the “festive flakes” kind…you know, when you see the first few flakes of the year and say, “Ooh, look, it’s sn*wing!” I saw a great welcome mat at the store yesterday: “Let it snow….somewhere else!” It snowed when I was in New York City in 1989, and that’s a good introduction to today’s song from my favorite “Hot 100” tunes. Steppin’ Out - Joe Jackson And I must say, side one of Night and Day prepared me for going to NYC. I went in February 1989 to see a concert (if that surprises you), part of a five-day jaunt with three other people. That was the trip that confirmed for me, without any question, that I am NOT a good “traveling” or concert companion. But back to the song. Joe Jackson’s biggest U.S. success was this album, a tribute to being in the Big Apple (in a love fest kind of way, not the negativity the Stones used in “Shattered”). Side one opens with “Another World,” which is about as good a description of NYC as I’ve ever heard. This is the closing song from side one, about heading out “into the night, into the light” of the town. Dang, what a wonderful song. It is so full of life and joy that it makes New York sound like a great place. Jackson played everything except the drums on this song. It was his only US top ten hit. Understandable: who can resist this? Steppin’ Out Written by Joe Jackson Recorded by Joe Jackson From Night and Day, 1982 Peak chart position: #6 Today’s country song: “Then I Turned and Walked Slowly Away” We are young but getting old before our time: