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1985 (SR-71 song)

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This article is about the song later covered by Bowling for Soup. For the song by Paul McCartney and Wings, see Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five. For other songs, see 1985 (disambiguation).

"1985"
Song by SR-71
from the album Here We Go Again
ReleasedMay 21, 2004
Recorded2003
Genre
Length3:41
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Mitch Allan

"1985" is a 2004 song that was written and recorded by SR-71 for their album Here We Go Again. Mitch Allan, SR-71's frontman, gave the song to American rock band Bowling for Soup, who recorded a cover version. The cover version reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was featured on the band's album A Hangover You Don't Deserve.[1]

The song is about a middle-aged woman who is stuck in the 1980s due to being in denial that her life is zooming by so fast and the fact that she never got to live out her ideal life before settling down and starting a family.

Background

The song was originally written by SR-71 frontman Mitch Allan and drummer John Allen for the band's third album Here We Go Again. The album was initially only made available in Japan.[2]

Bowling for Soup version

"1985"
Single by Bowling for Soup
from the album A Hangover You Don't Deserve
B-side"Make It Up to You"
ReleasedJuly 26, 2004 (2004-07-26)
StudioRed Ruby Productions (Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.)
Length3:13
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Butch Walker
Bowling for Soup singles chronology
"Here We Go"
(2004) 		"1985"
(2004) 		"Almost"
(2005)
Music video
”1985" on YouTube

There are conflicting stories on how Bowling for Soup came to record a cover version of the track. According to SR-71's website, Bowling for Soup's Jaret Reddick heard the song and asked for permission to record a cover.[2] However, according to Bowling for Soup's website, it was Allan that called Reddick to suggest the possible cover.[3] In a 2010 interview with Songfacts, Reddick said that the cover materialized through the two bands’ association with producer Butch Walker.[4]

Bowling for Soup made some changes to the lyrics of the original song. In the second verse, the reference to the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High[5] is replaced by St. Elmo's Fire.[6] The line "Never knew George was gay/hoped they'd hook up one day" is changed to "Thought she'd get a hand/on a member of Duran Duran."[6]

The ending lines "Where's her fairytale? Where's her dream?/Where's the quarterback from her high school football team?/How many times will she ask herself 'What happened to me?'"[5] are changed to "Where's the mini-skirt made of snake skin?/And who's the other guy that's singing in Van Halen?/When did reality become TV?/Whatever happened to sitcoms, game shows? (on the radio?)". Bowling for Soup's lines reference Sammy Hagar joining Van Halen in 1985 and the advent of reality television.[6] The line "(The rubber broke!)" after "'What happened?'" is omitted.[4]

Bowling for Soup added the line "And when did Ozzy become an actor?" to the bridge, referencing rock singer Ozzy Osbourne's appearance in the reality TV show The Osbournes.[6]

Chart performance

Released on July 26, 2004, the song climbed to the number 23 spot on the Billboard 200 chart[7] and debuted at number 1 on the Hot Digital Tracks chart, with 15,500 paid downloads.[1]

Music video

The music video is directed by Smith n' Borin (Ryan Smith and Frank Borin).[8] It takes place on a neighborhood street where the character of Debbie, played by actress Joey House,[8] fixes up the cluttered lawn of her house but gets distracted by Bowling for Soup playing music in their garage across the street. The band parodies the music videos for Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love" and George Michael's "Faith", as well as the acts Run-DMC and Mötley Crüe. At the end of the video, Debbie walks across the street to the band, lets her hair down, and in a nod to Whitesnake's video for "Here I Go Again", writhes around on top of a car. She continues to do this even after the song ends, until her husband calls out to ask her what she’s doing. Mitch Allan from SR-71 appears in the video as a passersby who gives the band a look of contempt.[8]

Track listings

Charts

Chart (2004) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[14] 22
Canada CHR/Pop Top 30 (Radio & Records)[15] 8
Ireland (IRMA)[16] 36
Scotland (OCC)[17] 35
UK Singles (OCC)[18] 35
US (Billboard Hot 100)[7] 23
US (Adult Top 40) (Billboard)[19] 5
US (Mainstream Top 40) (Billboard)[20] 10

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[21] Gold 400,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States July 26, 2004 (2004-07-26) Contemporary hit radio
[22]
Australia September 20, 2004 (2004-09-20) Digital EP Zomba [13]
United Kingdom [23]
Australia September 27, 2004 (2004-09-27) Digital download [10]
United Kingdom [24]
October 4, 2004 (2004-10-04) CD [25]

Cover versions and parodies

Christian parody band ApologetiX released a parody titled "None Too Ladylike" on the group's Wordplay album, about Jezebel from the Bible.

The Bowling for Soup version has been covered by Richard Thompson on the live album 1000 Years of Popular Music.

On July 9, 2022, Thomas Ian Nicholas released a parody cover of "1985" titled "1999".[26][27]

References

  1. ^ a b "'Bowling' For A Chart Breakthrough". Billboard. Vol. 116, no. 38. September 18, 2004. p. 72. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "News". SR-71. Archived from the original on July 27, 2006. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  3. ^ "JARED NEWSFLASH! 1985 IS HERE!". bowlingforsoup.com. Archived from the original on August 20, 2008. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  4. ^ a b Wiser, Carl (November 16, 2010). "Jaret Reddick of Bowling for Soup : Songwriter Interviews". Songfacts. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  5. ^ a b "1985 by SR-71". Genius. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d "1985 by Bowling for Soup". Genius. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Bowling for Soup Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard Hot 100. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021.
  8. ^ a b c "A Deep Dive Into Bowling For Soup's 1985 Video". Kerrang!. September 21, 2019. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  9. ^ 1985 (UK CD1 liner notes). Bowling for Soup. FFROE Records, Jive Records, Zomba Group of Companies, Silvertone Records. 2004. 82876-64765-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ a b "1985 – Single". Apple Music. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  11. ^ 1985 (UK CD2 liner notes). Bowling for Soup. FFROE Records, Jive Records, Zomba Group of Companies, Silvertone Records. 2004. 82876-64747-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ^ 1985 (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Bowling for Soup. FFROE Records, Jive Records, Zomba Group of Companies, Silvertone Records. 2004. 82876-64765-7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ^ a b "1985 – EP". Apple Music. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  14. ^ "Bowling for Soup – 1985". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  15. ^ "R&R Canada CHR/Pop Top 30" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1579. October 29, 2004. p. 24. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  16. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – 1985". Irish Singles Chart.
  17. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  18. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  19. ^ "Bowling for Soup Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
  20. ^ "Bowling for Soup Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
  21. ^ "British single certifications – Bowling for Soup – 1985". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  22. ^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1565. July 23, 2004. p. 21. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  23. ^ "1985 – EP". Apple Music. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  24. ^ "1985 – Single". Apple Music. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  25. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. October 2, 2004. p. 33.
  26. ^ Evans, Emily; Zarian, Lawrence (July 15, 2022). "'American Pie' actor Thomas Ian Nicholas talks about the possibility of a 5th film and new music". KTLA. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  27. ^ Nicholas, Thomas Ian [@TINBand] (July 9, 2022). "Today is the day. My song #1999 featuring #BowlingForSoup is out now! TINicholas.com/1999" (Tweet). Retrieved September 27, 2022 – via Twitter.
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