Here's another week where I'd heard none of this week's debuts peaking outside the ARIA top 100 until writing this post. Perhaps it's your first time hearing these songs, too? Let's take a look.
Top 150 debuts:
Number 103 "Real Life" by Simple Minds
Peak: number 103
Peak date: 27 January 1992
Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks
Weeks on chart: 6 weeks
"Real Life" was the title track and fourth single lifted from the band's ninth studio album Real Life (number 13, May 1991). It followed "Let There Be Love" (number 15, May 1991), "See the Lights" (number 100, July 1991), and "Stand by Love" (number 70, October 1991).
Internationally, "Real Life" peaked at number 34 in the UK in November 1991.
Within Australia, the "Real Life" single performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 73. Nationally, the single performed marginally better on the Australian Music Report singles chart, peaking at number 100.
I don't recall hearing this one before. I like it.
Simple Minds would go on to have one further single to peak outside the top 100 in Australia, in 2009. Since it's extremely unlikely I will be still writing these posts beyond the very early 2000s, I will reveal the peak now: "Rockets" peaked at number 410 in June 2009.
A number of forthcoming Simple Minds albums also peaked outside the top 100 in Australia - Néapolis (number 182, April 1998), Neon Lights (number 362, November 2001), Cry (number 313, June 2002), Graffiti Soul (number 128, June 2009), Celebrate – The Greatest Hits+ Tour 2013 (number 736, April 2013), Big Music (number 273, December 2014), Acoustic (number 156, November 2016), and Live in the City of Angels (number 258, October 2019).
Number 140 Real Soul Pleaser (EP) by Psyclone Smyle
Peak: number 140
Peak date: 27 January 1992
Weeks in top 150: 1 week
Here's an act I'd never heard of before. Psyclone Smyle were an Australian band, formed in Sydney in 1990, and splitting in 1994. The Real Soul Pleaser EP was the band's only major label release during their tenure. I have embedded the title track from the EP below, but the first track on the EP was the instrumental "Line Up".
Number 147 "Steady Mobbin'" by Ice Cube
Peak: number 147
Peak date: 27 January 1992
Weeks in top 150: 1 week
American rapper Ice Cube, born O'Shea Jackson, has graced our presence once before, as part of N.W.A., in December 1990.
"Steady Mobbin'" was the lead single from Ice's second solo album Death Certificate (number 141, February 1992).
Internationally, "Steady Mobbin'" peaked at number 3 on the US Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart in February 1992, and number 30 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart during the same month.
Ice Cube will join us next in 1993.
Number 148 "Power Windows" by Billy Falcon
Peak: number 136
Peak date: 10 February 1992
Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks
American singer-songwriter Billy Falcon, who I'd never heard of before, started his recording career in 1977.
"Power Windows" the lead single from Billy's sixth studio album Pretty Blue World. Internationally, the single peaked at number 35 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in October 1991. It was Billy's only Hot 100 entry, and his only release to dent the ARIA top 150.
Bubbling WAY down under:
Number 170 "All She Wrote" by Firehouse
Peak: number 169
Peak date: 3 February 1992
Weeks on chart: 4 weeks
American glam metal band Firehouse formed in 1989, at the tail end of hair metal's popularity. The band scored two ARIA top 100 singles, with "Don't Treat Me Bad" (number 57, September 1991) and "Love of a Lifetime" (number 97, December 1991).
"All She Wrote" was the third and final single lifted from the FireHouse album (number 137, September 1991) in Australia. Internationally, the single peaked at number 58 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in January 1992.
On the ARIA state charts, "All She Wrote" was most successful in Western Australia, where it reached number 140.
Firehouse will next join us in November.
Next week (3 February): Four top 150 debuts and four bubbling WAY down under entries.