January 20, 1990
- STAYED AT #1:3 Weeks
In The Alternative Number Ones, I'm reviewing every #1 single in the history of the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks/Alternative Songs, starting with the moment that the chart launched in 1988. This column is a companion piece to The Number Ones, and it's for members only. Thank you to everyone who's helping to keep Stereogum afloat.
In the late '80s, the Psychedelic Furs took their shot at American arena-rock stardom. This was not as far-fetched a goal as it might appear. The Furs came out of the same early-'80s post-punk zeitgeist as U2; Steve Lillywhite produced both bands' early records. By the late '80s, U2 were stadium-status monsters. The Cure and Depeche Mode were on their way there. Why couldn't the Psychedelic Furs get there? They tried, and they fell short.
The Psychedelic Furs moved to the US in the early '80s, and their records became slicker over the course of the decade. For their 1987 album Midnight To Midnight, the Psychedelic Furs worked with late-period Rolling Stones producer Chris Kimsey and tried to make something approximating late-'80s commercial rock. The album charted higher than any previous Furs album, and it had "Heartbreak Beat," a genuine banger and top-40 crossover hit. But the move didn't sit well with the Furs. Midnight To Midnight didn't ultimately sell as well as the band's two previous albums, both of which eventually went gold. Critics hated the record. So did the band.