THE BEATLES – HEY JUDE

Publicada: 26 d’agost de 1968

Llistes: Regne Unit: #1 (2 setmanes) | EUA: #1 (9 setmanes)

Els Beatles van publicar “Hey Jude” l’agost de 1968 com el single de debut del seu nou segell, Apple. Llavors el món va escoltar un himne de set minuts de tranquil·lització i elevació de l’ànim. El que no van sentir — almenys no immediatament — va ser la història profundament personal darrere de la seva creació. Paul McCartney havia escrit la cançó no per a un públic de milions, sinó per a un nen de cinc anys atrapat en les conseqüències emocionals d’un divorci: Julian Lennon.

Originalment concebuda com “Hey Jules,” McCartney va començar a escriure la melodia i les paraules durant un trajecte en cotxe per visitar Julian i Cynthia Lennon, poc després que John els hagués deixat per Yoko Ono. “Era com una cançó de tranquil·lització,” recordaria McCartney més tard. “Hey Jules, no ho facis malament — tot anirà bé.” El nom “Jude,” adoptat més tard, provenia de l’afecte de McCartney pel teatre musical; li recordava “Jud” d’Oklahoma!.

Julian no sabria que la cançó havia estat escrita per a ell fins a la seva adolescència. La revelació va ser tan commovedora com dolorosa. “En Paul i jo solíem passar força temps junts — més del que passava amb el pare,” va dir al biògraf Steve Turner. “Encara m’emociona. És estrany pensar que algú ha escrit una cançó sobre tu.” La seva relació amb John va continuar sent complicada fins a la mort de Lennon.

John Lennon, per la seva banda, va interpretar famosament malament la cançó. Quan McCartney la va tocar per primera vegada per a ell i Yoko, Lennon va sentir “You were made to go out and get her” (T'han fet sortir a buscar-la), com un impuls suau cap a la seva nova parella. “Sempre la vaig sentir com una cançó per a mi,” admetria més tard — una ullada reveladora a l’ego de Lennon del moment, i a la dinàmica canviant dins de la banda.

Amb 7 minuts i 11 segons, “Hey Jude” es va convertir en el senzill més llarg que havia arribat al número u en aquell moment, transformant les convencions radiofòniques d’un dia per l’altre. Els directors de programació feia temps que resistien les cançons llargues; després de “Hey Jude,” van admetre el que els oients ja sabien — si la cançó és prou bona, ningú canvia d’emissora. En el procés, els Beatles van obrir espai per a futures peces èpiques com “American Pie” i “Layla,” mentre els DJs guanyaven la benedicció inesperada d’una pausa per anar al lavabo.

La cançó va pujar al número u arreu del món, convertint-se en el single més venut de 1968 al Regne Unit, als Estats Units, al Canadà i a Austràlia. El seu regnat de nou setmanes al capdamunt del Billboard Hot 100 va igualar el rècord de tots els temps en aquell moment — un punt de referència que va mantenir durant gairebé una dècada.

A finals de 1968, les fractures dins dels Beatles s’ampliaven: John i Yoko eren inseparables, McCartney i Jane Asher havien trencat el compromís, i la comunicació interna de la banda estava esfilagarsada. Tot i així, “Hey Jude” els va reunir breument.

El 4 de setembre de 1968, van filmar un clip promocional als estudis Twickenham — una de les últimes vegades que la banda semblava genuïnament alegre davant la càmera. El director Michael Lindsay-Hogg va portar una orquestra i 100 extres que es van unir al clímax eufòric. Els Beatles, impulsats per l’energia comunal que no havien sentit des del seu últim concert el 1966, van oferir una actuació tan sòlida que els va inspirar a filmar de nou. Aquest entusiasme acabaria conduint al documental “Let It Be”.

Allò que va començar com un gest privat de confort es va convertir en un dels discos pop més icònics mai produïts, una combinació rara d’intimitat i espectacle. “Hey Jude” fa exactament allò que McCartney pretenia en aquell trajecte cap a Surrey: s’acosta, et posa una mà a l’espatlla i et diu que tot anirà bé.

THE BEATLES - HEY JUDE

Released: August 26, 1968

Charts: UK: #1 (2 weeks)  US: #1 (9 weeks)

The Beatles released “Hey Jude” in August 1968 as the debut single on their new Apple label. Then the world heard a seven-minute anthem of reassurance and uplift. What they didn’t hear — at least not immediately — was the deeply personal story behind its creation. Paul McCartney had written the song not for an audience of millions but for a five-year-old boy caught in the emotional fallout of divorce: Julian Lennon.

Originally conceived as “Hey Jules,” McCartney began writing the melody and words during a drive to visit Julian and Cynthia Lennon, shortly after John had left them for Yoko Ono. “It was like a reassurance song,” McCartney later recalled. “Hey Jules, don’t make it bad — it’s gonna be OK.” The name “Jude,” adopted later, came from McCartney’s affection for musical theatre; it reminded him of “Jud” from Oklahoma!.

Julian wouldn’t learn the song was written for him until his teenage years. The revelation came as both touching and painful. “Paul and I used to hang out quite a bit — more than Dad and I did,” he told biographer Steve Turner. “It still touches me. It’s strange to think someone has written a song about you.” His relationship with John remained complicated until Lennon’s death, making “Hey Jude” an unexpectedly enduring emotional anchor.

John Lennon, for his part, famously misinterpreted the song. When McCartney first played it for him and Yoko, Lennon heard “You were made to go out and get her” as a gentle push toward his new partner. “I always heard it as a song to me,” he later admitted — a revealing glimpse into Lennon’s ego at the time, and the shifting dynamic inside the band.

At 7:11 minutes, “Hey Jude” became the longest single to top the charts at that time, transforming radio conventions overnight. Program directors had long resisted long tracks; after “Hey Jude,” they conceded what listeners already knew — if the song is good enough, no one touches the dial. In the process, the Beatles made room for future epics like “American Pie” and “Layla,” while DJs gained the unexpected blessing of a bathroom break.

The song swept to No. 1 across the world, becoming the best-selling single of 1968 in the UK, the US, Canada, and Australia. Its nine-week reign atop the Billboard Hot 100 tied the all-time record at the time — a benchmark it held for nearly a decade.

By late 1968, fractures within the Beatles were widening: John and Yoko were inseparable, McCartney and Jane Asher had ended their engagement, and the band’s internal communications were frayed. Yet “Hey Jude” briefly pulled them back together.

On September 4, 1968, they filmed a promotional clip at Twickenham Studios — one of the last times the band seemed genuinely joyful on camera. Director Michael Lindsay-Hogg brought in an orchestra and 100 extras who joined the euphoric coda. The Beatles, buoyed by the communal energy they hadn’t felt since their final concert in 1966, delivered a performance so uplifting it inspired them to film again. That enthusiasm eventually led to the documentary “Let It Be”.

What began as a private gesture of comfort became one of the most iconic pop records ever produced, a rare blend of intimacy and spectacle. “Hey Jude” does what McCartney intended on that drive to Surrey: it reaches out, puts a hand on your shoulder, and tells you it’s going to be OK.

THOMPSON TWINS – WE ARE DETECTIVE

Publicació: abril de 1983

Llistes: Regne Unit: núm. 7

A la primavera de 1983, els Thompson Twins van publicar un senzill que va despertar tant sorpresa com expectatives. Titulat “We Are Detective”, era la continuació del seu gran èxit al Regne Unit “Love On Your Side”, i assenyalava el moment en què la banda s’adaptava completament la seva nova identitat: excèntrica, intel·ligent i decidida a confondre i delectar alhora.

Extret del seu tercer àlbum d’estudi, “Quick Step & Side Kick” (editat als Estats Units com Side Kicks), “We Are Detective” no era només una cançó: era gairebé una comèdia musical pop. Amb les seva lletra extravagant, melodies irregulars i els murmuris rítmics de “We are detective, we are select”, el tema sonava com un número teatral passat pel filtre d’un sintetitzador. Va arribar al número 7 de les llistes britàniques, confirmant que el trio —ara reduït a Tom Bailey, Alannah Currie i Joe Leeway— havia trobat el seu punt d’equilibri.

Lletrísticament, “We Are Detective” és meitat paròdia d’espionatge, meitat cançó d’amor paranoica. Les estrofes suggereixen sospita i traïció romàntica, però sempre amb un toc de complicitat irònica. “He’s out of his mind / Guess he must be / He’s got his detective cap / Where it shouldn’t be” (Està fora de si / Suposo que deu ser / Té la gorra de detectiu / On no hauria de ser)—uns versos que juguen tant amb l’absurd com amb l’ansietat. En molts sentits, és la cara oposada de “Love On Your Side”: una altra reflexió sobre la desconfiança i la confusió emocional, però disfressada amb un aire divertit.

Musicalment, el tema barreja synthpop amb elements de cabaret, ritmes de reggae i un toc de melodrama de film noir. Un petit piano de joguina i detalls de percussió inesperats aporten al conjunt una atmosfera surrealista, mentre que la veu impassible de Bailey li dóna un aire alhora seriós i satíric. La influència d’Alannah Currie és especialment notable: el seu esperit teatral i imaginatiu va ser clau per definir la identitat visual i lírica de la banda en aquest període.

El videoclip, part essencial de l’encant de la cançó, es va submergir plenament en el tema detectivesc. Vestits amb gavardines, els membres del grup interpreten detectius que es mouen per un món surrealista ple de maniquins, ombres i pistes codificades. Era part d’una estratègia visual més àmplia dels Thompson Twins, que combinava l’estètica new wave amb la pantomima —mig grup pop, mig companyia d’art performatiu.

En aquell moment, els Thompson Twins rebutjaven deliberadament l’ortodòxia del rock. En reduir la banda de set membres a tres, no només van simplificar el so: també van afinar la seva imatge. Cançons com “We Are Detective” els van permetre explorar els límits del pop, barrejant ironia, humor i melodies accessibles d’una manera que pocs s’atrevien a intentar.

Tot i que no va tenir la mateixa repercussió internacional que “Hold Me Now” o “Doctor! Doctor!”, “We Are Detective” captura un moment molt concret de l’explosió del synthpop britànic dels primers vuitanta —una època en què l’experimentació no només era permesa, sinó celebrada. La cançó és com una càpsula del temps d’un període en què la raresa podia arribar a les llistes d’èxits i on disfressar-se formava part natural de l’expressió artística.

THOMPSON TWINS - WE ARE DETECTIVE

Released: April 1983

Charts:  UK: #7 

In the spring of 1983, the Thompson Twins released a single that raised both eyebrows and expectations. Titled “We Are Detective”, it was the follow-up to their breakthrough UK hit “Love On Your Side”, and it marked a moment when the band fully embraced their newfound identity: quirky, clever, and keen to confuse and delight in equal measure.

Coming from their third studio album, “Quick Step & Side Kick” (released in the US as Side Kicks), “We Are Detective” wasn’t just a song—it was a pop caper. With its oddball lyrics, off-kilter melodies, and whispered chants of “We are detective, we are select,” the track played like a piece of musical theater filtered through a synthesizer. It climbed to No. 7 on the UK Singles Chart, confirming that the newly slimmed-down trio of Tom Bailey, Alannah Currie, and Joe Leeway had found their stride.

Lyrically, “We Are Detective” is part spy spoof, part paranoid love song. The verses suggest suspicion and romantic betrayal, but it’s all delivered with a wink. “He’s out of his mind / Guess he must be / He’s got his detective cap / Where it shouldn’t be”—lines that flirt with both absurdity and anxiety. In many ways, it’s the flip side to “Love On Your Side”, another song about mistrust and emotional confusion, but this time dressed up in playful disguise.

Musically, the track blended synthpop with cabaret, reggae rhythms, and a touch of film noir melodrama. A toy piano and unexpected percussive flourishes give the song a surreal edge, while Bailey’s deadpan vocal delivery makes it sound both serious and satirical. Alannah Currie’s influence is especially evident—her whimsical, theatrical sensibility helped shape the band’s visual and lyrical identity during this period.

The music video, a key part of the song’s appeal, leaned hard into the sleuth theme. Dressed in trench coats and fedoras, the band members play detectives navigating a surreal world of mannequins, shadows, and coded clues. It was part of a broader Thompson Twins visual strategy that blended new wave style with pantomime—half pop band, half performance art troupe.

At the time, the Thompson Twins were deliberately rejecting rock orthodoxy. In slimming down from seven members to three, they not only clarified their sound—they sharpened their image. Songs like “We Are Detective” let them push the boundaries of pop, mixing irony, playfulness, and accessible hooks in a way that few others dared.

While it was never as internationally enduring as “Hold Me Now” or “Doctor! Doctor!”, “We Are Detective” captured a specific moment in the UK’s early-’80s synthpop explosion, where experimentation was not just tolerated, it was rewarded. The song is a time capsule from an era when weirdness was chart-worthy, and pop stars could play dress-up as part of their artistic expression.

SAMMY HAGAR - I CAN’T DRIVE 55

Released: July 23, 1984

Charts: US: #26 

Released in 1984 as the lead single from Sammy Hagar’s eighth studio album “VOA”, “I Can’t Drive 55” became both an anthem of defiance and the singer’s defining solo hit. Fueled by a high-octane riff and a cheeky protest against government regulation, the song captured Hagar’s obsession with speed — and his refusal to slow down. The track hit No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100, earning heavy rotation on MTV, where its adrenaline-fueled video turned Hagar into a rock ‘n’ roll outlaw.

The song’s origin story is pure rock folklore. In 1984, Hagar was pulled over in upstate New York for driving 62 mph in a 55 zone, a violation of the National Maximum Speed Law, which had capped U.S. speed limits since 1974. Furious, he scrawled the lyrics to “I Can’t Drive 55” almost immediately after getting home. “I was so mad, I went straight to my guitar,” Hagar later said. “That ticket wrote the song.”

Though tongue-in-cheek, the track became an unlikely protest anthem. While other musicians were singing about social justice or the environment, Hagar was raging against what he saw as an absurd restriction on American freedom. The sentiment struck a nerve — millions of drivers agreed.

By the time “VOA” went platinum, Hagar was already on his way to a new chapter. In 1985, Eddie Van Halen spotted Hagar’s Ferrari 512 Berlinetta Boxer at mechanic Claudio Zampolli’s shop and asked for the singer’s number. Within days, Hagar had replaced David Lee Roth as Van Halen’s frontman, officially merging his high-octane persona with one of rock’s biggest bands.

Cars have always been central to Hagar’s identity. Over the years, he’s owned an enviable lineup — from a 1967 Shelby Mustang to a 2006 Lotus Elise — and his songs often celebrate the thrill of the open road. Even within Van Halen, Hagar found kindred spirits; one of his favorite Roth-era tracks to perform live was “Panama,” another ode to horsepower and heat.

The music video, directed by Gil Bettman, brought “I Can’t Drive 55” to life as a cinematic joyride. Shot at Saugus Speedway in Santa Clarita, California, it featured Hagar being chased by the California Highway Patrol, thrown in jail, and hauled before a judge — played by legendary music executive John Kalodner. His Ferrari was driven (and occasionally wrecked) by Zampolli, who doubled as Hagar’s pit crew chief. The production was as wild as the song itself: the jailhouse set had no air conditioning, Hagar burned out his clutch during filming, and one stunt literally launched him across a courtroom.

Over time, Hagar’s take on the song has evolved. “Originally, it was a protest about speed limits,” he told Fox5 KVVU-TV in 2022. “Now it’s a protest that I can’t get anywhere on time — I’m always late.”

VAN HALEN - RIGHT NOW

Released: February 1992

Charts: US: #55 

Released in 1992 on “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge”, “Right Now” stands as one of the most ambitious and socially conscious songs of the Sammy Hagar era of Van Halen. At a time when global politics were shifting — the Berlin Wall had fallen, the Cold War was ending, and the world was waking up to new realities — the band that had built its reputation on excess and hedonism suddenly had something serious to say.

The song’s roots go back nearly a decade earlier. Eddie Van Halen first composed the piano-driven instrumental in 1983, “before I even wrote ‘Jump,’” he later explained. “Nobody wanted anything to do with it.” A variation of the melody appeared in “The Wild Life” (1984), a coming-of-age film Eddie scored. At one point, he even envisioned recording it with Joe Cocker, as part of a possible collaborative project featuring guest vocalists. But the piece remained shelved — until Sammy Hagar came along.

When Van Halen began recording “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge” in 1991, Eddie revived the piano riff. Hagar, by then eager to move beyond songs about sex, cars, and parties, seized on it as the perfect vehicle for a lyric about living in the moment. “I was tired of writing cheap sex songs,” Hagar later said. “Eddie and I wanted to get serious and talk about world issues.” The phrase “Right Now” became both the song’s title and its driving concept — a reminder to act, to change, to feel now.

“Right Now” captured a new maturity for Van Halen. It traded swagger for urgency, the usual sexual bravado for a message about awareness and presence. Yet it never lost the band’s trademark power — Eddie’s piano lines are commanding, his guitar tone sharp and luminous, and Hagar’s vocals deliver conviction without sacrificing melody.

The music video, directed by Mark Fenske and Josh Taft, became as iconic as the song itself. Against stark, minimalist visuals, a stream of on-screen text delivered blunt, thought-provoking statements: “Right now, oil companies and old men are in control.” “Right now, someone is working too hard for minimum wage.” The effect was both immediate and profound — turning a rock video into a moral mirror.

Hagar, however, hated the idea at first. “I wrote the best lyric I’d ever written for Van Halen, and they wanted to put different words underneath? I thought it was going to distract from the message,” he recalled. After retreating to South Carolina and ignoring calls from the band, he was eventually persuaded to go through with it by Warner Bros. chairman Mo Ostin. Ironically, during the video shoot, Hagar came down with pneumonia — his irritated demeanor is visible on camera. “Look at my face,” he later said. “I’m just standing there with my arms crossed. I wouldn’t even cooperate”, but the finished product was a triumph. The “Right Now” video swept the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards, winning Best Video, Best Editing, and Best Direction.