4 ‘80s Hits and 2 Metal Epics That Broke the Rules of Conventional Songcraft—From Prince to The Stranglers

Although there have certainly been many people who have experimented with the format, standard pop, and rock songs tend to follow the verse/chorus/verse/chorus/break structure which has been the dominant paradigm. This has been going on for decades now. Musical elements and styles come and go, and trends can alter the sound of a decade or an era, but oftentimes simplicity is the best way to reach a mass audience.

There have been those artists, however, who have chosen to go against that, simply because the song dictated something else. Following are four examples of the 80s ‘hits that tried a different approach, along with two songs from metal bands well known to that world, that certainly tried something different. It would be interesting if such ideas got applied more often to pop and rock songwriting today.

The Stranglers “Golden Brown” (1981)

With their UK hit “Golden Brown,” these British rockers, who first came of age during the ‘70s punk era but pushed their musical boundaries onward, conjured an unusual and unlikely hit. It was their biggest, reaching #2 in the UK in 1982.

First off, this song actually featured the full chorus first and repeated it four times, with a variant also emerging at the end. Secondly, this waltzing single was in 12/8 time and the chorus was a harpsichord-driven instrumental passage in 13/8 time; the band had worked in odd times before, but even this was different.

The song also only had two lyric verses and a coda with lyrics, along with a subdued, jazzy guitar solo. Harpsichord is not an instrument that’s really been associated with rock music, although Tori Amos certainly used it to good effect on her 1996 album Boys For Pele. As far as “Golden Brown,” as YouTuber @michaelplatter3281 suggested, it was “The only one pop tune that was a hit in 1982 [that] could be a hit in 1682.” Indeed.

Madonna “Borderline” (1983)

Madonna certainly released a lot of catchy dance hits back in the ‘80s that helped cement her superstardom early on. But “Borderline” offered something that was different.

This song about romantic longing and unfulfilled desire had upbeat verses with perky keyboards contrasted by a downbeat chorus with dramatic piano chords and gospel backing vocals. This Top 10 hit went against the standard practice of pop songs having a big, vibrant chorus. In this case, the contrast really echoed the theme of the song – putting a hopeful face on the situation, but underneath, feeling frustrated as to why the relationship is not pushing forward.

Mercyful Fate “Satan’s Fall” (1983)

This Satanic metal outfit from Copenhagen may not have sold oodles of records originally, but they were beloved by fans (and the guys in Metallica) and made the PMRC’s Filthy Fifteen list with “Into The Coven”.

Singer King Diamond possessed a distinctly ghostly baritone and unusual falsetto. Mercyful Fate was an enigmatic band of top-notch musicians and clever songwriting ideas. They became an influence on black and thrash metal bands, but also could be regarded as a progressive metal ensemble, favoring longer songs that threw convention out the window.

The most classic example of this is “Satan’s Fall,” the multi-tempo, 11 ½-minute epic on their debut album, Melissa. The song was made up of 12 distinct sections, each rolling in after the other, and the only one that repeated was the intro which became the outro. That’s it. There was even one part where a riff was repeated four times and never returned again. A lot of European metal was influenced by classical music, and that was evident here. At least half of the track was instrumental and guided by the emotion of the song. “Satan’s Fall” is a true musical odyssey that should please Beelzebub himself.

Prince “When Doves Cry” (1984)

Prince was known for his funky, groove-laden songs. And if there’s one element that is prevalent in that music, it’s bass. The low end tied into the kick drum can create a solid groove. But when Prince recorded “When Doves Cry” for his 1984 movie debut Purple Rain, he did something radical.

He removed the bass, and after the intro, his guitar as well. One of the biggest hits of his career, the song mostly featured keyboards, programmed drums, and rich vocal harmonies. The singing performances were so passionate and the musical elements gelled so well that there was no need for anything else. (Although the extended version features a guitar solo in the middle.) “When Doves Cry” was certainly unusual for the time and remains so today, especially for a #1 hit. Fun fact: Prince played all the instruments on it. The lyrics are rumored to have been inspired by his relationship with Vanity.

Journey “Be Good To Yourself” (1986)

When Journey released the Raised on Radio set in 1986, the line-up had gone through some upheaval. At the behest of frontman Steve Perry, both bassist Ross Vallory and drummer Steve Smith were replaced by bassists Bob Glaub (in the studio) and Randy Jackson (on tour), and drummers Larrie Londin (session) and Mike Baird (tour).

The album itself was more poppy and R&B-flavored than past works, however, this track was a big rock anthem in the classic Journey vein. What makes this Top 10 hit rather unusual is the way it shirks tradition. There’s an intro/verse/chorus/verse/chorus/repeat intro structure to the first half, but the latter half featured an extended coda dominated by a tasty Neal Schon guitar solo. So two choruses and a long solo, all in under four minutes. It was a bold move that fit the song well.

Crimson Glory “Transcendence” (1988)

Crimson Glory is a Florida quintet that stood out for many fans of metal and progressive metal. Their second album Transcendence is an indie metal masterpiece, combining Midnight’s powerful vocals and screams with some great melodic guitar work and dynamic energy. But it was the metaphysical title track that closes the album that was really surprising.

It opened up with a big crashing intro – dramatic guitar harmonies and bursts of drums and bass – but then suddenly dissipated into a cloud of ambient drones inhabited mostly by acoustic guitar, keyboards, and vocals. Even the electric guitar harmonies in the middle were restrained, although their late singer was a little less so in his singing. “Transcendence” is a very rare example of a song that one thinks will go in one direction, then goes entirely a different way.

(Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)