Episode #42
Episode 42: Right Song, Wrong Timing | MTV’s Almost Superstars
Send us Fan Mail In the early days of MTV, one unforgettable music video could make a band look like the next superstar. In this episode of Who Ordered the Pie?, we revisit five 1980s bands that had the songs, the talent, the image, and the MTV exposure to become household names, but somehow never reached the level everyone expected. We dig into the stories behind Big Country’s “In a Big Country,” Haircut One Hundred’s “Love Plus One,” Scandal’s “The Warrior,” The Motels’ “Only the Lonely,” and The Hooters’ “And We Danced.” Why didn’t Big Country’s massive American breakthrough last? What caused Haircut One Hundred to fall apart just as they were becoming stars? Why did Patty Smyth hate Scandal’s iconic “The Warrior” video, and what happened when Eddie Van Halen asked her to join Van Halen? What was really happening in Martha Davis’s life when The Motels recorded “Only the Lonely”? And how did The Hooters go from helping Cyndi Lauper create “She’s So Unusual” to opening the Philadelphia stage of Live Aid? It’s another installment of our ongoing Right Song, Wrong Timing series, exploring the music history, MTV videos, chart success, behind-the-scenes stories, and bad timing that turned five potential 1980s superstars into some of the decade’s greatest what-ifs. And because every Who Ordered the Pie? episode deserves something in your glass, we’re pairing this one with The Video Star, our tropical twist on the Pornstar Martini. Here’s to loud riffs, quiet sips, and the stories in between. Support the show Who Ordered the Pie? a music history podcast with custom cocktail pairings. Show notes, recipes, and extras: WhoOrderedThePie.com Follow: Apple Podcasts • Spotify • YouTube • Instagram
