Songoftheday 2/24/16 - How can it be permissible she compromises my principle, that kind of love is mythical she's anything but typical...

"Simply Irresistible" - Robert Palmer
from the album Heavy Nova (1988)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #2 (two weeks)
Weeks in the Top-40: 14

Today's Song of the Day comes from the late English singer Robert Palmer, whose 1985 Riptide album had spun off three top-40 pop hits in America with the cover of "I Didn't Mean To Turn You On", "Hyperactive", and the #1 single "Addicted To Love". After a minor hit with the title song from the Treat Williams movie Sweet Lies in 1988, later that year Palmer released his ninth album Heavy Nova. The first single was a raucous rocker in the vein of "Addicted To Love". "Simply Irresistible", his first after switching to EMI Records, was written and produced by the artist, and not only had the same guitar crunch over his bluesy vocals, but sported another music video featuring dolled up models, even more over the top than before, and they didn't even bother giving them instruments...

"Simply Irresistible" climbed all the way to the runner-up spot on the American pop chart in September of 1988. Not only did it become Robert's second #1 hit on Billboard's Mainstream Rock radio chart after "Addicted To Love", it also repeated his Grammy win for Best Male Rock Vocal as well. It would be Robert's last top ten pop hit in the States.

Internationally, the song went to #1 in Australia, #2 in Canada, and #6 in New Zealand, but stalled outside the top-40 at #44 in his native Britain (another single from the Heavy Nova album, "She Makes My Day", went to #6 on the UK chart).

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Robert reprised his video for a Pepsi commercial a year later...

...and here he is performing on the Dave Letterman show in 1988...

...along with another TV appearance...

In 2014, singer/songwriter Ingrid Michaelson recreated the "Simply Irresistible" with gender flipped for her "Girls Chase Boys" single...

Finally, I'll return to Palmer with the Max Weinberg band in 1997...

Up tomorrow: L.A.'s dirty rock underbelly goes all the way to #1, and rock won't be the same.