Robbed Hit of the Week 10/29/12 - The Who's "Eminence Front"...

The Who - "Eminence Front"
from the album It's Hard (1982)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #68

This week's "robbed hit" is by the rock heroes of London, the Who, who closed out 1982 with a new album, It's Hard, and a mediocre top-40 hit "Athena" to kick it off. The band followed that up with a song that really should have been chosen as the first single, "Eminence Front". Powered by a monster keyboard riff and Pete Townshend's Clapton-esque growling vocals, the song was a much better representation of where the band has come, and loose enough not to feel forced. Perhaps it was in their contract that a Daltrey track had to lead the album, but damn.

While the song sputtered out at #68 on the pop chart, it was their second consecutive top-5 hit on the rock radio format list, and ended up being their last appearance on the pop chart (well, so far). The third single from the album, the title track, reached the top-40 on the rock chart.

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In 1991, white-boy rappers 3rd Bass incorporated the synth riff in their top-40 hit "Pop Goes The Weasel"...

...while Def Jam colleagues Downtown Science did the same on "This Is A Visit" the same year...

..and here's the band live in concert back in '82..

That does it for tonight....Stay safe, East Coasters, and I'll be back tomorrow with another Song of the Day, candletime, and my recap of the music selling in France and Germany. Cheers!