Songoftheday 2/17/13 - Hard times you had before you, I knew when I first saw you, you girl, you've always been mistreated, cheated...

Asia - "Don't Cry"
from the album Alpha (1983)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #10 (two weeks)
Weeks in the Top-40: 11

Today's Song of the Day is by the prog-rock supergroup Asia, whose self-titled debut album was one of the biggest sets of 1982 (and coincidentally, my second rock t-shirt ever), and scored them a top-10 hit with "Heat Of The Moment" and a top-20 follow-up, "Only Time Will Tell". After a hugely successful tour and a Grammy Nomination for Best New Artist (which is kind of laughable considering the pedigree of the members), the band released their sophomore set, Alpha, in the summer of 1983. The first single, "Don't Cry", was written by singer John Wetton and keyboardist Geoff Downes, and like their first album, produced by Brit Mike Stone...

"Don't Cry" became the band's second and last (so far) top-40 pop hit, as well as their second to top the rock radio charts in September.

(Click below to see the rest of the post)


Here's the band debuting the song in concert in 1983...

..and an acoustic rendition from the reunited band in 2010..

Up tomorrow: A very easy hint, courtesy of some Soul Train dancers.