Robbed hit of the week 1/25/16 - Nu Shooz's "Should I Say Yes"...

"Should I Say Yes" - Nu Shooz
from the album Told U So (1988)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #41

This week's "robbed hit" comes from the Portland, Oregon duo Nu Shooz, who took their debut hit "I Can't Wait" to the top of the pop, R&B, and dance charts in the summer of 1986, followed by the top-40 "Point Of No Return". Two years later, the married pair of Valerie Day and John Smith released their second major-label album, Told U So, which was more laid-back soulful than their last. The first single, "Should I Say Yes", was a departure from the sound they were known for, with a sparse electro-beat reminiscent of the freestyle work of Stevie B...

While "Should I Say Yes" climbed to #17 on Billboard's R&B chart, the single stopped short at #41 on the pop Hot 100. It also was a minor hit in the Netherlands. The two attempted a more upbeat follow-up with "Are You Lookin' For Somebody Nu", which did make it to #2 on the Dance chart, but by then mainstream radio had left them behind. They continue to record and perform, though, tagging on to the 'freestyle oldies' circuit that's been lucrative.

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...and here's Nu Shooz playing live for a radio broadcast in 2014...