Heeeres Johnny! Top Ten: Johnny and Mary (#7)

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Somewhere my regular reader is going, "Hmm, all these obvious selections are showing up early in the countdown. What's this crazy hillbilly got up her sleeve?" I'll tell you: my arm! And three layers of clothes! Another not-much-of-a-surprise song comes up next on my list of favorites with "John" or "Johnny" in the title. #7: Johnny and Mary - Robert Palmer I'm just full of surprises, aren't I? That's okay. Wait till the end of the countdown, it'll probably surprise you. What can I say? Robert Palmer. See you tomorrow. That's all that needs to be said, of course. But, in the interest of interesting, I'll elaborate. Palmer had his initial American top 40 breakthrough with "Every Kinda People" in 1978. Then, just as quickly, he went back into relative "cult status" in the U.S. until the robot gals and "Addicted to Love," when he became the superstar he should've been all along. The rest of the world, however, knew what a good singer and songwriter Palmer was. This song has been covered a few (thousand) times, and was an international hit. I love the beat and the synth, showing that Palmer was ready for the "new wave"/"techno" movement long before it happened. Or, if this song had been released in 1982 instead of 1980, Palmer wouldn't have had to wait so long for a #1 US hit. Johnny and Mary Written by Robert Palmer Recorded by Robert Palmer From Clues, 1980 Johnny's always running around: