Favorite 80's One-Hit Wonders #7 - "When the Heart Rules the Mind"
@teamfreak16 (43650)
Denver, Colorado
June 24, 2016 7:30am CST
For #7 in my Favorite 80's One Hit Wonders series, we'll remain in England, where GTR was conceived and formed.
GTR was a supergroup of sorts, led by legendary prog-rock guitarist's Steve Howe (Yes, Asia,) and Steve Hackett (prog-era Genesis.) The band lasted just two years, and managed one album (two, if you count a King Biscuit Flower Hour record) before calling it quits.
Their 1986 self-titled album was a Certified Gold Record, helped by the single "When the Heart Rules the Mind."
"When the Heart Rules the Mind" had very little in common with the musicians' prog backgrounds. Instead, it was a listener-friendly, well-made (it was produced by Geoff Downes) tune that fit comfortably into the playlists of the Album Oriented Rock FM's of the day.
The song peaked at #14 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. Another single was released, but came nowhere close to even sniffing the Top 40. Still, based upon the popularity of the album and "When the Heart Rules the Mind," the band might've had a longer shelf life had Hackett and Howe been able to see eye to eye on a few matters (Hackett in particular was very vocal about his overall dissatisfaction with the project.)
Instead, GTR is simply remembered as a one-hit wonder, if they are remembered at all. Too bad.
(I'm using the rules from Wayne Jancik's book The Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders: An act can only have appeared in the Top 40 on the Hot 100 once. Any other charts don't count, and neither do countries other than the States.)
GTR were a rock band founded in 1985 by former Yes and Asia guitarist Steve Howe and former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett. In comparison to the two leaders...
4 people like this
3 responses
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
24 Jun 16
I must have missed every mainstream rock hit of the 80s.
2 people like this

@inertia4 (27978)
• United States
26 Jun 16
@teamfreak16 I know. They used to call that bubblegum music. Stuff like the Partridge Family and the Bay City Rollers. LOL.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43650)
• Denver, Colorado
26 Jun 16
It's pretty slickly-produced, aimed straight at the radio. It's definitely not for everyone.
1 person likes this

@FourWalls (86812)
• United States
24 Jun 16
I'm like John, I missed this one completely. By 1986 I was heavily into college rock (the BoDeans, REM, etc.) and only watched MTV for 120 Minutes. Sheesh, how narrow-minded can you get? 

1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43650)
• Denver, Colorado
24 Jun 16
You know me, I have to listen to everything I can. I was constantly switching stations. I heard this on our local AOR FM.




