This week's song is another new one, and another oddity in this series: There's no official music video of the song. Nevertheless, on November 2 1985, “Part-Time Lover” ("video" up top) by American R&B singer and songwriter Stevie Wonder reached Number One on the USA’s Billboard “Hot 100” for one week only. The song, which was his last solo Number One so far, was simultaneously at the top of four different Billboard charts (see chart information at the bottom of this post). The song was the lead single from his album, In Square Circle, and the was his twentieth studio album. Sheesh!
I remember hearing this song back in the day, but it must’ve been on radio, since there was no music video. I know I liked the uptempo nature of the song, and its sound reminded me of something, though I didn’t really think about it much. Apparently Wonder deliberately made it evocative of some of the 1960s songs by The Supremes. I also didn’t realise that Luther Vandross sang backing vocals on the song.
I never bought any of Stevie Wonder’s singles or albums, though I had some of his songs on compilation albums. I particularly remember liking his 1976 album, Songs in the Key of Life, but didn’t buy that album either, so that’s nothing unusual for me. In fact, for much of my young adulthood, and especially in the 80s, I didn’t buy a lot of albums that contained songs I liked, mainly because I didn’t have a lot of disposable cash for records.
“Part-Time Lover” reached Number 3 in Australia, Number One in Canada, Number One in New Zealand (Gold), Number 3 in the UK (Silver), as well as Number One on the USA’s Billboard “Hot 100”, and also on its R&B, dance, and “Adult Contemporary” charts. The song wasn’t certified in the USA.
The album In Square Circle reached Number 8 in Australia, Number 7 in Canada (2x Platinum), Number 3 in New Zealand (Gold), Number 5 in the UK (Gold), and Number 5 on the USA’s “Billboard 200”. The album was certified 2x Platinum in the USA.
This series will return next week (November 9) with the next Number One in this series, the fifth of five one-week Number One hits in row during this period in 1985.
Previously in the “Weekend Diversion – 1985” series:
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 1 – February 2, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 2 – February 16, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 3 – March 12, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 4 – March 30, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 5 – April 13, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 6 – May 11, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 7 – May 18, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 8 – June 1, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 9 – June 8, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 10 – June 22, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 11 – July 6, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 12 – July 13, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 13 – July 27, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 14 – August 3, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 15 – August 24, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 16 – September 7, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 17 – September 21, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 18 – October 12, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 19 – October 19, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 20 – October 26, 2025
2 comments:
For good chunks of time, Motown was lazy or inefficient in getting gold record certification; #1 singles for multiple weeks that weren't gold happened too often
I never knew that! I just assumed it was kind of automatic, like the chart rankings itself. It's always good to learn new things, though.
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