I have a question about 80s music.

[Skidmore]

In my zeal to avoid endless Koch brother and American Crossroads ads for Joni Ernst, I have been watching some of these talent shows that I have somehow managed to miss all these years. I've found that I enjoy the British ones more.

There are a few singers on both sides of the ocean who I hope will gain large fan bases to propel them upward. One of these singers is Sally Barker, who was on The Voice UK 2014. She sang a song entitled "The Whole of the Moon." There was such a heated argument in a comments section on YouTube about how she had destroyed "this classic".

I went to look up the original which was apparently sung by The Waterboys in 1985. I had never heard of either the group or the song and I'm missing a huge block of cultural reference points from that decade from having been cut off from Western popular culture for an extended period of time.

Frankly, after listening to it, I prefer Sally Barker's version. But that is me. My question is more in line with where was this such a hit that someone would consider it a classic? Is it just something that was popular in the UK or did it make it over here too. How well known was that group?

Apologies for a stupid question, but I really would be interested in this little tidbit from a time when I missed out on a whole bunch of cultural events. Always learning.

[taterguy]

1. In the states the Waterboys had one fairly big alterna-hit

The song Fisherman's Blues.

I think I once had the album it appears on but nothing else on it really did much for me.

[TeamPooka]

2. Waterboys are great

[orleans]

3. never heard of the song, never heard of the waterboys

that particular song never charted in the U.S. on billboard (but it charted in four other countries)
--it looks like they did have four other songs that did chart in the u.s. though; check out the discography section

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Waterboys#Discography

[Avalux]

4. The Waterboys were huge in the UK, not so much here in the States.

I always thought they had an odd sound; not a band I listened to repeatedly.

[Skidmore]

5. My listening to the song on YouTube as done by them

made me wonder if they practiced it. It didn't seem like the could stay in unison, and not by design. I seriously did like the song when Sally Barker sang it and that was the first time I'd ever heard it. The lyric and tune are nice, just didn't think the original version was good enough to make it a classic.

[Arugula Latte]

6. I did hear the Waterboy's "Whole of the Moon" fairly frequently, but I've always

listened to alternative music stations. When it was popular I was living in San Francisco and listening to "Live 105." It did get some national airplay, though, as I recall. That was probably their biggest hit here, apart from "Fisherman's Blues," which is more what became their signature Celtic-ish sound. This song was used in "Waking Ned Devine" and at least another one.

I've seen the Waterboys in concert within the last couple years.

Fun fact, musical genius Karl Wallinger (frontman of World Party) started in the Waterboys. If you haven't heard World Party's music, you are in for a treat.

Also, if you want some beautiful surfing/ocean footage set to a Waterboy's song check this out:

&list=RDHk469q3-EIc

[corksean]

7. It was a huge hit here in Ireland

Still hear it on the radio at least once a week.

One of the few songs that makes me turn the volume to 11 when I hear it.

[ailsagirl]

8. For what it's worth...

All my favorite groups are British-- except (of course) Dylan (who is not technically a group)

[greendog]

9. Jennifer Warnes did a nice version of it.