1984 New Wave Song Was the U.K.’s Longest-Running No. 1 of the Decade but Missed America’s Top 40

One of the biggest hits of the 1980s in the U.K. was a song from a new wave band called Frankie Goes to Hollywood, a group formed in 1980. The track in question, “Two Tribes,” is an anti-war song centered around a continuous bass line and moody vocals. It features lyrics like, “When two tribes go to war/ A point is all you can score.”

“Two Tribes” came out on June 4, 1984, as a single and was released as part of the album Welcome to the Pleasuredome later the same year. It was instantly a huge success in the United Kingdom, topping the U.K. Singles chart and holding the position for nine weeks. By the end of the 1980s, “Two Tribes” was still the longest-running No. 1 song of the decade. Even now, “Two Tribes” remains one of the top 50 best-selling songs in U.K. history.

During the song’s long chart run, another of Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s hits, “Relax,” climbed the charts again after being No. 1 for weeks at the start of 1984. It eventually reached No. 2.

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“Two Tribes” was also a hit in other countries, topping charts in Germany (West Germany at the time), New Zealand, the Netherlands, Ireland, Greece, and Belgium. But even with such extreme success for “Two Tribes” overseas, it didn’t exactly translate over to America.

“Two Tribes” charted on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984, but its peak wasn’t even in the Top 40. The highest it got was No. 43. Meanwhile, “Relax” peaked at No. 10 earlier in the year. It’s a wonder why “Two Tribes” didn’t resonate with American audiences as much as U.K. fans.

But in the end, because of the combo of hits with “Relax” and “Two Tribes,” Frankie Goes to Hollywood earned a Grammy nomination in 1985 for Best New Artist.

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