Album · Fischer-Z
Going Deaf for a Living by Fischer-Z
Going Deaf for a Living is an album by Fischer-Z, released in 1980. 1 song from it has charted on rock radio countdowns, with 10 countdown appearances in total. The biggest is “So Long”, on 10 lists with a best position of #79.
Going Deaf for a Living, Fischer-Z's second album, came out on United Artists in 1980, and it's the moment the band turned up the guitars. After the keyboard-heavy Word Salad, John Watts and the original lineup of keyboardist Steve Skolnik, bassist David Graham and drummer Steve Liddle pushed the six-string to the front, with Mike Howlett producing, and the songs come out wiry, jumpy and a little paranoid in the best new wave way.
"Room Service", "Crazy Girl" and "Limbo" all went out as singles, but "So Long" was the one that caught fire: a jittery, insistent tune that went to number 15 in Australia and 26 in the Netherlands, became the first Fischer-Z single to get a video, and still turns up on European and Australian radio. Fans tend to rank this record and the follow-up, Red Skies over Paradise, as the band's finest.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs from Going Deaf for a Living on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | So Long | 10 | #79 | – | 1990–1999 |
Only songs that appear on at least one countdown are listed. Release data from MusicBrainz.