Song · ABC
“When Smokey Sings” by ABC
From the album Alphabet City (1987)
“When Smokey Sings” by ABC appears on 5 radio countdowns from 4 stations between 1987 and 2023. It was first released in 1987 on the album Alphabet City. Its best result is #50 on the Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1987. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #67 alternative song of 1987, #4,933 alternative song of all time and #474 of the '80s.
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"When Smokey Sings" kicked off ABC's 1987 album Alphabet City as its first single, the lead-off salvo from their fourth record and an open love letter to Smokey Robinson, words and title both. Martin Fry and Mark White wrote it, and they dress their hero-worship in the silkiest blue-eyed soul they could muster.
The album cut name-checks a whole pantheon in the bridge, a Luther, a Sly, a James and a Marvin, while the single swaps those lines for new ones and slips in a short saxophone solo. The tribute came with a neat twist: his own "One Heartbeat" and ABC's salute sat in the Billboard top 10 in the same week. It reached number 5 on the Hot 100, the band's second American top-10 hit, and topped the dance club chart with its B-side, "Chicago".
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 62 | KROQ Los Angeles, CA | KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1987 | 107 |
| 1987 | 50 | Live 105 San Francisco, CA | Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1987 | 105 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 1557 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) | 2002 |
| 2003 | 1198 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) | 2044 |
| 2023 | 769 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s | 850 |
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