One of my favorite aspects of music in the 1980s was the emergence of the saxophone as a pop instrument. Typically regulated to the jazz genre, it found new popularity as a hip and sexy (or should I say, "saxy"?) addition to pop and rock songs at the end of the 1970s. By the 1980s, it had become a symbol of sexiness only to fade back into jazz obscurity by the mid-90s when the dance craze took hold. My favorites in this era of saxophone history are in a category I have dubbed "sleazy sax" due to the extra saxy nature of the riffs. They invoke memories of cruising around the city at night in a Miami Vice-esque style (some have even been used on the show). My wife Rachel and I are particularly fond of these songs.
Here are our top ten picks from this rad era in saxophone history (plus some honorable mentions). We've rated them based on the following criteria:
-Overall "saxiness" of the sax riffs
-Is the sax the featured instrument?
-Is the sax in the hook or is it just a solo?
-Songs released between 1978-1989
#10: The One You Love - Glenn Frey
No Fun Aloud (1982)
This was the lead single for Frey's first solo endeavor away from The Eagles. It actually features two sax players: Ernie Watts and Jim Horn. Watts plays the repeating theme, while Horn plays the closing solo. It has the sound that this list is looking for, but we just wanted more.
#9: Who Can It Be Now? - Men At Work
Business as Usual (1981)
A hit from their first album, this music for this song was actually written in 1979 in a tree house. The sax hook was actually used only late in the song; Producer Peter McIan suggested it be moved to the opening as well. He wanted a sax solo and asked saxophonist Greg Ham to improvise. That impromptu recording is what you hear in the final song.
#8: Harden My Heart - Quarterflash
Quarterflash (1981)
The first single from this Portland, Oregon band is actually not the first version. Prior to calling themselves Quarterflash, the band was Seafood Mama and in 1980 they performed a more vocal version of this hit which went on to do well on local radio stations. Lead singer Rindy Ross is also the saxophone player on this saxy rock song which was played twice in the pilot episode of Knight Rider.
#7: Maneater - Hall & Oats
H2O (1982)
This song, often mistaken to be about a woman, is actually about New York City of the 80's. The greed and avarice of the city are presented in the form of a gold-digging woman to make it more relatable to the masses. The tone and meaning of the sax in this song are a perfect fit for this list; we only wish it was more prominent.
#6: Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty
City to City (1978)
A product of Rafferty's second solo effort after a rocky legal departure from his band Stealers Wheel, this song's haunting sax riff was provided by Raphael Ravenscroft. Although Ravenscroft would later lament the song, saying his sax playing was flat, it has been recognized by Billboard as "the most recognizable sax riff in pop music history". In fact, Baker Street is the song responsible for bringing the sax out of its jazz-only status.
#5: Smooth Operator - Sade
Diamond Life (1984)
From their debut album, this song put Sade on the map. The song is about a man who lives a jet-set lifestyle and is a womanizer. Its smooth and subtle sax riffs provide the perfect tone for such a meaning.
#4: Careless Whisper - George Michael
Careless Whisper (1984)
In his first solo outing from Wham!, this title track from Careless Whisper appears on every top saxophone playlist. It should be no surprise that it would end up here as well. The sax hook is one of legend and has been referenced many times in pop culture. It has even influenced the work of legendary Sexy Sax Man, Sergio Flores.
#3: Don't Walk Away - Rick Springfield
Hard to Hold (1984)
This album served as the soundtrack to the film Hard to Hold which served as a motion picture vehicle for Springfield. While this is one of the few songs on our list that was not released as a single, its use of the sax gives us the tone and flavor we have come to expect from the Miami Vice era.
#2: Will You? - Hazel O'Connor
Breaking Glass (1980)
In her debut album, which is also the soundtrack to the movie of the same name in which she starred, O'Connor delivers this sax-laden gem. Not only does this song deliver to us a sexy sax hook but it also delivers an amazing solo which not only lasts for 2 minutes...but also occupies the entire last half of the song!
#1: You Belong to the City - Glenn Frey
Miami Vice (Soundtrack) (1985)
Glenn Frey caps both ends of our list and surely ends it with a bang. Written specifically for Miami Vice, the tone of this mega-hit is the standard by which we measured the rest of the songs in this list. It was obvious once we started listening that this would be the one to beat. While Will You? has the sax prominently featured and uses it throughout the entire song, this song itself carries the sleazy sound that we are looking for which plays off of the sax riffs to create a nightlife flavor which Miami Vice was known for. The song would help the Miami Vice soundtrack become the greatest selling television soundtrack album of all time.
So there you have it! There are a few things we noticed about these songs that many of them have in common. Almost all of these songs came from debut artists or were the first solo endeavor of an artist, a fact that persists into our honorable mentions below. Also, the sweet spots for sexy sax songs seem to be 1981/2 and 1984.
Have your own suggestions for this list? Leave a comment below!
Honorable Mentions:
While the songs on our list fit the criteria we were looking for the most, there were other songs we considered which had the elements of saxy songs. These songs either had the sound we were looking for but didn't feature it enough or featured great sax riffs but didn't quite have the flavor we were seeking. We felt they were still worth a mention.
Urgent - Foreigner
4 (1981)
Motown legend Junior Walker, of Jr. Walker & The All Stars, provides the saxophone on this hit. Walker would go on to record his own version of the song which was featured in the 1985 Madonna film Desperately Seeking Susan. The sax solo at the break is energetic and "saxy" to be sure but it's hardly the featured instrument.
Foolish Beat - Debbie Gibson
Out of the Blue (1987)
Gibson's fourth single was written by her for her Dream Tour. It would later find its way to her debut album. This song made Gibson the youngest artist to write, sing, and produce a number one hit by herself. The sax opener and solo at the break have exactly the tone we were looking for; there just wasn't enough of it compared to the songs that placed on our list.
Hands to Heaven - Breathe
All That Jazz (1987)
A debut hit from English group Breathe, this one falls into the same category as Foolish Beat: its got the sound but not the quantity.
Never Tear Us Apart - INXS
Kick (1988)
The sax solo in this hit is powerful and saxy but is contained within a solo only.
Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)- Billy Ocean
Suddenly (1984)
This song was actually released in several versions around the world including European Queen and African Queen. The sax solo has a great sound and compliments the song perfectly, but it is only a solo.