ONE HIT WONDERLAND: "I Melt with You" by Modern English

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The best one-hit wonder of the '80s?? Modern English made the most intensely romantic new wave song ever but where did they go after that? (Support Todd on Patreon! / toddintheshadows )

[@burtbackattack]

Never thought I'd hear the words "Nick Cage" and "teen idol" used in the same sentence. I always kind of imagined he was born in his early 30's.

[@DoveAlexa]

After seeing it I still do not buy it. I swear he has more unibrow than usual!

[@mrpurple11]

He's a hard worker actor in the sense that he made a lot of casting and worked since young. Fame didn't come that easily for him

[@scifikoala]

@@mrpurple11 I really respect that he also avoided the connection to his famous family

[@mrpurple11]

@@scifikoala yes, me too

[@NJGuy1973]

In Fast Times at Ridgemont High he played one of Spicoli's stoner buds.

[@stephaniehohn1618]

Nick Cage is one of those people who feels like he’s just... always been some indistinct middle age? I can’t imagine him as a baby. You’re showing me footage of him Baywatch style emerging from the ocean while young girls croon about how hot he is and I just can’t absorb it. He’s middle aged and he always had been.

[@tobiaschaparro2372]

And always will be... Long live Nick Cage

[@thegardenofeatin5965]

Like Morgan Freeman.

[@phillybri]

That’s how I feel about Michael McDonald. Dude looked like he was 50 when he was 25.

[@Mattteus]

There must be a word or a term for that. It seems every generation looks back at their parents’ youth and says everyone looks old.

[@ainumahtar]

@@Mattteus You say that, but be honest, look at that clip of nic cage on the beach in this video and estimate how old he is. he does not look like a teenager, not even early 20s.

[@MehrzaadMir]

HE GOT A SPONSOR HE'S A BIG DEAL NOW. KEEP CALM PEOPLE, THIS IS NOT A DRILL

[@nejdalej]

To be honest, he chose to do sponsorships. I don't imagine a KZbinr with Todd's viewership would go without sponsors reaching out to him. I've seen these sponsors in videos from smaller channels.

[@imfamoushero]

He’s had a few sponsors the last few eps...

[@amauldin71]

All I can say is I knew him before he got big. He’s gonna get big, though, right? Right?

[@slyasleep]

he sounds commendably disgusted.

[@AD-ov5rt]

I'm mostly happy he can eat, tbh.

[@EZ-IZZY1995]

7:37 “God what a hunk!” *Enter Nic Cage Running like a newborn giraffe* “Look at those pecs!”

[@mj-yo7vt]

JimmySteller I'm howling

[@sinkingdutchman7227]

He moves like an alien who borrowed a human body for the weekend and has yet to figure out how it works

[@marckyle5895]

"Where?" (swivels binos away from Cage)

[@Blackferret66]

This song just skipped One Hit Wonder and went straight to being part of the Cultural Zeitgeist.

[@comettamer]

Agreed

[@endcensorship874]

Perfect analysis.

[@654jimbob654]

It wasn't a hit song and I've never seen Valley Girl... but somehow I still recognise it instantly? It's like it's always been there.

[@QuikVidGuy]

@@654jimbob654 It was also used in some candy commercials

[@SuperDevolution]

Modern English: Not to be confused with their first band, Old English; or their second band, Middle English.

[@teamsarcasm-redacted2032]

Or their spin off bands like Scots English, Irish English, or thier kids music band which simplified their sound, American English

[@vallisdaemonumofficial]

@@teamsarcasm-redacted2032 American English is the "mumble rap" of English..

[@fabiog9566]

Not to be confused with the Latin American band: Spanglish

[@Conankun66YT]

dont forget about their stuff before they got professionally signed, Proto-germanic

[@krisdaschwab912]

Also not to be confused with Modern Talking.

[@a.b.cooper4807]

Girls: wow! What a hunk! Nick Cage: *awkwardly lopes up a sand dune*

[@GuyNamedSean]

He couldn't possibly be more lanky and uncomfortable.

[@herefortheshrimp1469]

I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought that goofy ass run ruined any potential for attraction lol

[@DoveAlexa]

@@herefortheshrimp1469 His everything else also ruined it

[@anthonydeadman]

When it got to that part in this video, I was laughing just the timing of such an awkward part of that scene was amazing.

[@kramermariav]

I was literally open-mouthed in shock. My mind cannot retain young Nick Cage

[@TSFboi]

I remember Bowling For Soup did a surprisingly good kidzbop cover for the hero movie Sky High. Key moments include "being friends with you was never second best" and a bitchin' kazoo solo.

[@PersephoneDarling28]

That whole movie can be summed up as "surprisingly good"

[@InsertCleverNameHere0]

Oh god I forgot the kazoo

[@omu6740]

i only ever associate this song with Sky High

[@jessicavictoriacarrillo7254]

They were good but I noticed that change, I felt like Chicharron from Coco

[@VicenteTorresAliasVits]

Yeah, I was expecting that version to play during the end credits of this video.

[@fangsabre]

This song is quite literally "if I had to spend my last moments with anyone, it would be you" I used to think it was like "I would save the world for you", but honestly the darker outcome is somehow even more romantic.

[@StudioScarecrow]

Yeah, the real intended meaning hits even harder for being so dark

[@tafua_a]

I think it's weirdly more down to earth. It isn't a macho fantasy about "being your girl's superman", but a song about how much she means to the singer, to the point that if the world were to end, he would like to be with her.

[@fredroberts8275]

It works just as well for both young and old love. Which is what makes it so powerful.

[@sinkingdutchman7227]

If it could be anybody on earth, who would you spend your last breath with?

[@captainhades1583]

So in the end, my girlfriend became my arch nemesis. My arch nemesis became my best friend. And my best friend became my girlfriend.

[@NJGuy1973]

But hey, that's high school.

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

Sky High reference

[@TheHeroOfTomorrow]

Ah yes. My Hero Academia, the pilot movie.

[@andrewpappas9311]

I loved that movie as a kid, Sky High was the shit

[@applescruff1969]

This ironically sums up Modern English's history as a band.

[@GothMusicLatinAmerica]

I like how both Nick Cave and Nic Cage get mentioned in this video.

[@dontbefatuousjeffrey2494]

I'm not sure The Birthday Party was Nick's first band. Wasn't it Boys Next Door?

[@ElisaDay_]

@@dontbefatuousjeffrey2494 yeah you're rignt, boys next door definitely came first

[@dontbefatuousjeffrey2494]

@@ElisaDay_ THANKYOU. I felt somewhat confident here... you've boosted that :-)

[@expendableindigo9639]

Also Nic Cage apparently took his pseudonym from Luke Cage...

[@BarkertheScrunkly]

@@dontbefatuousjeffrey2494 Birthday Party and Boys Next Door are actually the same band with the same members. They just changed their name...and their sound.

[@joemomma3648]

Not gonna lie: I only knew this song from a Bowling For Soup cover in Disney's Skyhigh and a Hershey's commercial.

[@dontbefatuousjeffrey2494]

you're honest - and this is why we love you

[@experimentsininsanity4478]

@@icomeundone It's like BFS has some strange preoccupation with 1985.

[@DigiRangerScott]

It’s Sky High’s 15th birthday

[@rebeccaucich1290]

I also knew the song from this! The girl who turns into a guniea pig was in the bideo

[@sailordarkjupiter]

i'm glad someone said this because that's where i first heard this song too

[@AngelGonzalez-bj6mo]

I literally cant believe he is getting sponsored.

[@Ganmorg]

I'm so proud of our boy, he's come so far...

[@TheGoddessEvie]

I'm just so happy for him!!!

[@ECL28E]

Hope he can still eat Pop-Tarts

[@CarlMcKenzie]

The evidence is irrefutable... unless you believe Todd is such a big fan of SkillShare he decided to give them a free shoutout

[@Alex_Off-Beat]

I can, these sponsors have been throwing money at anyone with a 6-digit subscriber and/or views count for years now lol

[@raem7846]

Exactly how long does an artist have to go without a second hit to officially be called a one-hit wonder? Because I think the clock's run out on Gotye. Yeah, Gotye, remember him? Remember that "Somebody I Used to Know" song that was the biggest thing in the world? That was almost TEN YEARS AGO.

[@pizzaman231]

Considering he pretty much quit after that song I would say that it's safe to call Gotye a one hit wonder

[@LicoriceLain]

That hit was a fluke, because he is very much the artsy type who isn't interested in writing pop songs, hence why it was so distinct.

[@raem7846]

@@LicoriceLain Sure, but Todd has covered those before. I think it would be interesting to do an episode on a song we all remember and wasn't all that long ago, but we've pretty much forgotten now.

[@help4343]

I guess he now is just someone we used to know.

[@P715R]

Was such a bad song . Screaming out teenage journal e tries for lyrics. If rather not have to hear ir ever again. Let's be honest, The video was the most interesting part of that tunes popularity.

[@KyleRayner12]

This might be the most shocking One Hit Wonderland he's ever done. On every level. There is nothing about this band's history that makes any goddamned sense, and I love it.

[@kimifw58]

Also Nic Cage being a young heartthrob.

[@Thomasmemoryscentral]

What about Lunatic Fringe by Red Rider counting as a 1981 one hit wonder with the song only reaching 11 on a US radio chart and Hot Heat which charted on the US hot 100 only getting as high as 48? Stranger there?

[@Calpsotoma]

Contrary to popular belief, "thing good" content is actually better than "thing bad". "Thing flawed but has many bright spots" is top tier.

[@Hakajin]

One of my favorite Todd reviews of all time is One Direction's "Best Song Ever."

[@kimifw58]

Especially recently. After all these years of internet critics just dumping on things, and with the state of this world in general, positivity is more appreciated.

[@MLJ-zp3ju]

@@kimifw58 Speak for yourself Funshine Bear I love a good murder

[@rikk319]

Perfect is overrated. "A flawed gem" is much preferable; it has humanity.

[@richmcgee434]

Accurate.

[@captramune4978]

Funny story: the sound designer for the I Melt With You movie was a professor at my college. As I remember, he didn't think very highly of the film either, but he was proud of some of the work he did on the audio, and would use examples from it in his Basic Sound class. I don't know the extent, if any, to which he was involved with that version of the song, however.

[@ekmad]

Behind every shitty movie there's a lot of good work being done behind-the-scenes.

[@Thomasmemoryscentral]

Huh, cool story! Do you think The Ataris cover of Don Henley's Boys Of Summer could make an interesting candidate for 1 hit wonderland?

[@EmperorTigerstar]

For some reason as a teenager I thought this one hit wonder and the other apparently one hit wonder “Our House in the Middle of a Street” were the same band.

[@qwertyTRiG]

Madness is great. Look up "House of Fun" and "Forever Young" (not the Bob Dylan song of the same name).

[@dontbefatuousjeffrey2494]

Madness? NO way. Hit after hit! you were nuts! (dad joke ABSOLUTELY intended) X

[@andrewdavis4295]

Make a map video with all the nukes in the world and then have them all launch, playing this song, fading to black

[@Hyde_Hill]

@@qwertyTRiG One step beyond! And love the band Madness.

[@stevencoffin328]

I always thought this and "Turning Japanese" were from the same band.

[@KahnShawnery]

I have to admit, "Pushing forward using all my breath" is one of the most wonderful ways to describe sexual intercourse in a song. It can be misconstrued, so subtle.

[@rosebyanyname]

...I literally did not realize it until I read your comment

[@autumnphillips151]

“Moving forward using all my breath”. It’s “moving”, not “pushing”.

[@VinchVolt]

@@autumnphillips151 Eh, it's still sex.

[@marckyle5895]

Does "Moving back and forth, using all my breath" sounds like a better lyric?

[@Thomasmemoryscentral]

@@autumnphillips151 Could be talking about running for his girl. Using all his breath to catch up to her for one last kiss?

[@HockeyVictory66]

The guitar riff that continues through the whole song really drives the song to its epiphany.

[@mightyfilm]

Melt with You: Song about dying in a nuclear holocaust. Ad execs: What a perfect way to sell things featuring cheese or chocolate, cuz they melt.

[@wcoleman99]

Well better than the future's so bright I gotta wear shades song. The we survived a nuclear holocaust now let's play it for high school graduation

[@mightyfilm]

It's funny how ad execs ruin EVERY song they can by barely understanding any of it and throwing it inappropriately into a commercial. Ads for cruise ships constantly seem to use songs about drug use for some reason.

[@DoveAlexa]

@@wcoleman99 My elementary school played 'It's the end of the world as we know it' for us graduating 6th graders.

[@NJGuy1973]

@@mightyfilm And Fortunate Son used as a patriotic anthem.

[@vallisdaemonumofficial]

@@mightyfilm that's on purpose. Drugs in cruises isn't out of the ordinary.

[@mattjimmyjam]

Really wish Todd would’ve thrown in a “Broken English” joke with one of there break ups

[@ElPayasoMalo]

You're coming on strong with that one.

[@globetrekker86]

What about Bad English, with their (fittingly) awesomely bad classic “When I See You Smile”?

[@LittleMissLounge]

There was nothing creepier to me than when this song was used in a Hershey's chocolate commercial with parents and kids. Friggin' Folgers territory.

[@musicinmymind623]

Because I got so used to hearing it in the Hershey’s commercial, I forgot about how it’s literally about making love lol

[@ComradePhoenix]

My first memory of it was from a Taco Bell commercial.

[@Cadaveralien]

Ron Howard: “Afternoon Delight” was more adult-themed than its innocent melody would have you believe.

[@WobblesandBean]

I first heard it on a goddang Burger King commercial.

[@Empyre18]

I’m going to have this song play at my wedding, I swear. An intense love song which sounds upbeat but has a barely-concealed undercurrent of apocalyptic existential dread is a song practically made for me.

[@CornbreadOracle]

I remember Valley Girl and a being in love with Nick Cage and yes, he was a heart throb for a little while. At least for us new wave chicks who used to go to David Lynch movies. Lol.

[@JohnLouisBishop84]

Sailor from "Wild at Heart" is prime crush material, and I feel the same way about Laura Dern. Hotter than Georgia asphalt.

[@CornbreadOracle]

John Bishop how right you are.

[@evanmaier2551]

Todd finally selling out, and to an education platform no less! Shameful. Now innocent viewers will be tricked into learning...

[@Jolynenizuma22]

But Don’t you learn by just watching his videos . I know your joking just saying

[@noahdomingo1162]

Learning? Such a travesty!

[@anthonydeadman]

Well at least they'll learn more through this than with the literal education system.

[@ultimaetsolder]

Video starts at 2:00

[@onfoenemgrave]

You don’t know what selling out means.

[@gabe_s_videos]

I also just realized that there's a Beatles reference in this. "You've seen the difference and *it's getting better all the time.*"

[@cruzcflores]

Good catch

[@Savannah_Simpson]

It’s a pretty common phrase. So unless they specifically said so I think that’s jumping to conclusions.

[@TheDoctorProfessor]

@Timothy Newitt because no one has ever said the same thing as someone else coincidentally...

[@dougbennett8592]

It can't get no worse.

[@Sexiraina1993]

Timothy Newitt did you just use the term “grok”. Like from that weird book.

[@zache5486]

This song is so ubiquitous I can’t imagine it not being a massive hit. Side note, Todd doing an 80s new wave song that is absolutely everywhere made by people that had absolutely no other commercial success feels so right.

[@FakeSchrodingersCat]

I don't know this is actually sort of the exact opposite of the majority of 80s synth bands he features. Most of them had other hits though often only in their own country. This one had no hits anywhere and even their closest thing to a hit hit is more remembered in America then England.

[@Bacopa68]

This song did hit #6 on the mainstream rock charts. I mainly listened to the most popular local AOR station so I thought it must have been a hit.

[@FakeSchrodingersCat]

@@Bacopa68 Wait you remember hearing this song on the radio in 1983? I think that means you get to claim to be a Hipster before it was cool.

[@artemiswolf4508]

Hearing Nicholas Cage being called a hunk hit me like a train.

[@artry93]

Artemis Wolf. I agree. Let's pretend that young Keanu Reeves, Denzel Washington and Rob Lowe isn't oozing of hunk materials in the 80s. Extra lols on Cage. Sorry, if I come crossed shallow but I have seen some of their movies when they're starting their movies debut (based in 80s movies) couple of years in the 2010s.

[@SyxxPunk]

Emirichu and GinjaNinja be like "real shit"

[@TheSlipperyNUwUdle]

He’s definitely not unattractive. But I also wouldn’t say he’s ridiculously attractive.

[@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep]

I'd understand if he looked at least somewhat different in that time period, like Travolta, but he looks exactly the same as he does now lol

[@FOHaab]

@@TheSlipperyNUwUdle bruh yes tf he is unattractive. What?? 🥴

[@gregmark1688]

Cage was actually originally credited in Valley Girl as "Nicky Coppola", but they changed that when they released it on VHS.

[@THX11458]

People ask me "Todd how do I become a KZbinr?" And I tell them "Don't do that, God it's awful!"

[@PsychicGirl]

This song for me is forever associated with Sky High.

[@qstionblomens6138]

I appreciate how many people were introduced to this song through Sky High

[@Jesse-mh6hv]

So do I

[@PrincessAshley972]

Same, great movie and this song was perfect for the soundtrack

[@VicenteTorresAliasVits]

Yeah, I was expecting that version to play during the end credits of this video.

[@DendyJungle]

PsychicGirl whole soundtrack is good too

[@TheUnofficialNinja]

I accidentally ran into a free concert Modern English was doing while on a walk with a friend in downtown LA where I was living at the time. We stuck around for kicks and I ended up with a few new favorite songs.

[@thecollector2570]

All jokes aside, I'm glad Todd is getting sponsorship deals. I've seen this guy from back when he was connected with Channel Awesome, so to see him on his own and making it makes me so happy. Godspeed, Mr. In The Shadows.

[@RenaldyCalixte]

Biggest mysteries... Why did Todd in the Shadows and Lindsay Ellis break up? What happened at Channel Awesome? Are Tupac and Elvis truly dead?

[@RenaldyCalixte]

@@definitelynotanAIchatbot who are the Oroboros?

[@wellesradio]

These videos can leave one feeling a little sad. It reminds me of a job I had when I was younger. My boss was in a band back in the 80’s that almost got signed to a major label. They released just one album and some singles on an indie label. And they were pop as fuck. I mean that in a good way. He must have been 19 and was crafting these fucking punky-pop gems with a sort of latin vibe like you wouldn’t believe. When he told me he was in a band, I just politely shrugged it off, but then when another coworker told me “they were huge locally” and lent me a CD and I realized, “Oh shit. He was in a real REAL band! And he was the main songwriter and lead guitar”. The music was seriously as good as anything on the pop charts at the time. But then their manager screwed over their chances with a major label and the singer quit acrimoniously (they were all just fresh out of high school and had been friends since childhood). One time I caught him looking at an old poster of his band’s female lead singer with this sad look like “ we were so young, the world was ours”. It was heartbreaking.

[@grapeshot]

This song is like that final scene in the movie Pompeii when they both were vaporized by the pyroclastic surge.

[@Betta66]

You're probably the only person who remembers that movie

[@kirbynat493]

I think there's actually a few Pompeii casts of people who got hit during sex. Damn lol

[@ericfuchs123]

Death Star blowing up the planet while they kiss in Rogue One.

[@fauxrowsdower7610]

Holy shit y’all, I mainly associated this song with a commercial I didn’t like until the reveal about “melt” being literal, I think it’s one of my favorite songs now

[@seed_drill7135]

I heard that he's a vegan but lost the rights to control the use of the song, which was how Burger King wound up with it.

[@Bluecho4]

Given that we're facing a slow end via global warming, I'd say "I melt with you" has only become _MORE_ appropriate now.

[@dontbefatuousjeffrey2494]

apt

[@kostibulished]

We've known about the greenhouse effect since the 1800's

[@DoveAlexa]

@@kostibulished And yet we failed to stop it in all that time

[@planescaped]

@@kostibulished "It'll take hundreds of years before there's any problem! We'll worry about it later!" _hundreds of years later_ "Guess we should do something..." .... "Anyone up for heading to the rocky mountain beachfront?"

[@Astolfo2001]

And this is why we need to colonize space.

[@Goldnfoxx]

_"...so, if you've worn out Wonderwall and want to learn a second song..."_ There ARE random times that, as a guitar player, I'm super glad to be Gen-X.

[@applescruff1969]

I'm insanely jealous of Gen-X'ers such as yourself. You guys got to grow up during one of the best eras of music! The 80's mainstream may not have been the best, but the indie scene will never be matched!

[@natstevenson304]

Todd is doing an 80s new wave song again. nature is healing

[@thegardenofeatin5965]

This song presents a different definition of "hopeless romantic." "Trapped in a state of imaginary grace, I made a pilgrimage to save this human race never comprehending that the race has long gone by." It's from that intersection of youth, where blind enthusiastic optimism has met real disillusionment that no, giving the world a Coke won't solve geopolitics, the situation is permanently shithouse and we're all going to die in the most violent way possible. Of course, you usually cross that intersection of youth with a companion in young love, which is both stupid and intense enough to make "let's die in a fire together" seem like a genuinely good idea.

[@kirbyfu2615]

I'm in this comment and I don't like it

[@unrulysimian3897]

Garden - 👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻

[@thegardenofeatin5965]

Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" has a slightly similar vibe. "There's a room where the light won't find you holding hands while the walls come tumbling down. When they do, I'll be right behind you."

[@hannahmoran3660]

Forget "It's The End of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)", THIS is the best apocalypse song in the history of popular music. The jangly guitars, the slight melancholy of the melody, the way Robbie Grey sings with aching sincerity in the chorus- I cannot say enough good things about it

[@thetimebinder]

Forever Young - Alphaville

[@JohnDoe-nq4du]

There's nearly a hundred balloons here, which may or may not be red, which might have something to say about that.

[@lyzetteg]

The montage to this song in Valley Girl may very well be one of the best music videos of all time.

[@kendallbrown9301]

oh yes!

[@tropezando]

80s doomers wrote the best bops

[@Dontdrinklean6]

Accurate

[@gabe_s_videos]

This isn’t doomer music. For one thing, it doesn’t make me want to barf.

[@vladaimpaler]

man shut up

[@kevindube7096]

@@gabe_s_videos are you confusing doomer with dulimia? Am I confusing dulimia with bulimia?

[@gabe_s_videos]

@@kevindube7096 Am I confusing bulimia with bull fighting?

[@RobinHouseChannel]

This song is tied with the Cure's Pictures Of You for best use of 2 chords in a song.

[@farenheit2456]

YES. It is amazing for how intricate Pictures of You is that it still survives on two chords. I think Pictures of You is better than I Melt With You, but they are pretty neck and neck.

[@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep]

505 by Arctic Monkeys is great!

[@federicodelagarza1455]

Is anybody else proud that Todd is getting sponsored? Get your bag king

[@FakeSchrodingersCat]

Yes he is finally an internet influencer. Now he can abuse the parasocial relationships he has been building.

[@seamusburke639]

@@FakeSchrodingersCat Can't wait for the apology he writes in Apple Notes and posts to social media.

[@Parattchi]

I don't really care one way or the other haha. I don't begrudge youtubers selling out in terms of sponsorship, either. Get paid for your work. And he did it my preferred way of getting it done at the start. I just tap a few times to scroll past the ad amd move on.

[@RobertJRoman]

IMWY was the classic example of an "MTV hit." Even at the time people were unclear why it wasn't doing better on the pop chart.

[@littlekingtrashmouth9219]

Woke up, middle of the night. Sorry sleep, this is important. I’ll stop my schedule and melt with Todd

[@anthonydeadman]

You see the sponsors, and it's getting better all the time.

[@dwc1964]

10:27 - 420 Warheads - noice And yeah, I came of age during the thick of this. '80s pop culture was chock-full of it - we were all certain the mushroom clouds were going to start popping up at any time. Of course now the apocalypse is both more real, and less immediately terrifying because it's occurring over a longer timeline - not a bang, but a whimper. But let's not forget, those nukes are still there - the Sword of Damocles is still hanging over us and the thread isn't getting any stronger. Have nice day! :-)

[@adamwho9801]

I actually saw this band live... and they played "I melt with you" twice.

[@csousher]

And with that, Todd has covered every single one of my dad’s favorite New Wave songs

[@reallynotyourbusiness1659]

Lol comment...

[@Seth9809]

I've heard this song in like six movies, so how was this not a hit?

[@ainumahtar]

No offense to anyone who likes this, but it sounds eminently forgettable to me. It's just so mediocre.

[@suburbanindie]

Watch the video, he explained why

[@B3Band]

There is a specific definition for "hit" in a music context. He fucking explained it like 3 minutes in. By that strict definition, it was not a hit. But we all know that it's a popular song, hence why the episode was made. Relax.

[@lasagna312]

@@B3Band I think the person above is asking why it didn't get higher on the billboard charts, considering how popular the song is. Not asking Todd why he doesn't classify it as a hit.

[@ladydontekno]

Tevo77777 this used to get played all the time on the radio when I was a kid, and I listened to regular top 40 radio, not “college rock”. So I’m surprised that this wasn’t at least a top ten hit.

[@katherinemorelle7115]

This is my parents “song”. They have it as each other’s ring tone. It’s very sweet. And for me, it evokes feelings of nostalgia and safety. Also yeah, my parents are still together, they celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary last year. (I’m 33, for the record). And this song is just something that is inherently linked with that feeling of sweetness and safety that I associate with growing up with the parents that I had. They’re pretty awesome, and have a huge amount to do with my taste in music. Mum was the one to introduce me to metal (with Fast as a Shark by Accept), and Dad got me into classic rock (which is still my favourite genre), as well as more folky stuff like Don McLean (and more than just the one song) and Redgum- an Aussie political folk band. It’s kinda funny that this is their song, given neither of them were particularly into New Wave- they were all about rock. But I guess when a song is this romantic, it doesn’t matter what genre it’s from.

[@dontbefatuousjeffrey2494]

You warmed my heart with your post - but then you mentioned Redgum and I F**KIN LOST IT "I was only 19"? ? Heartbreaking Aussie classic. but I leave you with this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6nbqYFqnq-Bis0 make of it what you will :-)

[@SuperJNG18]

Don't be fatuous, Jeffrey I LOVE I Was Only 19

[@Number1hunterhayesfa]

This seems like a story I'd skim before I get to the recipe I was looking for.

[@katherinemorelle7115]

Don't be fatuous, Jeffrey I also love I was only 19, but that’s like, the least political of their songs. I exaggerate, they do have Gladstone Pier which is an only semi political ballad about love gone wrong... mostly due to the ravages of capitalism. My favourite Redgum songs are The Killing Floor and Stewie. It’s a real pity that, much like Don McLean, they’re famous for only one song, when they have a long list of amazing music right there.And it’s funny, given the heavy rotation of Redgum and Midnight Oil, that I turned out to be the heavily political leftie, and not my dad, who introduced that sort of music in the first place.

[@dontbefatuousjeffrey2494]

@@katherinemorelle7115 That is interesting... hey, my parents were all into self-sustaining lifestyles (a la The Good Life) and folk music...and then my Dad just became this massive conservative voter and... man-made climate change denier (you just never know... although he and I do bond over hating Donald Trump lol) also, don't forget "I've Been to Bali Too" lol (pretty sure that was Redgum as well) - it was cutely satirical when lots of us started heading there in droves for holidays, but was also unironically appreciated by many and I THINK was not particularly political... Nice chattin with ya. Ave a good one.

[@Romax-pg2is]

For the suggestion list, I would like to nominate: Kiss Me - Sixpence None The Richer California - Phantom Planet This Beat Goes On/Switching to Glide - The Kings The Boys of Summer - The Ataris Connection - Elastica Here & Now - Letters To Cleo The Middle - Jimmy Eats World Send me an angel - Real Life Naked Eye - Luscious Jackson Breakfast at Tiffany’s - Deep Blue Something Popular - Nada Surf In the Meantime - Spacehog

[@RoyStorey]

i'd really like to see one on elastica too, especially considering the legal controversies involved with that band

[@MonkeyMagicMonk]

Goodbye Horses - Q Lazzarus

[@unrulysimian3897]

2nd Kiss me

[@G-TV_TheOneManArmy]

Tal Bachmann she so high

[@CSXIV]

He did "Groove is in the Heart" by Dee-Lite (it looks like it got taken down from his channel, but it's likely still out there somewhere). 3 on Kiss Me for reasons (though I thought their cover of "There she goes" was also a hit; I know that was every on the radio in 1998-1999). Didn't know that the Atari's cover of "The Boys of Summer" was actually a hit; almost want to hear Todd's bit on "when your first hit is a cover, it's not going to go well" again.

[@colebelinsky881]

Basically, ‘Pompeii’ but a different indie rock band.

[@mj-yo7vt]

Cole Belinsky good point

[@thac0twenty377]

I'd say Bastille is pretty underrated

[@cheshirecreeper3743]

The nature of humanity

[@KrisRN23935]

Reminds me more of “Ready to let go” by Cage the Elephant. Though that song is more overt about the dark subject matter. But I still love it.

[@tjg121389]

I'm 30 and I've heard this song on the radio like all my life. How did it not hit the top 40? That's insane

[@LicoriceLain]

You would be surprised by the number of 70s era rock songs you hear all of the time on the radio that weren't even singles, let along hits.

[@tjg121389]

@@LicoriceLain oh I'm aware. Stairway to Heaven is the biggest one I can think of. Rock stations loved to play album cuts.

[@joshthefunkdoc]

Todd's done this before - once MTV became a thing, you'd have some songs blow up there but not get the radio airplay to qualify for top 40 in Billboard. Mexican Radio was another big one!

[@Iridescence93]

Did not really expect Dead Can Dance or This Mortal Coil to ever get a shoutout in one of Todd's videos...nice.

[@deementia6796]

And Echo and the Bunnymen and Birthday Party. We knew that Todd was cool, but he's probably too cool to have a KZbin channel. LOL

[@TheManWithNoNickname13]

@@deementia6796 Also The Stranglers.

[@Iridescence93]

@@Unwise- Yes they're still around but it has changed a lot since the 80s and they are just another indie label now really but they still have some bands I like on 4AD not like the 80s where they almost singlehandedly created a whole genre of music though.

[@uneek35]

@@deementia6796 You know probably didn't know about them until he did researched them right? You don't think he knows every single musician he references.

[@deementia6796]

@@uneek35 It wouldn't shock me. I was alive when most of these songs were written, so I've heard of almost all the bands he's talked about, so it wouldn't shock me that he knows of them too.

[@andysorensen1737]

I actually buy the nuclear bomb analogy...I mean, the name of the song is “MELT with you”.

[@endcensorship874]

Look, man, I’m an 80’s kid (graduated from high school in 1985) and there are only a couple songs out there that define the decade for me: this song, “don’t you forget about me,” “let’s dance” by Bowie. And a few more. Just damn classic bangers that are near flawless. Also, my kids love, love, LOVE this song. Of course they do… they’re smart.

[@michael_gibbs]

I'm from England, I'm shocked this wasn't a hit over here. It's amazing. Reminds me a bit of Bodys by Car Seat Headrest.

[@Thomasmemoryscentral]

If A Flock Of Seagulls couldn't chart a hit in Emgland until Wishing If I Had A Photograph Of You, guess Modern English could be another odd case of English one hot wonders getting the weird chart successes in their homelands

[@JesusKrispies]

Todd's ad read comes across like he loathes every word of it and doesn't really want to do it except he's being paid to. Perhaps counterintuitively, this approach has actually got me to pay attention to the ad. Huh.

[@kylejones8289]

Watching Todd suffer is strangely amusing, so his low level annoyance is actually way more entertaining than the forced enthusiasm that most people try for their sponsorship sections.

[@welcometomylives]

I was unaware Nic Cage was a teen idol. That is just. Hilarious in retrospect.

[@boopityboopboop]

Nic Cage was a teen idol, and now he's a meme

[@Kaddywompous]

A teen idol for the span of exactly one movie, and a hilariously odd one as you would expect.

[@davidhanson4909]

@@Kaddywompous There was also Peggy Sue Got Married, but that was more satirical.

[@theitfactorjameswheezer2852]

@@Kaddywompous he was a teen idol from like 1983-1987 until moonstruck and Raising Arizona came out,

[@dragonmaster613]

10:25 420 warheads sounds like a THC infused hard candy.

[@amphioxusanniversary]

Was wondering whether anyone was going to mention the number of nukes in that screengrab...

[@robertdestefanis992]

This song was in heavy rotation on MTV without having much airplay elsewhere. There were many songs like that in the early MTV days.

[@stevejacks8389]

I'm always fascinated by the "did they deserve better" question. Most of the time, it's a close call; 55-45 either way. This time, it's a 100-0 Yes. Should be one of those bands that pumps out good music for year after year.

[@JoshuaFagan]

I just love listening to Todd talks about music he loves. He's so passionate about it.

[@edvaira6891]

This song has been on radio CONSTANTLY for most of Forty Years...Every city has at least one or two Adult Contemporary station (or Soft Rock) and this song likely has never been off of the playlist; it’s also VERY WELL SUNG!

[@pajamapantsjack5874]

It’s funny I did just watch I melt with you recently, he’s not exaggerating it’s god awful

[@mrpurple11]

What's awful?

[@pajamapantsjack5874]

mrpurple11 at the end where he talked about the movie I melt with you, the one with the slow cover of the song. It is just an awful mess of a movie I couldn’t believe what I was watching

[@mrpurple11]

@@pajamapantsjack5874 lol I see

[@tonystair6818]

I unfortunately watched the movie I Melt With You and had the same miserable experience, Todd. Jesus, that movie is a depressing slog of joyless nostalgia.

[@AvatarSmurf]

Todd’s demonstration of the song’s chord progression is stuck in my head

[@Schizophrenia222]

Hey, don’t wanna sound too weird or anything but you are one of the main KZbinrs I watch, So needless to say I’ve been a long time watcher, I think it’s just really great entertaining content with insightfulness about music, Please don’t feel weird about going with sponsorships, I’m really glad you can afford to eat in these times haha, Stay safe out there

[@slyasleep]

second those sentiments, good on ya!

[@Nightingale_time]

Agreed

[@kendallbrown9301]

yeah

[@monkeyman2407]

Well said.

[@uglyaniimals]

wholesome

[@eddieboyky]

One of the things I adore about this song is the very prominent, strummy, acoustic rhythm guitar smack dab in the middle of this synth-pop staple. It just doesn't get any better than that. I was very surprised to learn that it didn't chart any better than it did. It feels like it was such a part of my late high school and early college days.

[@DrewberTravels]

By the way, Todd... I'm still waiting on the LEN - Steal my sunshine episode.

[@dontbefatuousjeffrey2494]

but aren't we all?

[@thediscostu4127]

What a terrible song, what with Burger King or Burger Lord or Burger Pimp or whatever his name was riding around on a motorcycle with his pregnant sister like they are boyfriend and girlfriend, while talentlessly spouting words to a sample by a much better one hit wonder The Andrea True Connection....but yeah I am also waiting on that episode. And the episode about The Andrea True Connection

[@mightyfilm]

I had to take a crappy temp job years ago, and the shithole I worked at would play that song every day in a rotation of mostly terrible songs. I agree, the song SUUUUUUUUUUUCKS! Lemme put it this way. If this were an overrated SNL sketch that everyone quoted out of context, I'd say "I have a FEVER, and the only cure is LESS cowbell."

[@kylehegedus5498]

I’m still waiting for “Bound For The Floor” by Local H.

[@chicagoakland]

Wait your turn, I've been waiting for Return Of The Mack since this series started haha.

[@dracofirex]

Someone please mash up this song with Bastille's "Pompeii" so we can get a nice bit of aftermath music.

[@tegantalks9612]

I want this mashed up with Pop Goes the World by Men Without Hats because they have similar sounds and would blend so well!

[@sweetprimrose]

This song became the blue print for every song you cry to in pubs in Australia for the whole till the 2000s - looking at you Powderfinger

[@cicabeot1]

Early Modern English sound like they could’ve recorded the music to Silent Hill, Jesus.

[@guillermodebaskerville7117]

I wouldn't mind I Melt with You playing on loop on Silent Hill

[@p0werfu11]

Nah, Mesh & Lace is too psychedelic at times but it still fits well with other new wave/post-punk albums.

[@blarg2429]

Early Modern English sounds like Shakespeare.

[@1805movie]

I remember Bowling For Soup did a rendition of this song back in the mid 2000's. That was how I was first introduced to it.

[@Sokka2Me]

Sponsors! We have sponsorship!!

[@coredumperror]

Congrats to Todd! He's hit the big time.

[@hungryrefrigerator5784]

coredumperror when his sponsor is raid shadow legend then we’ll know that he truly made it.

[@ainumahtar]

Not to mention it isn't even nordVPN or raid shadow legends xD

[@nikguimont8546]

I find it interesting how so many of these bands don’t start as pop bands

[@mandalorian_guy]

They always just do one pop song that happens to have a good melody and it hits big.

[@lil_gaz2896]

I recently discovered Mesh and Lace and it is one of the best post punk albums I've heard in a while. Definitely worth listening to.

[@rich_devoto]

Too right Lil Gas - got it first time round as a young goth and still play it regularly now - angular, challenging, a little angry. Marvellous stuff. Rest of their career- meh......

[@Katsby83]

I Melt With You was my second ever favorite song ( the first was Somebody That I Used To Know) it feels so good to learn more about this song’s history. It’s also funny to see that my other favorite song by Modern English, After the Snow, isn’t on their Spotify playlist. Might have to add Ink and Paper to that list now.

[@TheStapleGunKid]

For years I've been wondering when Todd was going to get around to covering this song. Glad he finally got it out of the way. Next he should cover "Tarzan Boy" by Baltimora.

[@daneray9594]

He has to mention the Listerine commercial.

[@HolyGoddessMotherAnne]

With Tarzan Boy Todd could mention its usage in the third TMNT Film in the credits.

[@quarryhymns]

bro i was literally just talking about this song with a friend because we were comparing it and “dancing with myself” to the song “bad decisions” by the strokes. good job on the sponsor todd!!!

[@rockinbobokkin7831]

This is the content that keeps youtube usable

[@MusicalAnime]

Putting this out here now for my fellow nerds, this song ALWAYS makes me think of The End Of Evangelion when everyone turns to LCL

[@smallmanbigmouth2699]

I’m so fucked up...

[@SpiderInStockings]

End of Evangelion ruined me from properly enjoying Air on a G String ever again

[@charlotte819]

YES

[@edvaira6891]

HOW DID YOU GET A DECADE INTO THIS BEFORE DOING THIS SONG?!

[@FragmentedR_YT]

He didn’t come up with OHW till like a few years in or so, but STILL!!

[@xPandamon]

Because nobody really remembers this? I listen a lot to old music and totally forgot about this. Isn't even in any official decade playlist on Spotify for some reason I think

[@ebrodsky5893]

Fragmented R What do you mean? The first episode was 8 years ago, in 2012!

[@tannerin]

waiting for steal my sunshine too

[@dizzle1119]

@@xPandamon This song is a total classic that has been used almost countless times over the years. If you hadn't heard this, you must've been under a rock.

[@michaellombardi1620]

It has been a while since we've had some 80s new wave synthy goodness!

[@DrewberTravels]

KZbin was suggesting this to me like 10 minutes early. I have been refreshing for a bit now. ha ha

[@DrewberTravels]

In before copyright strike

[@robjgolde3221]

It’s not just one of the best one hit wonders of the 80’s, it’s one of the top 5 best songs of the 80’s. Seriously perfect.

[@markfey-head8208]

The entire album this song is on, After the Snow, is worth listening to. The sound track to Valley Girl is pure 80’s gold.

[@nicholasromig5506]

the Dead Can Dance clip you chose was REALLY mean, most DCD stuff is pretty pristine-sounding and ethereal. I ain't mad tho, nice to hear you talking about my goth bands.

[@cppay336]

Honestly, I liked it so I looked up the full song and it was good.

[@nicholasromig5506]

@@cppay336 they're an amazing band. dig deeper, you'll find plenty of incredible stuff.

[@autumnphillips151]

Are they into occult stuff? I ask because that clip said the song they were performing was called “The Arcane”, and my favorite genre of music is witch rock.

[@nicholasromig5506]

@@autumnphillips151 I...don't know. they were merely one of the first post punk bands to add a bunch of world music to their sound. even if they're not actually occult, you'll find lots of depth and magic in their music.

[@nicholasromig5506]

@@autumnphillips151 but if you're asking if they sound like Ghost or Coven or Blood Ceremony, not in the least. they're part of a genre that gets called "neoclassical darkwave." it's worth a listen anyway.

[@shwanbrusso7626]

I stop the world when I see a One Hit Wonderland in my YT feed.

[@njujuznem6554]

2 minutes in... "best new wave song"... LIKE This song is a goddamn masterpiece

[@RThyrring]

I need a full analysis from Todd: has there EVER been a time when Fred Durst wasn’t completelly lame?

[@haolekoa737]

No. No, there hasn't.

[@jeevithrai7994]

The only time I remember something even remotely close to that is when My Way was on the Wrestlemania X7 Rock-Austin hype package.

[@theoneandonlymichaelmccormick]

You already know the answer of that question.

[@awzthemusicalreviews]

For a split second, I was upset that it wasn't "No Rain", then I was very happy. This song IS the 80s for me. It ranks up there with I Ran as not only the best OHW, but one of the best songs of the decade.

[@emolovetree]

I feel like hands all over could make a really good trainwreckords as it was the last maroon 5 album before the hard pop shift

[@yellowfamilyfunny3065]

Critically yeah but maroon 5 still has chart hits even if noone gives a shit or remembers them in 3 months

[@emolovetree]

That's a fair point but madonna had hits after American Life and played the super bowl. For maroon 5 Hands All Over was the album that flopped enough to make them choose to make all the shitty music on Overexposed going forward

[@mikerivera373]

I don’t think you can call it a trainwreckord, seeing as it spawned Moves Like Jagger and their commercial renaissance (albeit creative bankruptcy)

[@wristofkings]

@Matthew Loewen Maroon 5. "Tunes are mostly excellent." Pick one.

[@Ari--d]

Reads title: hmm oh ive never heard of this band or song Hears piano intro: oh you mean "ill stop the world"

[@Hepler-s2b]

One of my favorite mix tape songs. A mix tape kids, was the 80's/90's type of playlist in physical form.

[@haolekoa737]

Truly, a lost art... It saddens me that kids will never know the pleasure of making a mix tape.

[@SnazzyMerlot]

Holy crap that sudden clip of “Mesh and Lace” literally freaked out my cat who was otherwise sleeping peacefully. Thanks a lot Modern English, I hope your avant-garde sensibilities were worth it: you made a cat upset.

[@xsteveconwayx]

It really is a perfect pop rock song. Every band in the pop rock genre should strive to have a song that catchy.