Today’s classic early ’80s song of the day is “Cool Night” by Paul Davis. Released late in 1981, it peaked early the next year at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart.
The late ’70s/early ’80s were an interesting time, musically. You had a conflux of different genres and styles, all hitting the charts simultaneously. You had the trailing end of the disco era, heartland rock from Bruce Springsteen and John (Cougar) Mellencamp, New Wave, punk, radio-friendly pop/rock, soft rock (what some today would call Yacht Rock), smooth R&B, and even a little country.
Take 1981 as an example. Billboard’s top ten for the entire year included:
- “Bette Davis Eyes” (Kim Carnes)
- “Endless Love” (Diana Ross & Lionel Richie)
- “Lady” (Kenny Rogers)
- “(Just Like) Starting Over” (John Lennon)
- “Jessie’s Girl” (Rick Springfield)
- “Celebration” (Kool & the Gang)
- “Kiss on My List” (Hall & Oates)
- 8 “I Love a Rainy Night” (Eddie Rabbitt)
- “9 To 5” (Dolly Parton)
- “Keep on Loving You” (REO Speedwagon)
Bubbling up just beneath the top ten were songs by Blondie (New Wave), Juice Newton (country), A Taste of Honey (disco), ABBA (pop), Styx (classic rock), Air Supply (soft rock), and Bruce Springsteen (heartland rock).
The album charts also showed this diversity. The top albums for the year includes discs by the Go-Go’s, the Police, Human League, Rush, the Rolling Stones, Journey, Hall & Oates, Stevie Nicks, and Rick James. What a variety!
Amidst this cacophony of styles, Paul Davis’ “Cool Night” fit right in. It was the type of inoffensive soft rock or adult contemporary track that some today fit into the Yacht Rock genre. The tune was written by Mr. Davis and included on his 1981 album of the same name. It followed previous soft rock hits “I Go Crazy” (#7 in 1977), “Sweet Life” (#17 in 1978), and “Do Right” (#23 in 1980). He’d have one more hit (1982’s “65 Love Affair,” which went to #6 on the charts) before exiting the music industry in 1983. He returned, briefly, for some country duets—with Marie Osmond and Tanya Tucker—in the mid-80s, and wrote the #1 country tune “Bop” for his pal Dan Seals in 1986.
Paul Davis left the music industry for good in 1988. He passed away in 2008, age 60, of a heart attack.
