Obsession (song)
Encyclopedia
"Obsession" is a 1983 song covered in 1984
by the Synthpop
-New Wave
group Animotion
. The song hit number six in the United States
, and number five in the United Kingdom
in early 1985, helped by a distinctive video that received heavy rotation on MTV
.
and musician Michael Des Barres
in 1983
, although the recording did not perform well. This version was prominently featured in the 1983 film A Night in Heaven
, most notably in a scene in which Christopher Atkins
bumps and grinds in Lesley Ann Warren
's face in sync with the rhythm of the song. The song was featured on the film's soundtrack, but did not receive enough attention to warrant much radio play or a place on any Billboard charts. That version was also featured in the theatrical trailer to the 1986 film 9 1/2 Weeks, starring Mickey Rourke
and Kim Basinger
.
It's a mainstay on 1980s compilations and is featured in the 2002 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
as part of the New Wave
radio station Wave 103. It has also been used as the theme song for WWE
Saturday Night's Main Event
(aired on NBC
) and FashionTelevisionChannel
, as well as MTV
's House of Style
. It was featured in the 2000
comedy
film
Lucky Numbers
and documentary "What the Bleep Do We Know!?
". . Various artists have covered the song, including The Azoic
in 2004
, and the Sugababes
, for their album - Taller In More Ways
, in 2005
. The song has been used as the opening theme for the internationally syndicated Canadian program FT - FashionTelevision
since it premiered in 1986. It has recently been featured in the films El Cantante
and Adventureland
, the TV show Weeds
and was featured in the trailer for Hot Tub Time Machine
and the movie itself.
The track has now been sampled by Australian DJ/producer Andy J, in a track titled "I Will Have You", released to radio late December.
Contrary to popular belief, the song was never covered by Human League and has often been falsely attributed to them.
and Cleopatra) while performing the song next to a swimming pool and inside a luxury house.
12" Single
1984 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1984.-Janury-March:*January 21 – "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood reaches number one in the UK singles chart, despite being banned by the BBC; it spends a total of forty-two weeks in the Top 40.*January 27 – Michael Jackson's...
by the Synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
-New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
group Animotion
Animotion
Animotion is a 1980s U.S. New Wave/synthpop band from Los Angeles, California best known for their songs "Obsession" , "Let Him Go", "I Engineer" and "Room to Move"...
. The song hit number six in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and number five in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in early 1985, helped by a distinctive video that received heavy rotation on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
.
History
"Obsession" was originally written and recorded as a duet by songwriter Holly KnightHolly Knight
Holly Knight is a songwriter, vocalist and musician of pop and rock music.- Biography :She was born in New York City and started playing classical piano as a young child. She soon became interested in rock music, and left home at about sixteen to pursue her dreams...
and musician Michael Des Barres
Michael Des Barres
Lord Michael Philip Des Barres is a British actor and rock singer. He is known for playing the recurring role of Murdoc on the television show MacGyver and for replacing the late Robert Palmer in the band Power Station, fronting the band at the 1985 Live Aid concert...
in 1983
1983 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1983.-January-April:*January – ZTT Records is founded.*January 8 – The UK singles chart is tabulated from this week forward by The Gallup Organization...
, although the recording did not perform well. This version was prominently featured in the 1983 film A Night in Heaven
A Night in Heaven
A Night in Heaven is a 1983 romance film directed by John G. Avildsen, starring Christopher Atkins as a college student and Lesley Ann Warren as his professor. The screenplay is written by Joan Tewkesbury. Film critics widely panned the movie....
, most notably in a scene in which Christopher Atkins
Christopher Atkins
Christopher Atkins is an American actor, who became famous with his costarring debut role in the 1980 film The Blue Lagoon.-Early life:...
bumps and grinds in Lesley Ann Warren
Lesley Ann Warren
Lesley Ann Warren is an American actress and singer. She has been nominated once for an Academy Award and Emmy Awards and five times for Golden Globe, winning one....
's face in sync with the rhythm of the song. The song was featured on the film's soundtrack, but did not receive enough attention to warrant much radio play or a place on any Billboard charts. That version was also featured in the theatrical trailer to the 1986 film 9 1/2 Weeks, starring Mickey Rourke
Mickey Rourke
Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke, Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter and retired boxer, who has appeared primarily as a leading man in action, drama, and thriller films....
and Kim Basinger
Kim Basinger
Kimila Ann "Kim" Basinger is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for her portrayals of Domino Petachi, the Bond girl in Never Say Never Again , and Vicki Vale, the female lead in Batman . Basinger received a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture...
.
It's a mainstay on 1980s compilations and is featured in the 2002 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 2002 open world action computer and video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the second 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise and sixth original title overall...
as part of the New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
radio station Wave 103. It has also been used as the theme song for WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
Saturday Night's Main Event
WWE Saturday Night's Main Event
Saturday Night's Main Event is a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE. It aired occasionally from 1985 to 1992, under the World Wrestling Federation banner on NBC in place of Saturday Night Live. It returned to the air on March 18, 2006, in an 8 EST time slot...
(aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
) and FashionTelevisionChannel
FashionTelevisionChannel
FashionTelevisionChannel is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. The channel broadcasts programming related to fashion, modelling, photography, art, architecture and design...
, as well as MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's House of Style
House of Style
House of Style is an MTV show that premiered January 1, 1989, focusing on America's growing fascination with the "supermodel" craze. The show focused on fashion, lives of models, the modeling industry, and controversial topics such as eating disorders....
. It was featured in the 2000
2000 in film
The year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor ....
comedy
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
Lucky Numbers
Lucky Numbers
Lucky Numbers is a 2000 comedy film directed by Nora Ephron. The screenplay by Adam Resnick was inspired by the 1980 Pennsylvania Lottery scandal.-Plot:...
and documentary "What the Bleep Do We Know!?
What the Bleep Do We Know!?
What the Bleep Do We Know!? is a 2004 film that combines documentary-style interviews, computer-animated graphics, and a narrative that describes the spiritual connection between quantum physics and consciousness...
". . Various artists have covered the song, including The Azoic
The Azoic
The Azoic is an electronic dance band that was formed by Steve Laskarides, Shawn Lower, and Kristy Venrick in February 1996.-History:In October 1996, they received a record contract from Worm Records and released their first CD, The Divine Sufferin, in April 1997. Shawn left the band in early 1998...
in 2004
2004 in music
See also:* 2004 in music Record labels established in 2004-January:*January 1**The Vienna New Year's Concert is conducted by Riccardo Muti.**Kurt Nilsen wins World Idol....
, and the Sugababes
Sugababes
The Sugababes are an English pop girl group based in London, consisting of members Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen. The Sugababes were formed in 1998 with founding members Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan. Their debut album, One Touch, was released in 2000 under London...
, for their album - Taller In More Ways
Taller in More Ways
Taller in More Ways is the fourth studio album by British girl group Sugababes, released by Island Records on 10 October 2005 in the United Kingdom. It was primarily produced by Dallas Austin and Xenomania, with additional production from Cameron McVey and Guy Sigsworth...
, in 2005
2005 in British music
This is a summary of 2005 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts. Average sales for a number one were 80,437 per week.-Summary:...
. The song has been used as the opening theme for the internationally syndicated Canadian program FT - FashionTelevision
FashionTelevision
FashionTelevision, also known as FT, is a Canadian-produced special interest show focusing on fashion. The show,created by Jay Levine in 1985 is hosted by Jeanne Beker...
since it premiered in 1986. It has recently been featured in the films El Cantante
El Cantante
El Cantante is a 2006 American film released in the United States on August 3, 2007. The biopic stars singer Marc Anthony and actress-singer Jennifer Lopez . The film is based on the life story of salsa legend Héctor Lavoe...
and Adventureland
Adventureland (film)
Adventureland is a 2009 Retro comedy-drama film written and directed by Greg Mottola. The film stars Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Margarita Levieva, Ryan Reynolds, Martin Starr, Bill Hader, and Kristen Wiig.-Plot:...
, the TV show Weeds
Weeds (TV series)
Weeds is an American television comedy created by Jenji Kohan and produced by Tilted Productions in association with Lionsgate Television. The central character is Nancy Botwin , a widowed mother of two boys who begins selling marijuana to support her family after her husband dies suddenly of a...
and was featured in the trailer for Hot Tub Time Machine
Hot Tub Time Machine
Hot Tub Time Machine is a 2010 American science fiction adult comedy film directed by Steve Pink. Four men, all of them bored with their adult lives, travel back to their 1980s teen-hood, courtesy of a time-shifting hot tub. It stars John Cusack, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Kellee Stewart, Rob...
and the movie itself.
The track has now been sampled by Australian DJ/producer Andy J, in a track titled "I Will Have You", released to radio late December.
Contrary to popular belief, the song was never covered by Human League and has often been falsely attributed to them.
Music video
The music video features the Animotion band members — focusing on the two singers, Bill Wadhams and Astrid Plane — dressed in various costumes (such as Mark AntonyMark Antony
Marcus Antonius , known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general. As a military commander and administrator, he was an important supporter and loyal friend of his mother's cousin Julius Caesar...
and Cleopatra) while performing the song next to a swimming pool and inside a luxury house.
Track listings
7" Single- Obsession 3:58
- Turn Around 3:54
12" Single
- Obsession (Dance) 6:00
- Obsession (Dub) 5:30
Chart performance
| Chart (1984/85) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 6 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
35 |
| U.S. Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | 3 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 7 |
| UK Singles Chart | 5 |
| German Singles Chart | 8 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 17 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 42 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 10 |