CoronaVinyl Day 432 (S): Once Upon a Time by Simple Minds

For an explanation of CoronaVinyl, click here.

Today's CoronaVinyl category is "S," and I listened to Scottish rockers Simple Minds' seventh studio album, 1985's Once Upon a Time.

Of course, Simple Minds is best known for their 1985 anthem featured in The Breakfast Club, "Don't You (Forget About Me)," which was a #1 hit in the U.S. and a huge hit internationally as well.  But don't you dare call Simple Minds a one-hit wonder.  They were the biggest-selling Scottish band of the '80s, and in the UK, they had five #1 albums and 24 Top 40 hits on the UK pop chart between 1982 and 1998, including 8 Top 10s and one #1.

In the U.S., they weren't quite as successful, but they still did alright.  After "Don't You (Forget About Me)," the band had four more Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.  Three of those came from Once Upon a Time:  "Alive and Kicking" (#3), "Sanctify Yourself" (#14), and "All The Things She Said" (#28).

The album is a tight new wave/pop rock album, and there really isn't a bad song on the album.  It certainly foreshadows the success INXS would have a couple years later, both from a musical perspective -- mixing danceable rhythms with hooks -- and also because lead singer Jim Kerr's voice is not unlike Michael Hutchence's voice.

Once Upon a Time became the band's highest-charting album in the U.S., reaching #10 on the Billboard album chart.  It was also the band's second consecutive #1 album on the UK album chart, and it also topped the album chart in the Netherlands and was Top 10 on the album charts in Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland.

The version of the album on Spotify is a "Super Deluxe" version, which means there are a whopping 39 extra songs.

Favorite Song on Side 1:  "Ghostdancing"
This one wasn't released as a single in the U.S., but it went to #13 on the UK pop charts.  It's an up-tempo synth pop song that makes you want to dance, but with apparitions.

Favorite Song on Side 2:  "Oh Jungleland"
The second side kicks off with some pep and power, with impassioned vocals from Kerr on top of a synthy rock backdrop.