Superstar (Lydia Murdock song)

Last updated
"Superstar"
Song by Lydia Murdock
A-side "Superstar"
B-side "Superstar (instrumental version)"
Released1983
Label Korova KOW 30 (UK 7")
Songwriter(s) Michael Burton
Producer(s) Michael Burton
Lydia Murdock singles chronology
"Superstar"
(1983)		"Love on the Line"
(1984)

Superstar was a 1983 single for US pop singer Lydia Murdock. It was a hit for her in the UK and Canada. It also charted in the United States.

Contents

Background

The song is an answer to Michael Jackson's hit "Billie Jean". She takes the place of Billie Jean and tells her side of the story. [1]

It was released in the US on 12" on Team Entertainment TRS 3001. The flip side was an instrumental version. [2]

Reception

The single was reviewed in the 30 July 1983 issue of Record Mirror . The reviewer was saying cautiously that the song was the first female answer to "Billie Jean". The reviewer said that the song was surprisingly rather good, and it had a nice story line. [3] Directly underneath was the review of "Valley Style" by T.SKI Valley which was a rap track also based on the same song. [4]

It was reviewed by in the 15–28 September issue of Smash Hits. Reviewer David Hepworth quoted the words, "I'm Billie Jean and I'm mad as hell", then he said that Michael Jackson had told his side of the story and now there's an answer record that had a near identical arrangement. He said that it could end up in court. [5]

Airplay

USA

It was reported by Cash Box in the 1 October issue that Murdoch's single was getting played on V103 in Atlanta, WILD in Boston and WGCI in Chicago where it was one of the Hots. [6]

The single's airplay progress was recorded in the Radio & Records 14 October issue. In the Midwest it was on playlist of WCGI in Chicago where along with Herbie Hancock, Rufus & Chaka, Rick James and Anita Baker, Hers was one of the hottest. [7] It was also added to the playlist of WKWM in Grand Rapids, WWWS in Saginaw, and KMJM in St. Louis. [8] In the South it was added to the playlists of WOIC in Columbia, WPDQ in Jacksonville, WVOL in Nashville and WWDM in Sumpter. [9]

Canada

Along with "Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive" by Men at Work, "Unconditional Love" by Donna Summer and "Uptown Girl" by Billy Joel, it was recorded as a Breakout in the 6 October issue of RPM Weekly. [10] It was also at 5–15 on CKOI-FM in Montreal. [11]

UK

On the week of 24 September, Music Week reported that it was a bubbler, one of the recent breakers now bubbling under the national airplay grid. [12]

On the week of 29 October, Music Week reported that the single had gone up from eight logged in plays to ten on Radio 1. [13] It was also on the A list of seventeen stations in the South East, South West, East and Midlands areas, [14] and the A list of thirteen stations in the North, Northeast, Northwest, Wales and Northern Ireland areas. [15]

Europe

As reported by Euro Tip Sheet in the publication's 30 April 1984 issue, with her name spelt as Lidia, her single was one of the Best Moving Singles of the Week at radio station Europe 1. [16]

Chart

US

On the week of 7 October 1983, "Superstar" made its debut at no. 36 on the Radio & Records National Airplay / 40 chart. [17]

It was reported in the 1 October issue of Cash Box that the single was one of the Records to Watch in the Jukebox Programmer section. [18] The single also debuted at no. 85 in the Cash Box Top 100 Black Contemporary Singles chart. [19]

Canada

The single made its debut at no. 50 in the RPM Weekly 50 Singles chart on the week of 8 October. [20] At week seven on the week of 19 November it reached its peak position of no. 26 and held that spot for another week. [21] [22] [23]

UK

On the main chart, the single made its debut on 17 September [24] and spending ten weeks in the charts, it peaked at no. 14. [25]

On the week of 24 September, the single debuted at no. 65 on the Music Week 7&12 Inch Top 75 Singles chart. [26]

On the week of 29 October, in its eighth charting week, the single peaked at no. 4 in the Music Week Top Disco & Dance singles chart. [27] The magazine also reported that Murdoch and Curtis Hairston were serious challengers to Lionel Ritchie's single. [28]

Award

Murdock's single won her an award. She came fourth in the Cash Box 1983 Black Contemporary Singles Awards New Female section with Diane Richard, Madonna, and Pamela Nivens at 1, 2, 3 and 5 respectively. [29]

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References

  1. ↑ Song Facts - Superstar by Lydia Murdock
  2. ↑ Record Mirror, July 30, 1983 - Page 28 Discos from page 27, LYDIA MURDOCK:
  3. ↑ Record Mirror, July 30, 1983 - Page 28 Discos from page 27, LYDIA MURDOCK:
  4. ↑ Record Mirror, July 30, 1983 - Page 28 Discos from page 27, T.SKI VALLEY:
  5. ↑ Smash Hits, September 15–28, 1983 - Page 19 SINGLES Reviewed by David Hepworth., LYDIA MURDOCK: Superstar (Korova)
  6. ↑ Cash Box, October 1, 1983 - Page 31 BMCK CONTEMPORARY, BMCK R/1DIO HIGHLIGHTS, V103 — ATLANTA — SCOTTY ANDREWS, PD< ADDS: L. Murdock; WILD — BOSTON — ELROY SMITH, MD, L. Murdock, Ex To 30; WGCI — CHICAGO, GRAHAM ARMSTRONG, PD, HOTS: L. Murdock
  7. ↑ Radio & Records, Issue Number 505 October 14, 1983 - Page 68 Black Radio Regionalized Adds & Hots, MIDWEST, WGCI/Chicago (J), Hottest:
  8. ↑ Radio & Records, Issue Number 505 October 14, 1983 - Page 68 Black Radio Regionalized Adds & Hots, MIDWEST, WKWM/Grand Rapids, Frank Grant; WWWS Saginaw, Kermit Crokett; KMJM/St. Louis, Tony Gray
  9. ↑ Radio & Records, Issue Number 505 October 14, 1983 - Page 68 Black Radio Regionalized Adds & Hots, SOUTH, WOIC/Columbia (J), Mickey Arnold; WPDQ/Jacksonville (J), Marc Little; WVOL/Nashville, Fred Harvey; WWDM/Sumpter, Kevin Flemming
  10. ↑ RPM Weekly, Volume 39. No. 6 October 8, 1983 - Page 13 BREAKOUT SINGLES
  11. ↑ RPM Weekly, Volume 39. No. 6 October 8, 1983 - Page 13 COAST TO COAST SAMPLING, GUY BROULLIARD, CKOI-FM Montreal, 5-15 Superstar - Lydia Murdock (45)
  12. ↑ Music Week, September 24, 1983 - Page 10 AIPLAY ACTION, Bubblers
  13. ↑ Music Week, October 29, 1983 - Page 12 AIRPLAY ACTION, RADIO 1, 10 (8) LYDIA MURDOCK: Superstar
  14. ↑ Music Week, October 29, 1983 - Page 13 Airplay Action, S. EAST, S. WEST, EAST, MIDLANDS
  15. ↑ Music Week, October 29, 1983 - Page 13 Airplay Action, NORTH, N.E., N.W., SCOTLAND, WALES, N. I.
  16. ↑ Euro Tip Sheet, No. 5 Week of April 30th 1984 - Page 10 CORRESPONDENTS NORTHERN EUROPE- FRANCE, EUROPE 1 - Paris - Albert Ensalem- program director, Best moving singles this week: Lidia Murdock - Superstar
  17. ↑ Radio & Records, Issue Number 504 October 7, 1983 - Page 60 R&R NATIONAL AIPLAY/ 40, DEBUT> 36
  18. ↑ Cash Box, October 1, 1983 - Page 39 THE JUKEBOX PROGRAMMER, RECORDS TO WATCH
  19. ↑ Cash Box, October 1, 1983 - Page 30 TOP 100 BLACK CONTEMPORARY SINGLES, October 1, 1983 85, 9/24 -, Weeks On Chart 1
  20. ↑ RPM Weekly, Volume 39. No. 6 October 8, 1983 - Page 6 50 Singles TW 50, New, Wks (1)
  21. ↑ RPM Weekly, Volume 39 No. 12 November 19, 1983 - Page 6 50 Singles TW 36, LW 37, WKs (7)
  22. ↑ RPM Weekly, Volume 39 No. 13 November 26, 1983 - Page 5 RPM 50 Singles, TW 36, LW 36, WKs (8)
  23. ↑ RPM Weekly, Volume 39 No. 14 December 3, 1983 - Page 6 RPM 50 Singles
  24. ↑ Official Charts - SUPERSTAR by LYDIA MURDOCK, CHART FACTS
  25. ↑ Official Charts - SUPERSTAR by LYDIA MURDOCK, CHART RUN
  26. ↑ Music Week, September 24, 1983 - Page 13 7 & 12-INCH TOP 75 SINGLES, This Week 65, NEW
  27. ↑ Music Week, October 29, 1983 - Page 35 MUSIC WEEK TOP SINGLES DISCO & DANCE, THIS WEEK 4, LAST WEEK 11, WEEKS ON CHART 8
  28. ↑ Music Week, October 29, 1983 - Page 6 NEWS, Icing on Motown cake By BARRY LAZELL
  29. ↑ Cash Box, December 31, 1983 - Page 58 SINGLES AWARDS, NEW FEMALE
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