Song#: 1978
Date: 07/14/1984
Debut: 76
Peak: 38
Weeks: 12
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: After five middling solo albums, Hagar was finally able to break through with two hit LPs including the 1982 platinum Standing Hampton. Hoping for a third successful disc, Hagar assembled and issued VOA. This first single announced its arrival, but it was nearly met with a thud. The tune could only manage a #27 peak at Rock while barely making the Pop Top 40. It didn't set the album up for success very well, but luckily a second single would help out.
ReduxReview: I can kind of hear why this was selected as the first single. It's got a pop radio friendly feel that could be compared to tunes from Rick Springfield. However, I don't think the chorus is strong enough to make it stand out on radio. It's a good song, but it's just missing a solid hook. Not long after hearing it a couple times in a row, I couldn't remember a lick of it. That's not really a good sign.
ReduxRating: 5/10
Trivia: The VOA from the album title is a reference to the government broadcasting service Voice of America. Started during World War II, the VOA was to broadcast factual news via shortwave radio about the war to various countries around the world in English and other languages. The radio transmissions continued through the Cold War and sought to fight propaganda and other fictional news that was being broadcast by countries not in-line with the US, such as Russia. Over the years, the VOA expanded to TV and the internet and it still continues today. However, the role of the VOA has decreased and government funding has continually been cut back. There are those who say that the VOA is actually an outlet for pro-American propaganda itself, but many dispute this claim. Hagar's album also includes a song titled "VOA" which makes reference to the news service broadcasting pro-US sentiment.
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