"Boy in the Box" by Corey Hart

Song#:  2463
Date:  09/14/1985
Debut:  69
Peak:  26
Weeks:  12
Genre:  Pop, Rock



Pop Bits:  Hart grabbed his second Top 10 hit with "Never Surrender," the lead single from his second album Boy in the Box. For a follow-up, this title-track song was selected for release. The more upbeat tune didn't catch on as well and it stopped before it could get inside the Top 20. It did better in remix form on the Dance chart where it got to #16. In his homeland of Canada, this became Hart's third Top 10 hit.

ReduxReview:  This heavily produced album opener was probably the best upbeat track for single contention from the album, but it really is more of an album track. It is heavy on verses and takes nearly a minute and a half to even reach the bridge to the chorus. In pop radio world, that's a long time. If the verses are strong enough, that is okay, but I think the ones in this song are not all that memorable. Once the song gets going with the chorus and its children's song-like countdown and synth swoops, it works pretty well, as does the guitar solo. However, it just wasn't "Sunglasses at Night" memorable and it faded quickly.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  The Boy in the Box album would be a huge hit in Canada. In addition to reaching the #1 spot on the chart, it would be a Diamond seller. In Canada, the names of their sales certifications were the same as in the US - gold, platinum, and diamond. The difference is the amounts per category. In the US, gold equals 500,000 copies, platinum is for 1 million, and diamond is for 10 million. With a far lower population that the US, these amounts were adjust accordingly. Therefore, gold equals 50,000 copies, platinum 100,000, and diamond 1 million. While there had been diamond certified albums in Canada in the 70s and 80s, none were by Canadian artists. Hart's Boy in the Box became a diamond seller and he nearly became the first Canadian artist to have a diamond certified album in Canada, but he was beaten to the mark by Bryan Adams whose Reckless album was certified diamond just a mere three months prior. The first Canadian artist to reach double-diamond status in Canada was Alanis Morissette with her mega-hit LP Jagged Little Pill in 1996.

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