Blast from the Past: Same Name, Pop Music Edition

Boy, I tell you, when it comes time to write a new Blast from the Past, I've lately been just so busy with other things that I haven't had the time to do the research. Sorry about that. But when I pick a rerun, I do try to find a fun one. This one fits the bill, I think. From August 1, 2011 (with a couple of edits).

There was briefly a show on CBS with a simple premise and simpler name: Same Name. I have no idea of the quality of the show, but basically, it has a famous person and a non-famous person with the same name (like David Hasselhoff or Kathy Griffin), and has them learn about each other's lives. I never sampled the show. But the title inspired this week's Blast from the Past.
 
As with movie titles, and television shows, many songs share a title or have very similar titles with other songs. Sometimes, both are hits, and even sometimes, both songs chart at nearly the same time. Back in the 80s, I remember noting that "I Can't Wait" was the title of two hit songs out at practically the same time, once by Nu Shooz, and once by Stevie Nicks, both in early 1986.



Also in the 80s, Van Halen had a hit with"Jump" and the Pointer Sisters had the very different "Jump (For My Love)." Both were hits early in 1984.



Prince and Sheena Easton teamed up for a song called "U Got the Look," in 1987. A little more than a year later, Roxette released simply "The Look." The songs are different, but largely on the same topic, with Roxette's lyrics saying "she's got" rather than Prince's "U got."

But I think the all time champ for songs with the same name at practically the same time would have to go to the cheesy 90s group Wilson Phillips and the slightly better En Vogue, who both released hit songs called "Hold On" within a day of each other in February 1990.



I'm sure there are other examples, and of course there are TONS that happened many more years apart. But that's it for this week's installment. Happy Monday, everyone!