Earworm Extermination: Adam Ant edition

Test driving a new feature on this Substack: If I write about an earworm, will it go away? In this case, it would be "Wonderful."

One nice thing about writing, editing, and managing one’s own publication is the ability to put random thoughts and musings into words, and make them a “special edition” version of what you’re already writing about.

So it goes with today’s brief special edition Substack, which I’m choosing to call “Earworm Extermination.” It’s as simple as it sounds: I’m going to do a brief review of a track that charted at one point in time on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks/Alternative Songs/Alternative Airplay (maybe at #1, maybe not) that I cannot get out of my head. The goal, of course, is to get it out of my head by listening to it and writing about it.

(My apologies in advance if this ends up being an “It Follows” type situation, where by writing and posting about a song, that song then becomes an earworm for you. I’m willing to take that risk, especially if it’s a song that isn’t all that bad.)

Today’s earworm has been in my brain for more than a week. Earlier this month, I had a long weekend together with some friends where we ate lots of food, drank lots of drink, played dozens of board games, and, of course, listened to lots of music. The playlist I create for this event is almost exclusively 1990s music, about 2/3 alternative rock and 1/3 pop/R&B/rap. The list clocks in at more than 36 hours, so it’s usually guaranteed we won’t hear every song on the list during the long weekend.

On this particular weekend, likely for the first time in several years, Adam Ant’s charming pop/rock ditty “Wonderful” came up on the playlist.

For context, the mid-’90s were a time when rockers from the ‘80s were aging out of their pop music peaks and playing more mellow, introspective fare. Around this time, you heard Sting singing more about fields of gold than watching someone's every breath, and John Mellencamp singing more about Key West than Jack and Diane. Adam Ant, who had top 20 hits in the ‘80s and early ‘90s with such tracks as “Goody Two Shoes” and “Room At The Top,” had one last U.S. hit in the tank: a beautiful, sorrowful, angst-ridden love letter apology to former girlfriend, actress Heather Graham.

It's a great song, but one that feels lost to time. It doesn't seem to be in regular rotation on ‘90s alternative stations, and also seems to be left off streaming playlists that cater to the decade's best pop songs. It was Ant’s last top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #39 the week ending June 3, 1995. On the Modern Rock Tracks chart, it reached the top 10, peaking at #7 the week ending May 13, 1995.

I can't call myself an expert on Adam Ant’s career, though I've always enjoyed his few radio hits. But this song sticks with me. I'd argue it's Ant’s best song, telling a story of love and regret so poignantly and expressively.

This review from online magazine Decade. really sums up what makes this track uniquely indelible in my mind:

‘Wonderful’ is an honest, heartfelt reflection that strips Ant to his core, displaying commendable songwriting, brilliant progression and inarguably catchy hooks. Through his strengths and weaknesses, Ant showcased an impressive second wind that took his past into account and yet scaled new heights altogether.

I'm still a few replays away from getting this musical earworm out of my mind, but unlike most songs that stick around in my brain for far too long, this wonderful song hasn't completely overstayed its welcome. But I'm just about ready to move on. Hopefully this review does the trick. 🤞🏼