More iconic: Careless Whisper vs. In The Air Tonight

[degen]

Here we have two instantly recognizable 80s pop ballads that are known for their drama and have been used repeatedly in media and pop culture. But which one is more iconic?

This really is a tough one for me. But I’m shocked that “In The Air” only peaked at #19 in the U.S. It really is a rare case of a song that went on to have a huge after life, even bigger than its peak. But I’m going to give this to Careless Whisper. Big and it’s peak and still notorious now for its signature instrumental.

[back2blk]

The opening of Phil Collins', for my entire life, has always confused me with Another Sad Love Song by Toni Braxton.

And let's just say, I'm always disappointed when it's not Toni Braxton.

[when the pawn...]

The sax line of Careless Whisper by a miiiiiile BUT I think if you just named the two songs to someone on the street, they might not connect CW to that melody.

[Ling-Ling]

I prefer "Careless Whisper," but I think "In The Air Tonight" has ended up having the greater impact on pop culture. The drumwork on that song is pretty iconic and well-recognized.

[dremolus - solarpunk]

In the Air Tonight currently has 428M streams but Careless Whisper has a bit more with 462M. Not a big difference but I think it shows which songs have resonated longer. (If you want an equally good measurement, for the music videos: In the Air has 233M while Careless has 764M)

Also from an anecdotal pov: my high school class never played In the Air Tonight but we've sang Careless Whisper a bunch frequently

[The Brazilian Guy 🇧🇷]

Ok... I'm actually surprised to learn that "In The Air Tonight" is considered as having a similar iconic status as "Careless Whisper"... maybe my perception is different because I'm from a different country, but I would say "Careless Whisper" is one of the most iconic 80's songs around here while "In The Air Tonight" wouldn't even be in the top 10... or top 50 for that matter lol