Musical Monday - Morning Train (Nine to Five) by Sheena Easton

#1 on the Billboard Hot 100: May 2, 1981 through May 9 1981.

#1 on the Cash Box Top 100: April 18, 1981 through May 16, 1981.

#1 on the U.K. Chart: Never.

Originally titled simply Nine to Five when released in the U.K., this song was famously renamed for its release in the United States in order to avoid confusion between it and the Dolly Parton hit 9 to 5 which reached number one on the U.S. charts just a handful of weeks before Morning Train (Nine to Five) did. I guess being a country music icon outweighs being an up and comer from Scotland.

The odd thing about Morning Train (Nine to Five) is that it reached number one in the U.S., but peaked at number three in the U.K. More accurately, I should say that this is an odd thing about the U.K., given that while this song was reaching the top of the charts in the U.S., ridiculous songs like Bucks Fizz's Making Your Mind Up were the number one hits in Britain. Morning Train isn't a great song - it is basically a pretty standard by the numbers pop hit about a woman pining for her significant other - but at least it isn't a schlockfest like Making Your Mind Up or Shaddup You Face.

I'm sure there is something deep and meaningful to say about the difference in the U.S. and the U.K. music markets that explains the fact that the U.K. seems to consistently reward the silly in a way the U.S. does not, but other than simply saying "the U.K. just likes weird in a way the U.S. does not", I don't know what that might be.

Previous Musical Monday: Making Your Mind Up by Bucks Fizz

Subsequent Musical Monday: Stand and Deliver by Adam and the Ants

Previous #1 on the Billboard Hot 100: Kiss On My List by Hall and Oates

Subsequent #1 on the Billboard Hot 100: Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes

Previous #1 on the Cash Box Top 100: Kiss On My List by Hall and Oates

Subsequent #1 on the Cash Box Top 100: Being with You by Smokey Robinson

List of #1 Singles from the Billboard Hot 100 for 1980-1989
List of #1 Singles from the Cash Box Top 100 for 1980-1989
List of #1 Singles on the U.K. Chart for 1980-1989

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