For decades, "Electric Avenue" has been remembered as one of the most infectious pop hits of the early '80s — the kind of song that instantly sparks nostalgia the second it starts playing.
But despite its upbeat energy and singalong chorus, the 1983 smash hit wasn't written as feel-good escapism at all. Inspired by riots, poverty and social unrest in London, the song carried a message many listeners completely missed.
"Even though it has that upbeat, you can dance to it vibe, the song is actually a serious protest track — A lot of people don't know that. Came out of the violent Brixton riots in London back in 1981," Adam Reader of Professor of Rock revealed.
He explained that the song, written by Eddy Grant, "came out of the violent Brixton riots in London back in 1981."
Electric Avenue in London got its name in the late 19th century after becoming one of the first streets to be lit by electricity.
The neighborhood, which housed a large Caribbean population, was "dealing with crushing poverty, high unemployment, and heavy-handed policing," Reader explained.
After packing up for a move to Barbados, Grant's luggage, including a "batch of new songs," was lost in transit.
"Eddy Grant wrote the song as a wake-up call about what working-class people were trying to endure," Reader continued.
Forced to start from scratch, he "came up with one of his best songs he's ever done."
The song, released on his 1982 studio album Killer on the Rampage, peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and found international success in the U.K., Canada and Australia.
"In many ways, Eddy Grant was a trailblazer. Not just for what he did with the music video, but he actually cut his teeth in pop and ska across England and Barbados," Reader concluded.
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