She Blinded Me with Science
| "She Blinded Me with Science" | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 UK cover art | |||||||
| Single by Thomas Dolby | |||||||
| from the album Blinded by Science and The Golden Age of Wireless | |||||||
| B-side |
"The Jungle Line" (UK) "Flying North" (US) | ||||||
| Released | 1982 | ||||||
| Format | 7", 12" | ||||||
| Genre | Synthpop,[1] new wave[2] | ||||||
| Length |
3:42 5:09 (extended version) | ||||||
| Label |
Venice in Peril (UK) Capitol Records (US) | ||||||
| Writer(s) | Thomas Dolby, Jo Kerr | ||||||
| Producer(s) | Thomas Dolby | ||||||
| Thomas Dolby singles chronology | |||||||
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"She Blinded Me with Science" is a song by the English musician Thomas Dolby, released in 1982. It was first released as a single in the UK in October 1982 and was subsequently included on the EP Blinded by Science and the second edition of Dolby's debut album The Golden Age of Wireless.
Although a success in the United States, peaking at No. 5 in the Billboard Hot 100 and 2 weeks at No. 1 in Canada's RPM Magazine, the song barely managed to score among the Top 50 in Dolby's native United Kingdom, peaking at No. 49 in the UK Singles Chart.
Dolby is often considered a one-hit wonder in the United States on the basis of the song's chart success there. In 2002, US cable television network VH1 named "She Blinded Me with Science" No. 20 on its list of the "100 Greatest One-hit Wonders".[3] While the song is Dolby's only Top 40 single on the Billboard Hot 100, he has had other songs that scored on the music charts. In 2006, VH1 placed it at No. 76 on their list of "Greatest Songs of the '80s".[4] Then, in 2009, it ranked No. 13 on VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s.[5]
Song structure
The song features interjections from the British scientist and TV presenter Magnus Pyke,[3] who repeatedly shouts "Science!" and delivers other lines in a deliberately over-the-top mad scientist voice, such as: "Good heavens, Miss Sakamoto! You're beautiful!"
The song was showcased as part of Dolby's appearance at the South by Southwest 2007 music festival.[6]
Music video
In the music video, Dolby commits himself to a Home for Deranged Scientists. Various mad scientist types operate fanciful inventions on the grounds of the home and act insane with normal scientific items. Throughout the course of the video, Magnus Pyke (as the Home Doctor) tries to diagnose what he is suffering from, all the while being seduced by Miss Sakamoto, a secretary in the home.
Dolby directed the music video himself.
Chart positions
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
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See also
In popular culture
The song was used in the video game Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, as a collectible. The song was also sampled by Mobb Deep in their song "Got It Twisted". Thomas Dolby approved the sample to be used by The Alchemist, who produced the track.[20] It was also extensively used in advertisements for the Discovery Channel series MythBusters. The character Tai in the webcomic Questionable Content wears a T-shirt with the slogan "She Blinded Me With Library Science". A segment of the song was used in Breaking Bad as a ringtone for Walter White on Todd's phone. The song was also used as theme music for the unaired pilot of the television series The Big Bang Theory. In 2001, pop singer Melissa Lefton replaced the word in the song title "She" with "He" and was heard in the soundtrack to the 2001 Nickelodeon film, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.
References
- ↑ "Discover the 10 Albums that changed Thomas Dolby's life". Goldmine. 14 January 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
- ↑ Lanham, Tom (16 September 2011). "Thomas Dolby in town to lecture you on science". The San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
- 1 2 Greatest One Hit Wonders List > Hour 5: #20 – 1 at the Wayback Machine (archived 31 August 2004). VH1.
- ↑ VH1'S "100 Greatest Songs of the '80s" preaches to the choir with Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" taking the top spot at the Wayback Machine (archived 31 January 2010). VH1. 24 October 2006.
- ↑ Ali, Rahsheeda. 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the '80s at the Wayback Machine (archived 5 May 2013). VH1.
- ↑ Kilgore, Kym (2007). "Thomas Dolby plans spring tour, album". LiveDaily. Retrieved 20 August 2010.
- ↑ "Archive Chart: 1982-11-07" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
- ↑ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
- ↑ CHART NUMBER 1372 – Saturday, April 30, 1983 at the Wayback Machine (archived 7 November 2006). CHUM.
- ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6239." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
- ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Thomas Dolby – She Blinded Me with Science". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
- ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Thomas Dolby – She Blinded Me with Science". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
- ↑ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (D)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
- ↑ "Archive Chart: 1983-07-17" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 "Thomas Dolby – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
- ↑ CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending MAY 28, 1983 at the Wayback Machine (archived 11 September 2012). Cash Box magazine.
- ↑ "The Top Singles of 1983". RPM. Vol. 39 no. 17. 24 December 1983. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
- ↑ "Top 100 Hits for 1983". The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
- ↑ The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1983 at the Wayback Machine (archived 11 September 2012). Cash Box magazine.
- ↑ Ahmed, Insanul (30 September 2012). "The Alchemist Tells All: The Stories Behind His Classic Records (Part 1) > Mobb Deep "Got It Twisted" (2004)". Complex. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
