Readers of That Grape Juice know what avid music lovers we are – especially of hits past.

So, as our retrospective features ‘From the Vault’ and ‘TGJ Replay’  allow us the chance to re-spin the gems and jams of yesterday of one artist, our newest feature Chart Rewind – a variation of our current Retro Rewind assay – accedes salutes to an entire era of music history.

This week we’re showing love to ‘Lovergirl’ – the Grammy-nominated signature song of Ivory Queen of Soul Teena Marie. Join us inside:

Having just made history with a legal win over former label Motown Records, a landmark victory known as ‘The Brockert Initiative’ (1982) that set in stone new limitations on the length of record label contracts with artists, Mary Christine Brockert – better known as Teena Marie – was ready to unleash new music via her new label home, Epic. Despite not garnering much attention with her first effort on the imprint, 1983’s criminally panned ‘Robbery,’ its follow-up – 1984’s ‘Starchild’ – appeared to make up for the damage.  Her sixth album overall, ‘Starchild’ would birth the radiant, bass-buoyed hit, ‘Lovergirl.’

Released October 1984, the tune shot to the top 10 of the Hot 100 just five months later – a personal best for Marie who prior to had only been accepted by R&B audiences.  The commercial response to ‘Lovergirl,’ which peaked at #4 on the chart this week in 1985, would help hoist its parent album to a #31 peak on the Billboard 200 (making it her only top 40 hit on that chart while on the Epic roster).

While she went on to gift R&B some of its most prized offerings over the rest of her career, ‘Lovergirl’ – her signature hit – became her second and last appearance in the Hot 100’s top 40.  Look below to see who joined her in the top 25 this week in 1985:

Hot 100 This Week in 1985

Hot 100 This Week 

As we continue to hail Lady T, click here to see this week’s TGJ Chart Check:  Hot 100 in full.

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