Top 10 Missing Persons Songs

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It’s not easy to find 80s American rock bands that suit the term ‘Cool’ quite like Missing Persons. The band gained early exposure from MTV, which many attributed to the looks of Dale Bozzio, the band’s lead singer. However, hot looks only take you so far in music. Dale Bozzio and the rest of the band were also great musicians. Her other half, Terry Bozzio, was the band’s drummer. To say that he was one of the best drummers to ever sit on the throne would be an understatement.

The band’s guitarist, Warren Cuccuuillo, and the bassist Patrick O’Hearn were also former members of Frank Zappa band. Missing Persons released their first album, Spring Session M, in 1982. The album, which received positive reviews from fans, presented a new wave of rock. Spring Session M was also commercially successful, peaking at position 17 on the Billboard 200 and earning gold certification by the RIAA.

The band’s place in music history is assured. New Wave done L.A. style, with an unmistakable rock drive and unconventional time signatures thanks to Terry and Warren’s employment with Frank Zappa.

# 10 – Lipstick

The 2020 Missing Persons album was a delightful surprise, offering sounds that invited repeated listening. Included in our top ten Missing Persons songs is “Lipstick,” which stands out for its authentic, high-quality sound. This track showcases Dale Bozzio’s exceptional vocal talent, affirming her enduring talent. While it subtly diverges from the band’s traditional style, “Lipstick” adds a refreshing dimension to their illustrious catalog.

# 9 – I Can’t Think About Dancing

Coming in at number nine is the second track from the band’s third album, Color In Your Life. “I Can’t Think About Dancing” is a medium-tempo rock-dance tune with a hook that features Dale Bozzio’s addictive vocal phrasing. The song is enhanced by keyboard horns that blast between the vocal lines, adding a distinctive coolness to the track. It achieved significant success, reaching number 34 on the Billboard Dance Charts. “I Can’t Think About Dancing” stands out as one of the quintessential pop-rock dance songs of the ’80s.

#8 – Surrender Your Heart

After an incredible debut album, Missing Persons faced a lot of pressure to deliver on the second. “Surrender Your Heart” is the fourth song from Missing Persons’ second studio album, Rhyme and Reason. The song was released as the third and final single from the album. This beautiful song was quite a masterpiece that showed what the band could really do. The track features incredible vocals from Dale Bozzio, which give the song an emotional pull. The melodic approach taken in the song was terrific, and the acoustic guitars complemented the keyboard tunes perfectly.

# 7 – Mental Hopscotch

The seventh song in our list of the top ten Missing Persons songs is the track “Mental Hopscotch.” This is the track that turned so many people onto the band Missing Persons. ‘Mental Hopscotch’ is the single that put Missing Persons on the map in L.A. and was KROQ FM’s most requested song of 1981. This was a band of brilliant musicians who created a very unique sound and were fronted by one of the most intoxicating female vocalists in classic rock history.

# 6 – Hello, I Love You

Coming in at number six in our countdown of the ten best Missing Persons songs is the sixth track from their 1986 album, Colour in Your Life. “Hello, I Love You” is a beautiful cover of The Doors’ 1968 hit song from their album, Waiting for the Sun, inspired by a girl Jim Morrison met at Venice Beach.

# 5 – If Only for the Moment

“If Only for the Moment” is the thirteenth track from the Missing Persons 1984 album, Rhyme & Reason. The track is joyous, and the lyrics are very inspirational. “If Only for the Moment” is my personal favorite song from the album.

# 4 – Walking in L.A

Although this song never performed exceptionally well on the charts, it received significant radio airplay. It gave the city of LA a new unofficial motto: “Nobody Walks in LA.” Although Terry Bozzio didn’t have an agenda with pedestrians in the city, the city still hasn’t been able to shake its 30-year-old punchline.

# 3 – Windows

The third song on our list of the top ten Missing Persons songs is another from Spring Session M. The song features outstanding drumming from Terry Bozzio. “Windows” is a timeless song. The melodies are beautiful, and Dale Bozzio shines in a way that probably inspired Lady Gaga.

# 2 – Destination Unknown

This track was initially released as a single before being included in Missing Persons’ debut studio album, Spring Session M. The song has been covered by a couple of artist,s such as Replicants and The Smashing Pumpkins. The song was used as a soundtrack in the popular game GTA Vice City Stories on Flash FM. The track is one of the band’s highest-charting songs, peaking at position 42 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Chart, where it spent 13 weeks.

# 1 – Words

Coming in at number one is the track “Words.” This was the first single from the Spring Sessions M album, the band’s first full-length. The song had initially been included on the Missing Persons EP, which contained only four tracks and was released in 1980. The song perfectly captured the typical Los Angeles rock scene of the 80s.