In My House - Mary Jane Girls (1985) 10/10/23

Question: In the '80s, what was the quickest way to have a hit record?

Answer: Have the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) add it to their "Filthy Fifteen" list of "Music inappropriate for Children." In other words: Controversy Sells!

Today's Great Song of 1985, "In My House" by The Mary Jane Girls, was added to the list because of sexual innuendo---even though the group insisted the song was about LOVE, not sex.

Granted, it was produced by Rick James who certainly was known for inappropriate behavior, but compared to some of the other songs on the list, "In My House" was fairly benign--and not even CLOSE to what you hear on the radio in 2023.

(Note: The "Filthy 15" actually did contain some inappropriate songs for children, but most were FAR worse than "In My House." Here's a link to the list: https://en.wikipedia.org/.../Parents_Music_Resource...

As a single, "In My House" reached #6 in 6 countries, including Canada, (and you can read what you like in those numbers: 666666), but here in the US, it was a bigger hit with bigger numbers -- partially due to the PMRC controversy, of course, but also because the song was incredibly danceable.

It reached #1 on Billboard's Dance Club Chart, #2 on the Dance Sales Chart, #3 on the Hip-Hop Chart, and #7 on the Hot 100.

Yes, controversy sells, but a Great Song is a Great Song, and in 1985, "In My House" by The Mary Jane Girls certainly qualified! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF2iuZctLNs

Tomorrow: Eddie & Ronnie.