Tuesday's Flashback

Daryl Hall and John Oates had their first #1 single in 1977 with Rich Girl. They were new to the RCA label and their previous tenure at Atlantic Records had yielded no hits. The change of labels seemed to help the duo find their identity as well. Their second album for RCA was Bigger Than Both of Us and from this came Rich Girl.

Having already hit the Top Ten with Sara Smile and She’s Gone, from their first RCA LP, Rich Girl had that unique Hall and Oates feel to it; that immediately identifiable sound that defined their recordings. Rich Girl was a gold record and it was one of the first pop hits to have an expletive in its chorus. When Daryl Hall sang “…it’s a bitch, girl…: hardly anyone noticed.

Still a crowd pleaser after all these years, Rich Girl sounds as good now as it did thirty years ago. This is the song that set the stage for the guys’ phenomenal reign in the 80’s. Daryl Hall and John Oates can still rock out, and with material like Rich Girl in their catalogue it’s no wonder why.