What About Me: Moving Pictures’ 1982 Anthem That Conquered Australia and Beyond
In 1982, Moving Pictures released What About Me, a song that turned a fleeting moment of frustration into an anthem. Released on W.B.E. Records (WBE 648), it ruled Australia’s charts for six weeks, hit the US Billboard Hot 100, and decades later, found new life with Shannon Noll’s 2004 cover. From Sydney pubs to global airwaves, it’s a tale of raw emotion and unexpected staying power. Let’s dive into its journey, its sound, and why it still strikes a chord.
A Spark in the Suburbs
Moving Pictures were pub rock veterans by ’81, gigging hard around Sydney’s northern beaches. Guitarist Garry Frost and Frances Swan wrote What About Me after Frost watched kids at a Collaroy shop, unable to buy treats. That image—wanting more but stuck on the outside—became the song’s heart. Recorded at Studios 301 for their debut Days of Innocence, it hit shelves in January ’82. Producer Charles Fisher polished its rough edges, but its soul stayed intact. Singer Alex Smith later said the band saw it as a solid track, not a game-changer—until the charts proved otherwise.
Two Chart-Topping Runs
Charting on February 15th, 1982, it reached No. 1 in March, ousting The J. Geils Band’s Centrefold. It held firm for six weeks—24 weeks total—finishing ’82 as Australia’s third-biggest single. Its success lured EMI to release it in the US, where it climbed to No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 in ’83, ending the year at No. 88. Not bad for a Sydney outfit breaking into MTV’s world. Then, in 2004, Shannon Noll—Australian Idol’s runner-up—revived it. His version topped the ARIA charts for four weeks, became ’04’s best-selling single here, and stunned Ireland by peaking at No. 2. Two eras, two triumphs.
Roots and Revival
In ’82, Australia was gritty—post-recession, pre-Hawke, with pub rock as its pulse. What About Me fit that mood: not a protest, but a personal shout that echoed wider struggles. Its US run showed Aussie rock could travel, even if Moving Pictures didn’t sustain the momentum. Noll’s 2004 take landed during Idol’s peak—his everyman vibe and rougher edge refreshed it for a new crowd. Ireland’s love for it mirrored their taste for storytelling rock, from U2 to The Cranberries. Both versions thrived on authenticity, not flash.
Why It Endures
That opening piano, Frost’s warm guitar, Smith’s aching vocal—it’s simple but sticks. The ’82 clip, with its small-town scenes, feels like a memory; Noll’s beefed-up take added modern grit. Days of Innocence sold big, but the band faded—Frost split in ’84, and they never recaptured the magic. Noll’s cover, though, proved its bones were strong. It’s not a chart regular now, but fire it up at a BBQ, and heads turn. Moving Pictures still play, and Noll’s career rolled on—What About Me ties them to a shared legacy. Got a story with this one? Share it below—I’m all ears!