Song #418: "Rich Girl" by Darryl Hall and John Oates

Date: Mar 26, 1977
Weeks: 2

I'm not sure if this song is properly credited to "Hall & Oates" or "Darryl Hall & John Oates." The Billboard list says "Darryl Hall John Oates," which seems like they just threw up their hands in confusion and went with nonsense. Anyway, it's the same two guys.


I've always associated Hall & Oates with the 80s. I've heard this song before and I didn't realize their career extended so far back into the 70s. This doesn't quite sound like a 70s song to me. Other than the strings, that is. The strings are a dead giveaway that it's the 70s. The beat and bass line feel like they're from the 80s, and the vocals sound more 80s to me. I guess it's possible I'm just associating this with other Hall & Oates's songs I know, which generally abandoned the 70s strings for 80s synths, and the similar song makes it feel more 80s to me. It's kind of ridiculous to nitpick the decade of a band that straddles the decade line, but it's always fascinating to me to hear one type of music evolving into the next.

Anyway, I like the music generally, although I wish the strings were replaced with a different sound. The overuse of strings were not the best feature of 70s music.

Darryl Hall's vocals are very good. They're impassioned and very rock.. funk... ish. I can't be entirely sure, but I think this song may be something of a turning point in pop music vocals. Before this point, so many singers on this list are Bobby Goldsboro. After this, the singers get a little more Robert Palmer. Probably Michael Jackson had more to do with that than anyone, but Hall & Oates provide a great example of the transition of vocal styles among singers known for singing.

The lyrics are about a rich girl who fails to understand how the world works because she doesn't have to care how to works. She can rely on her father's money to solve all her problems. It comes across a little patronizing on Hall's part. Especially with the use of the word "girl," it diminishes her to someone whose opinion can be easily dismissed as unimportant because she's too sheltered to understand. It's kind of interesting that, according to Wikipedia, the song was originally written about a rich young man. It's kind of a different song about a random crazy spoiled rich kid in that light, and doesn't take on the gender politics tone it does when it's called "Rich Girl," but it lacks the sexual tension tone that "Rich Girl" generates. It certainly wouldn't have done as well if it had been "Rich Boy" instead.

My verdict: Like it. Hall & Oates made some good 80s songs. Apparently before the 80s even began.