The song started as I ate bad French fries and stared out of Bellagio’s Snacks restaurant at slot machines in the dim Vegas casino. The low speaker volume barely allowed the intro of Ambrosia’s “You’re the Only Woman” to bubble over the steady cacophony of noise and conversation clashing at the entrance of the establishment.
Even though I have it in my iTunes collection, it’s been a long time since I’ve heard the 1980 soft rock song. It’s definitely one of my favorite tunes from that time period. “You’re the Only Woman” was a huge hit for the Southern California group, reaching No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 5 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Even though not as successful as their other hit single, “Biggest Part of Me,” from the same album, it is the better tune—more soulful, yes soulful.
So call it cheesy, elevator music or yacht rock, I definitely have a soft spot for this song and songs like it from that same era of the late ’70s and early ’80s—brings me back to some good times in my childhood. But I’ve had conversations with quite a few professional musicians who can’t stand Ambrosia’s mellow, middle-of-the-road groove. I still stand strong, but I don’t believe alone.
I suspect many of you share similar guilty pleasures in music and often have keep your love for certain songs on the down low because of negative comments from your friends and family. Please share those great songs that many others think are terribly cheesy.
