"Shattered Glass" by Laura Branigan

New York powerhouse vocalist Laura Branigan is best known for her smash hit "Gloria", which peaked at #2 in 1982. Branigan had an admirable collection of additional top 40 hits after that, but needed a career boost by 1987. Her fifth album, "Touch", should have done just that, but it fizzled out at #87.

Branigan's version of the over-the-top ballad, "Power Of Love", was the second single from "Touch". It proved to be the biggest single from the album, reaching #26 in 1987. The song was written by Jennifer Rush, who took it to #57 in 1986. Air Supply had the first go at this song in 1985, but only had the power to take it to #68. The song finally delivered in a big way, staying at #1 for a whole month, when Celine Dion sang the hell out of it in 1993. I think the United Nations mercifully called for a moratorium on covering this song again.

The lead off single was designed to remind people that Laura performed some terrific upbeat dance numbers. "Shattered Glass" was a great return to form, but it stalled at #48. The modest performance of "Touch" signaled the beginning of the end for Branigan's charting career. Sadly, she died of a brain aneurysm in 2004 at the age of 52.

Being the innovative wizards they are, the writers of the music video included a lot of exploding glass. Although, I always wondered whatever happened to the poor goldfish (go to 2 minute mark).