This week in 1984 “Two Tribes” by “Frankie Goes To Hollywood” was in the middle of a nine week stretch at number one in the UK. It would become the longest running number-one single in the UK of the 80’s. The song’s title derives from the line “two mighty warrior tribes went to war” from the movie Mad Max 2.
“Two Tribes” was released as an anti-war single during a tumultuous period characterized by the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, along with their respective allies. In this context of heightened global apprehensions about nuclear warfare, the song struck a chord with listeners, resonating the collective fears and concerns of the time. Accordingly the song was a hit in many other countries as well and also topped the charts in Belgium, Greece, Ireland, The Netherlands, New Zealand and West-Germany.