| Airport | |
| Cover: | The Motors - Airport.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | The Motors |
| Album: | Approved by the Motors |
| Recorded: | 1978 |
| Genre: | Power pop, new wave[1] |
| Length: | 4:36 |
| Label: | Virgin |
| Producer: | Peter Ker, Nick Garvey, Andy McMaster |
| Prev Title: | Sensation |
| Prev Year: | 1978 |
| Next Title: | Forget About You |
| Next Year: | 1978 |
"Airport" is a single by English power pop/new wave band the Motors. Released on 19 May 1978 by Virgin Records,[2] the song reached number four on the UK Singles Chart.[3] [4] [5] On 1 July 1978, the single was awarded a silver certification by the BPI in the UK for sales of over 250,000 units. It also reached number 19 in South Africa on 24 November 1978.[6]
The song was written by singer Andy McMaster in 1976. McMaster then switched from keyboards to bass for the band's first album. After the release of their 1977 debut album 1, the Motors moved away from their pub rock sound to a new wave style with synthesizers (most prominent on tracks McMaster had previously written) and recognisable melodies.[7]
Reviewing the group's 1981 greatest hits compilation, Lance Philips (in the Rough Guide to Rock) describes "Airport" as "naturally stand[ing] out" and that the "rest doesn't quite match up". Philips also comments on the song's inclusion on the 1978 album Approved by the Motors, saying that despite its appearance the album failed to be a commercial success.
The Motors' entry in the Encyclopedia of Popular Music notes that "Airport" has become a stock piece of music often accompanying footage of aeroplane or airports.[8] The encyclopedia suggests that the song's popularity did nothing to extend the life of the band, whose membership changed by the end of the year.
| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[9] | 31 |
| Europe (Europarade Top 40)[10] | 13 |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[11] | 15 |
| France (IFOP)[12] | 5 |
| Israel (IBA)[13] | 3 |
| South Africa (Springbok Radio)[14] | 19 |