Keep On Loving You (song) explained

Keep On Loving You
Cover:Keep On Loving You vinyl7'.jpg
Type:single
Artist:REO Speedwagon
Album:Hi Infidelity
B-Side:Follow My Heart
Released:November 4, 1980[1]
Recorded:1980
Genre:Soft rock[2]
Length:3:20
Label:Epic
Producer:Kevin Beamish, Kevin Cronin, Alan Gratzer, Gary Richrath
Prev Title:Time for Me to Fly
Prev Year:1978
Next Title:Take It on the Run
Next Year:1981

"Keep On Loving You" is a ballad written by Kevin Cronin and performed by American rock band REO Speedwagon. It features the lead guitar work of Gary Richrath. The song first appeared on REO Speedwagon's 1980 album Hi Infidelity. It was the first REO Speedwagon single to break the top 50 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, reaching the number-one spot for one week in March 1981.[3] The single was certified platinum for U.S. sales of over one million copies. It peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart.[4]

"Keep On Loving You" has been a mainstay on 1980s soft rock compilations and has appeared on dozens of 'various artists' compilation albums, as well as several REO Speedwagon greatest hits albums.[5] Ultimate Classic Rock critic Matt Wardlaw rated it REO Speedwagon's all-time greatest song.[6]

Background and recording

Kevin Cronin stated that he wrote "Keep On Loving You" as a more traditional love ballad, and the band as a whole developed it into its final arrangement as a power ballad. He recounted:

Cronin also said:

Epic Records did not think the song was good enough to be released as a single but the band persuaded them to do so.

Music video

In 1981, a video of the song was the 17th played on the first day of broadcast of MTV, on August 1.[7] It was framed by a scene of Kevin Cronin talking about his relationship troubles with a female psychiatrist and contained a shot where a woman picked up a telephone connected to Gary Richrath's guitar, referencing the live version of "157 Riverside Avenue."[8]

Personnel

REO Speedwagon

Additional personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1980–1981)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report][9] 3
Canada (CHUM)[10] 2
Canadian RPM Singles Chart[11] 2
Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[12] 14
Germany Media Control Charts[13] 15
Irish Singles Chart[14] 6
Radio Luxemburg Singles[15] 4
New Zealand Singles Chart[16] 22
South African Singles Chart[17] 3
Swiss Music Charts[18] 4
UK Singles Chart[19] 7
US Billboard Hot 100[20] 1
US Top Rock Tracks[21] 9
US Cash Box[22] 1
US Record World[23] 1
US Radio & Records (R&R)[24] [25] 2

Year-end charts

Chart (1981)Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report)[26] [27] 20
Canada (RPM Top 100 Singles)[28] 17
Dutch Singles Chart[29] 90
UK [30] 80
US Billboard Hot 100[31] 10
US Cash Box[32] 4

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Gold & Platinum. RIAA.
  2. Web site: Dolly Parton, Kevin Cronin to Record “Dark Duet” of REO Speedwagon’s “Keep on Loving You” . American Songwriter . Tina . Benitez-Eves . April 30, 2024.
  3. [List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1981]
  4. Web site: Reo Speedwagon | Artist . Official Charts . December 9, 2017.
  5. Web site: REO Speedwagon, Keep On Loving You (Appears On). February 12, 2015 . . Rovi Corporation.
  6. Web site: Top 10 REO Speedwagon Songs. Wardlaw, Matt. October 6, 2013. February 22, 2023. Ultimate Classic Rock.
  7. Web site: Random Facts: 1st Video to Ever Play on MTV. JMedinaLive.com . June 8, 2011 . January 14, 2015.
  8. Web site: REO Speedwagon, Keep On Loving You. YouTube . October 9, 2013 . February 13, 2015.
  9. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 250.
  10. Web site: CHART NUMBER 1261 – Saturday, March 14, 1981 . February 13, 2015 . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20061107193932/http://www.1050chum.com/index_chumcharts.aspx?chart=1261 . November 7, 2006 . . CHUM. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  11. Web site: Top Singles – Volume 30, No. 12, December 16, 1978. RPM. RPM Music Publications Ltd. December 16, 1978. August 12, 2014.
  12. Web site: REO Speedwagon – Keep On Loving You . . Hoogste notering in de top 30 : 14 . February 13, 2015 . nl . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150213065327/http://www.radio2.be/top-30/song/6351 . February 13, 2015 .
  13. Web site: REO Speedwagon – Keep On Loving You. officialcharts.de . October 1, 2016.
  14. Web site: Irish Singles Chart . The Irish Charts . January 25, 2015. Note: REO Speedwagon must be searched manually.
  15. Web site: REO Speedwagon Singles . umdmusic.com . February 14, 2015.
  16. Web site: Steffen Hung . Keep On Loving You . charts.nz . February 13, 2015 .
  17. Web site: Keep On Loving You in South African Chart . John Samson . July 2, 2014.
  18. Web site: Hung Medien . REO Speedwagon – Keep On Loving You . hitparade.ch . February 13, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150311155356/http://hitparade.ch/song/REO-Speedwagon/Keep-On-Loving-You-726 . March 11, 2015 .
  19. Web site: KEEP ON LOVING YOU. April 11, 1981. Official Charts.
  20. Book: Whitburn, Joel. Top Pop Singles 1955–2012. Joel Whitburn. 2013. Record Research, Inc.. Menomonee Falls, WI. 978-0-89820-205-2. 703.
  21. Web site: [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=REO Speedwagon|chart=all}} Artist Chart History – REO Speedwagon ]. Billboard charts . October 1, 2016.
  22. Web site: CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending MARCH 7, 1981 . February 13, 2015 . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20120918145826/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/19810307.html . September 18, 2012 . . Cash Box magazine. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  23. Web site: Song artist 607 – REO Speedwagon . TsorT . September 9, 2017.
  24. Web site: REO Speedwagon. Gghunt.utasites.cloud. April 24, 2021.
  25. Web site: Charts. Gghunt.utasites.cloud. April 24, 2021.
  26. Web site: National Top 100 Singles for 1981 . . 393 . 7 . . January 4, 1982 . January 11, 2022 .
  27. Web site: Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s . Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien . February 14, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141006134948/http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=40275 . October 6, 2014 .
  28. Web site: Top Singles – Volume 35, No. 22, December 26, 1981 . . . February 14, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131020111428/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.4689&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=u9874ano8k0c5b6bkp4r8qrbp3 . October 20, 2013 . dead .
  29. Web site: Dutch charts jaaroverzichten 1981. ASP. nl. February 20, 2015.
  30. . Chart File Top 100 . . London . Spotlight Publications . 27 . December 26, 1981 . June 13, 2016 .
  31. Web site: Top 100 Hits for 1981 . The Longbored Surfer . February 14, 2015.
  32. Web site: The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1981 . May 6, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120918145923/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/1981YESP.html . September 18, 2012 . . Cash Box magazine. Retrieved February 14, 2015.

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