Love Plus One Explained

Love Plus One
Cover:	Love Plus One.jpg
Type:	single
Artist:	Haircut One Hundred
Album:	Pelican West
B-Side:	Marine Boy
Released:	January 1982
Recorded:	1981
Genre:	New wave^[1] college rock^[2] new pop^[3]
Label:	Arista
Producer:	Bob Sargeant
Prev Title:	Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)
Prev Year:	1981
Next Title:	Fantastic Day
Next Year:	1982

"Love Plus One" is a 1982 single by the British new wave band Haircut One Hundred from their debut album Pelican West. It was the band's biggest hit in their native UK, where it reached No. 3^[4] and was certified gold by the BPI for sales in excess of 400,000 copies.^[5]

Release

The single was released in the UK in January 1982, entering the UK Singles Chart at No. 36 and quickly moving up to No. 12 two weeks later, eventually reaching No. 3. It stayed in the top 40 for a total of 11 weeks,^[6] ending up being the 14th best-selling single in the UK that year.^[7]

The single was the band's only hit in the United States, where it peaked at No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.^[8] In 2022, Rolling Stone ranked it 79 on their list "100 Best Songs of 1982".^[9] The song ranked at No. 90 on VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 1980s.

Critical reception

"Love Plus One" was Single of the Week in Smash Hits, where Ian Birch described the song as "a nifty mover with plenty of interesting details" and predicted it would become an even bigger hit than "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)".^[10]

Track listing

UK release

• 7" single (Arista CLIP2)

1. "Love Plus One" – 3:35
2. "Marine Boy" – 3:33

Timings are not stated on the UK release although are specified on certain overseas releases.

• 12" single (Arista CLIP121)

1. "Love Plus One" – 5:39
2. "Marine Boy" – 4:56

US release

• 7" single (Arista AS 0672)

1. "Love Plus One" – 3:35
2. "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)" – 3:04

In other media

The song was featured in a restaurant scene in the 1995 thriller film Se7en, in the 2007 comedy movie Knocked Up, and in the Glee 2013 episode "I Do" as characters Kurt and Tina are arguing on the dance floor.

The song is also used in the 2013 film Grown Ups 2 in the scene where the family are preparing to go to an 1980s themed party.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1982)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	3
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[11]	10
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	37
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play^[12]	8
U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks	18
Canada RPM Top 100	10

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "Love Plus One"! Chart (1982)! Position

Australia (Kent Music Report)^[13]	98

Notes and References

1. Web site: Heather . Phares . Original Soundtrack – Edge of 17 . . 24 July 2013 .
2. https://www.allmusic.com/album/cmj-the-year-in-alternative-music-1982-mw0000045898
3. Book: Stanley, Bob . Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Here Comes That Feeling: New Pop. 13 September 2013. Faber & Faber. 978-0-571-28198-5. 534.
4. http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/haircut%20100/ HAIRCUT 100 | Artist | Official Charts
5. http://www.bpi.co.uk/certified-awards.aspx BPI database
6. Web site: Love Plus One . officialcharts.com. 2016-05-23.
7. Web site: The Official Top 50 best-selling songs of 1982 . Official Charts Company . 12 March 2021 .
8. [Joel Whitburn|Whitburn, Joel]
9. Sheffield. Rob. September 27, 2022. 100 Best Songs of 1982. Rolling Stone.
10. Smash Hits, January 7, 1982 - p.16
11. 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. 131.
12. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 115.
13. Web site: National Top 100 Singles for 1982 . . . 445 . 3 January 1983 . 22 January 2023 .