This forgotten band was one of the most successful pop acts of the 1980s
By Joel Wagler
In 1980, the Australian band Air Supply released its fifth studio album. Singer Russell Hitchcock and guitarist Graham Russell couldn't have dreamed of what would happen next. Previously, they had only modest success down under, but for whatever reason, their Lost in Love album, filled with soft rock love songs, struck the right chord globally.
That album peaked on the Billboard 200 album chart and spawned three top-five hits on the Billboard Hot 100 singles charts. Eventually, it reached double platinum status, selling more than two million units worldwide.
A year later, the band released The One That You Love, which produced three more top-five hits, including the title track, which reached number one.
Air Supply might be the forgotten genius of the 1980s
In 1982, the band released another big album, Now and Forever. This effort produced another top-five hit and two more top-40 hits. A year later, their self-titled album produced yet another top-20 hit.
In all, from 1980 through 1986, the band had an amazing eight top-five hits, 11 top-40 hits, and 13 songs that charted on the Hot 100 singles chart. Here is a list of their top eight songs.
Songs | Top Chart Position | Year |
|---|---|---|
The One That You Love | 1 | 1981 |
All Out of Love | 2 | 1980 |
Making Love Out of Nothing at All | 2 | 1983 |
Lost in Love | 3 | 1980 |
Every Woman in the World | 5 | 1980 |
Here I Am | 5 | 1981 |
Sweet Dreams | 5 | 1981 |
Even the Nights are Better | 5 | 1982 |
Eight hits in four years is as impressive of a music feat as you'll ever see. In comparison, one of the most renowned rock and roll bands, Credence Clearwater Revival, from 1968 through 1971, had nine top 10 hits. CCR also had four other top-40 hits and three more songs on the Hot 100. Incredibly, Credence never had a song top the charts.
CCR is considered an all-time great band, but Air Supply has slipped into oblivion. One reason for this might be song content and timing. CCR was wholeheartedly a rock band, with songs that were a bit more weighty, while Air Supply was a soft rock band that had success mostly with ballads.
Still, Air Supply's commercial chart success is undeniable. While "The One That You Love" was their only song to hit number one, "All Out of Love" has been the most popular, according to Graham Russell, who wrote the song and played guitar in the band. Graham says the song has been played over seven million times on the radio.
If you are ever in the mood for some breezy, passion-filled love songs dripping with emotion, give Air Supply a listen. While their music hasn't found much footing with younger audiences, they did what they did as well as any band ever and deserve more recognition for their incredible musical accomplishments.
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