"Take Me Down" by Alabama

Song#:  1042
Date:  05/22/1982
Debut:  69
Peak:  18
Weeks:  13
Genre:  Country Crossover



Pop Bits:  Alabama continued their streak of #1's with their LP "Mountain Music" and its title-track single. However, the wildly popular single couldn't muster a showing on the pop chart. This second single would do the trick and get them their second best pop chart entry. Of course, it was another #1 country hit and would reach #5 at AC. The album would eventually become their best selling studio album getting certified 5x platinum.

ReduxReview:  Although they were always good at country stompers ("Mountain Music") and old-style waltzes, they really knew how to sell a crossover tune. They understood that the broad appeal of a song like this could open up their music to a wider audience and it certainly worked. Maintaining that audience would be more difficult as the decade moved on, but many of the fans won here stayed on and pushed them into their most popular period. This quality tune got missed the first time around (see below), but Alabama knew exactly what to do with it and did it well.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  This song was originally done by the group Exile. Written by two of its members, the song appeared on their 1980 LP "Don't Leave Me This Way." It was issued as a single, but failed to chart. This came at a time when Exile was beginning a switch from soft rock to country. Known for their #1 hit, 1978's "Kiss You All Over," the group had difficulty securing another hit. After several personnel changes, the band made a distinct switch to country with their self-titled 1983 album. It would be a successful transition with the band getting 10 #1 country hits throughout the decade.

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