"Twist of Fate" by Olivia Newton-John

Top 10 Alert!

Song#:  1684
Date:  11/05/1983
Debut:  49
Peak:  5
Weeks:  18
Genre:  Synthpop, Soundtrack



Pop Bits:  While Newton-John's Olivia's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 was keeping listeners busy with its new song "Heart Attack" (#3), she was busy working on her next film titled Twist of Fate. The main draw of the picture was that it re-teamed Newton-John with her Grease co-star John Travolta. It seemed like a can't-miss thing - but then it did. Critics savaged the film and it became a box office flop. However, all was not lost. A soundtrack of songs heard in the film (it was not a musical) was created and produced by David Foster. It contained two new Newton-John songs, a new duet with Travolta, and tracks from Patti Austin, Chicago, Journey, and Boz Scaggs. It would be a platinum success thanks in part to this first title-track single that became Newton-John's fifteenth Top 10 hit. Unfortunately, it would also be her last Pop Top 10 ending a successful run of hits that began in 1973 with the #6 "Let Me Be There."

ReduxReview:  I'd consider this the song that put Newton-John in full synthpop diva mode. And it was glorious. Big, brash, brazen, robotic pop in all its splendor with Newton-John giving it her all. The movie was a stinker, but thankfully she redeemed herself with this tune and her other solo contribution to the soundtrack. I'd end up liking a couple of her future singles, but as the Pop chart basically showed, this was Newton-John's last great single.

ReduxRating:  9/10

Trivia:  Although it served as the b-side to this song, Newton-John's duet with John Travolta called "Take a Chance" got enough airplay to reach the AC chart. It did very well hitting #3. However, the success on the AC chart didn't translate to the Pop world and it failed to make that chart.

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