"Tonight It's You" by Cheap Trick

Song#:  2399
Date:  07/27/1985
Debut:  93
Peak:  44
Weeks:  17
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  After a string of gold and platinum albums, things cooled down for Cheap Trick. Their 1983 album Next Position Please, produced by Todd Rundgren, had more of a pop flare to it and some critics were quite positive about the LP. Unfortunately, the album sold poorly with neither of its two singles reaching any chart. It was the band's lowest peaking LP since 1977. Needing to rebound from the disappointment, the band decided they wanted to return to the harder rocking sound of their early years and hired on Jack Douglas, who had produced the band's self-titled debut album. The final product, Standing on the Edge, was preceded by this first single that became the band's first to reach the Top 10 at Rock (#8). That airplay along with a popular MTV video helped the song get on the Pop chart where it nearly made the Top 40. It was actually their best Pop single showing since 1980 and it helped the album reach #35. While it failed to reach gold level sales, it was certainly a bit of a win following the lackluster results of their previous album.

ReduxReview:  This band has always been caught in between being a rock band doing their own thing and one trying to appease their label's call to be more commercial. Sometimes it worked out for them, sometimes it didn't. In the case of this single, I think they rode the line quite well. All three main sections of the song are hooky, well-done, and ready for the arena. I heard this on the radio and liked it well enough to buy the single. The mix is a bit muddy, yet the song shines through. It's a bit of a lost song in their catalog, which is a shame. It really should have done better on the chart.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  Cheap Trick's first chart entry of the decade was "Everything Works If You Let It," which was a song they did for the soundtrack to the film Roadie. Over the next few years they would contribute to at least four more soundtracks. Next came two songs for the animated film Heavy Metal including the track "Reach Out." Then they did title song to the comedy Spring Break. In '84, they did another title track song this time for the comedy Up the Creek. Perhaps their most well-known soundtrack contribution was "Mighty Wings" from the nine-million selling Top Gun soundtrack. All four of these soundtrack songs were issued as singles, but unfortunately none of them charted.

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