"Hold On to the Nights" by Richard Marx

#1 Alert!

Song#:  3526

Date:  05/21/1988

Debut:  69

Peak:  1 (1 week)

Weeks:  21

Genre:  Pop, Soft Rock

Pop Bits:  The first three singles from Richard Marx's self-titled debut album all got close to the top spot on the Pop chart, but peaked just shy with two reaching #3 and his third one, "Endless Summer Nights," getting to #2. Could a fourth single finally grab that top spot? Marx gave it a go with this ballad and indeed it would earn him his first Pop #1. The song also did well enough to reach #3 at AC. The hit would push the LP to a new peak of #8 in September. By that point, it had already reached the double-platinum sales level. Eventually it would go triple-platinum. This single would end up being the final one released from the album.

ReduxReview:  After three upbeat rock/pop singles, Marx finished his debut album hit streak with a ballad. It was a good choice to do that and this one certainly fit the bill. It kind of sounded like a theme from some romantic/drama film. There was a bit of Phil Collins running underneath it all. It was a good tune and I liked it when it really started to take off with the guitar kicking in at the end of the bridge. It all kind of explodes and comes together after that. However, I did find the tune a bit plodding on its way to get there. In my head I kind of think, "yeah, yeah, yeah, let's get on with it."

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  With this song hitting #1, Marx became only the second artist to have gotten four Top 3 hits from a debut album. He nearly became the first, but George Michael beat him to the punch by a couple months when the fourth single from his Faith album (his solo debut), "One More Try," got to #1. In fact, Michael would end up with five Top 3 hits from the album. For female artists, Paula Abdul's 1989 debut album would generate five Top 3 hits. For duos or groups, it seems that Milli Vanilli's debut LP got them four Top 3 hits just two months before New Kids on the Block's debut would do the same. It's strange that all of these hit-generating debuts were all released within about a two-year span. The artist whose debut album generated the most Top 10 hits was George Michael's Faith with six. Then debut albums by Paula Abdul, Milli Vanilli, New Kids on the Block, and Fergie (2006's The Dutchess) would all featured five Top 10s.

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