The world honors a small token of the legacy of Olivia Newton-John, as her song “Hopelessly Devoted To You” reached #1 on Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales.
A Legendary Artist
A Legendary ArtistAs a talented singer and actress, Olivia Newton-John quickly became a local star in Australia. Newton-John started off her career with early appearances on TV shows and talent shows, winning a trip to Great Britain from the “Sing, Sing, Sing” Australian talent contest. While in Britain, Newton-John would record her first single, “Till You Say You’ll Be Mine,” and her first solo album, “If Not for You.”
After repeatedly vying for a hit in America, Newton-John would eventually strike gold with “Let Me Be There.” This song would earn her a Grammy for Best Country Female. Following this, she would win two more Grammys for her album “If You Love Me, Let Me Know.” Gaining a large country following in the US, Newton-John would eventually move to the U.S and continue to dominate the top 10 spots on charts for her future albums. Her biggest single would of course be “Physical,” which would become an iconic 80s song.
Newton-John would famously star in one of the highest-grossing musical films of all time, Grease. Grease would feature John Travolta and Newton-John in a musical rom-com between a greaser and an Australian exchange student. The film would be critically acclaimed and would have the second-best-selling album of 1978. “Hopelessly Devoted To You” was one of the songs from this album, and its impact would still hold true decades later.
“Hopelessly Devoted To You” Charts Yet Again
As a slow country-pop tune, this song is entrancingly romantic, heavily featuring a steel guitar accompanying Newton-John’s delicate voice. Despite Newton-John performing the song, her producer John Farrar actually produced and wrote it. The song bounces between major and minor tones, with Newton-John’s soothing, romantic singing cutting through a wistful solo being played by the guitar.
This song would receive an Oscar nomination for “Best Original Song,” and would reach #3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 at the time of its release. This song would also even hit #1 in Belgium, Canada, Ireland, and the Netherlands.
Newton-John would star in over 30 TV programs, release 26 albums, win 4 Grammys, and be an outspoken environmental activist. Her legacy is far-reaching and vast, and “Hopelessly Devoted To You” charting is just a small part of that.
