RANKED! 10 OF THE BEST OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN HITS – SELECTED BY A FAN

Love is all we leave when we are gone…so live on.
Olivia Newton-John

Truly, it’s hard to believe a full year has passed since pop superstar Olivia Newton-John lost her 30-year battle with breast cancer. To me, the world is a little bit colder without her sunshiny smile and sweet (yet deceptively funny) personality.

Dame Olivia Newton-John was a 4-time Grammy winner, scored 15 top ten singles (many of them featured here including her 5 number ones), sold more than 100 million records worldwide, and was a tireless activist on behalf of animals, the environment, and breast cancer research.

To single out only ten (or eleven in this case) songs from her vast catalogue of great singles is nearly impossible. But try I did. These are my overall favorites amongst her biggest hits. To expand knowledge of her awesome body of recordings, I’m including a short list of songs I’d recommend that are as good as her biggest hits, plus the singles I couldn’t opt for here due to the number.

For more on ONJ, revisit our posts below from last year in the aftermath of her passing on 8/8/2022:

With that being said, here are “Our Ten” favorite songs from the late but great Olivia Newton-John

NOTE: CLICK ON THE IMAGES FOR A VIDEO PERFORMANCE OF EACH SONG

10. SOUL KISS (1985) – (TIE)

The title track to her follow-up album to the phenomenon that was “Physical”, the single “Soul Kiss” to me seems a bit ahead of its time. The dark, moody feel of the heavy bass and the “pushing the envelope” suggestive lyrics combined with the imagery of the video should have lit up the charts in 1985. However, ONJ was competing with the emergence of Madonna, who naturally sounded young, fresh and way hipper. Regardless, the single has weathered well and is arguably among her best recordings.

Peak Position in the: US #20 UK: #100

10. THE RUMOUR (1988) – (TIE)

This “comeback single” from ONJ failed to light up the charts in 1988 even with the support of the “Olivia Down Under” special on HBO, the sleek video directed by Brian Grant (who directed her Grammy-winning “Physical” video album in 1981), and music and lyrics by Elton John & Bernie Taupin. Elton even provided piano and backing vocals on the release. Cashbox magazine noted the song was “the snappiest tune that Olivia’s done in a long stretch and she rises to the occasion delivering a heartfelt performance.” This time, the icon was competing with Whitney Houston and Debbie Gibson. Still an excellent fun track.

Peak Position in the: US #62 UK #85

9. XANADU (1980)

Create a quintessential song from the Electric Light Orchestra, and then have Jeff Lynne be only a backup singer, replacing him with Olivia Newton-John on lead vocals. The result? What Billboard called “a sizzling track…the combination is a winning one.” The title track from the soundtrack to Olivia’s critical bomb (and now cult classic) film follow-up to “Grease”, the single topped the charts in more than 10 countries back in 1980.

Peak Position in the: US #8 UK #1

8. YOU’RE THE ONE THAT I WANT (1978)

One of the best selling singles in history, “You’re the One That I Want”, performed during the musical climactic scene in 1978’s “Grease” allowed ONJ to mirror her character of Sandy within her own musical career, transforming her soft adult contemporary ballads into straight forward slick pop hits, leading to a track that would eventually top all songs for the entire decade of the 80’s. This, notably, before Shania Twain, Faith Hill, and most recently – Taylor Swift.

Peak Position in the: US #1 UK #1

7. I HONESTLY LOVE YOU (1974/1998)

Winning both “Record of the Year” and “Best Pop Vocal Performance – Female” at the 17th Grammy Awards, Olivia’s breakthrough single would become her signature song throughout her more than 50-year career, propelling its parent album, “If You Love Me (Let Me Know)” to number one in the U.S. Covered by everyone from Andy Williams to Juliana Hatfield, the ethereal original was infused with a knowing maturity in Olivia’s own remake of the single in 1998 (with backing vocals from Babyface). Classic and thoroughly iconic.

Peak Position in the: US #1 UK #22

6. PHYSICAL (1981)

“Rumour” has it the song was originally meant for Rod Stewart, offered then to Tina Turner, and finally found a home with pop princess Olivia Newton-John, who then recorded it, panicked after it was released, begged executives to pull it, had it banned in several countries, ended up countering the sexual innuendo in the lyrics with a cutting edge fitness themed video, took the song to #1 for 10 consecutive weeks (sorry Foreigner), and landed the song as a cultural touchpoint for decades to come. Cheesy but sometimes cheese is just what you need.

Peak Position in the US #1 UK #7

5. HAVE YOU NEVER BEEN MELLOW (1975)

Written by long-time producer and friend John Farrar, “Have You Never Been Mellow” became Olivia’s second consecutive number one single when it topped the charts in March of 1975. Although nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance – Female”, it lost out to Janis Ian’s “At Seventeen”. The song itself was inspired by the guys on her touring bus repeatedly using the word “mellow” in conversation, which triggered the song for Farrar, and further cemented ONJ as one of the greatest vocalists of all time. One question I’m left with after doing research is why it appears to not have been released in the UK?

Peak Position in the: US #1 UK n/a

4. TWIST OF FATE (1983)

Although the ill-fated reunion between ONJ and John Travolta in the form of the 1984 film “Two of a Kind” didn’t recapture the “Grease” magic, the soundtrack to the film went platinum, led by Olivia’s hit single “Twist of Fate”. Produced by David Foster (Whitney Houston, Earth Wind & Fire, Josh Groban and so many more), the single hit #5 in January of 1984, becoming one of her final top-40 hits. The song experienced a resurgence in the fall of 2017 when it was featured in the season finale of the Netflix series “Stranger Things”.

Peak Position in the: US #5 UK #57

3. MAGIC (1980)

Alongside ELO’s “I’m Alive”, this single kicked off the original motion picture soundtrack to “Xanadu”, with the single reaching the summit of Billboard’s Hot 100 for 4 weeks in August of 1980. Admired by John Lennon, the single was displaced from the top of the charts by Christopher Cross’ “Sailing”, but landed in the year-end countdown at the #3 song of the year. Magic indeed!

Peak Position in the: US #1 UK #32

2. HOPELESSLY DEVOTED TO YOU (1978)

The outpouring of grief worldwide a year ago at the passing of this English/Australian and yet somehow all-American girl was epitomized perfectly in the form of this solo single from the soundtrack to “Grease”. Nominated for an Oscar as Best Original Song, the single lost to Donna Summer’s “Last Dance” from “Thank God It’s Friday”, but peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #3. Interestingly, the song was not originally included in the musical, but ONJ’s contract stipulated she perform a solo. As producer Allan Carr wasn’t about to have his leading lady singing “It’s Raining on Prom Night” while being drenched onscreen, John Farrar quickly came up with this tune (although the lyrics took some time with a thesaurus), and it was recorded after the film had wrapped. An instant classic.

Peak Position in the: US: #3 UK – #2

1. A LITTLE MORE LOVE (1978)

Fresh off her career-making turn in “Grease”, Olivia Newton-John created what I feel is the best release of her career. Clad in black leather and stilettoes coupled with dark eyes and a come-hither look, “Totally Hot” marked a decided change from her previous studio album “Making a Good Thing Better” just a year or so before it. This lead single, with it’s grittier bassline and lyrical lines like “Where, where did my innocence go? How, how was a young girl to know?”, the track signaled this was a new ONJ that “Grease” only hinted at. The singer took full advantage and became an even greater international star than ever before. This single peaked at #3 on Billboard’s Hot 100, but I still feel it’s tops in her catalogue of great music.

Peak Position in the: US – #3 UK – #4

Because this is a “casual” listener list, it consists of mostly hits by the artist. There are so many classic songs by Olivia Newton-John that it truly is hard to narrow them down to ten (similar to my experience with Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles and ABBA). What are some of the other songs we “should” have included? What album tracks should have been singles? Here’s my secondary list: