Keep On Loving You (song)

For other uses, see Keep On Loving You (disambiguation).

"Keep On Loving You"
Single by REO Speedwagon
from the album Hi Infidelity
B-side"Follow My Heart"
ReleasedNovember 4, 1980[1]
Recorded1980
Genre
Length3:20
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)Kevin Cronin
Producer(s)Kevin Beamish, Kevin Cronin, Alan Gratzer, Gary Richrath
REO Speedwagon singles chronology
"Time for Me to Fly"
(1978) 		"Keep On Loving You"
(1980) 		"Take It on the Run"
(1981)
Music video
"Keep On Loving You" on YouTube
Audio sample

"Keep On Loving You" is a ballad written by Kevin Cronin and performed by American rock band REO Speedwagon. It features the lead guitar work of Gary Richrath. The song first appeared on REO Speedwagon's 1980 album Hi Infidelity. It was the first REO Speedwagon single to break the top 50 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, reaching the number-one spot for one week in March 1981.[4] The single was certified platinum for U.S. sales of over one million copies. It peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart.[5]

"Keep On Loving You" has been a mainstay on 1980s soft rock compilations and has appeared on dozens of 'various artists' compilation albums, as well as several REO Speedwagon greatest hits albums.[6] Ultimate Classic Rock critic Matt Wardlaw rated it REO Speedwagon's all-time greatest song.[7]

Background and recording

[edit]

Kevin Cronin stated that he wrote "Keep On Loving You" as a more traditional love ballad, and the band as a whole developed it into its final arrangement as a power ballad. He recounted:

I walked into rehearsal and sat down at the piano, which I rarely do because I'm a guitar player, and started playing "Keep on Loving You." ... And the guys in the band looked at me like I was from another planet. They were like, "What are you...?" because we were all bringing in songs for this record we were going to make and they looked at me like I was crazy. And I'm like, "Dude, this song really means a lot to me." [And they said] "So, dude, that's not an REO Speedwagon song." And I kind of was like, "You know what? I'm the main songwriter for REO Speedwagon, so if I write a song, it's an REO Speedwagon song. It's the band's job to turn it into an REO Speedwagon song." I was so passionate about this song. Everyone kind of got it and sure enough, Gary [Richrath] went over, plugged in his guitar and started playing power chords to this little love song I wrote. The next thing we knew, it was a number one record and everyone was calling it a power ballad and acted like we had this strategy for success that made this song happen when really it was just an accident.[8]

Cronin also said:

I went down to S.I.R. Studios, where we were rehearsing, sat down at [Neal Doughty's] piano and started to play these chords. Now, usually with us when somebody comes up with a good musical idea and begins playing it, everyone else joins in and we take it from there. But I must have played this part about 100 times, and no-one was taking any notice. Finally, though, Gary [Richarth] plugged in his Les Paul to a giant stack of Marshalls and started playing something. Now, I am convinced the only reason he did this was to try and drown me out. But when I heard what he was doing I jumped up and said, 'That's exactly what this song needs!'. And the song took off from there.[9]

Epic Records did not think the song was good enough to be released as a single but the band persuaded them to do so.[9]

Music video

[edit]

In 1981, a video of the song was the 17th played on the first day of broadcast of MTV, on August 1.[10] It was framed by a scene of Kevin Cronin talking about his relationship troubles with a female psychiatrist and contained a shot where a woman picked up a telephone connected to Gary Richrath's guitar, referencing the live version of "157 Riverside Avenue."[11]

Personnel

[edit]

REO Speedwagon

Additional personnel

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[39] Gold 400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[40] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA.
  2. ^ Köhler, Michael (March 9, 2019). "Review: R.E.O. Speedwagon – CLASSIC YEARS 1978–1990". Classic Rock Magazin (in German). Retrieved September 13, 2024.
  3. ^ Benitez-Eves, Tina (February 10, 2023). "Dolly Parton, Kevin Cronin to Record "Dark Duet" of REO Speedwagon's "Keep on Loving You"". American Songwriter. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  4. ^ List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1981
  5. ^ "Reo Speedwagon | Artist". Official Charts. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
  6. ^ "REO Speedwagon, Keep On Loving You (Appears On)". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  7. ^ Wardlaw, Matt (October 6, 2013). "Top 10 REO Speedwagon Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  8. ^ Everson, Zach (February 24, 2010). "REO Speedwagon's Kevin Cronin on Louisville, power ballads and if my wife's a slut". Louisville. Archived from the original on June 23, 2012. Retrieved February 24, 2010.
  9. ^ a b Cronin, Kevin (May 11, 2016). "The 10 Best REO Speedwagon Songs, by Kevin Cronin". Classic Rock. Louder Sound. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  10. ^ "Random Facts: 1st Video to Ever Play on MTV". JMedinaLive.com. June 8, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  11. ^ "REO Speedwagon, Keep On Loving You". YouTube. October 9, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  12. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 250. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  13. ^ "CHART NUMBER 1261 – Saturday, March 14, 1981". Archived from the original on November 7, 2006. Retrieved February 13, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). CHUM. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  14. ^ "Top Singles – Volume 30, No. 12, December 16, 1978". RPM. RPM Music Publications Ltd. December 16, 1978. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  15. ^ "REO Speedwagon – Keep On Loving You" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  16. ^ "REO Speedwagon – Keep On Loving You" (in Dutch). Top 30. Archived from the original on February 13, 2015. Retrieved February 13, 2015. Hoogste notering in de top 30 : 14
  17. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – REO Speedwagon – Keep On Loving You" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  18. ^ "REO Speedwagon – Keep On Loving You" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  19. ^ "REO Speedwagon – Keep On Loving You". officialcharts.de. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  20. ^ "Irish Singles Chart". The Irish Charts. Retrieved January 25, 2015. Note: REO Speedwagon must be searched manually.
  21. ^ "REO Speedwagon Singles". umdmusic.com. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  22. ^ Steffen Hung. "Keep On Loving You". charts.nz. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  23. ^ John Samson. "Keep On Loving You in South African Chart". Retrieved July 2, 2014.
  24. ^ Hung Medien. "REO Speedwagon – Keep On Loving You". hitparade.ch. Archived from the original on March 11, 2015. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  25. ^ "KEEP ON LOVING YOU". Official Charts. April 11, 1981.
  26. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Top Pop Singles 1955–2012. Menomonee Falls, WI: Record Research, Inc. p. 703. ISBN 978-0-89820-205-2.
  27. ^ "Artist Chart History – REO Speedwagon". Billboard charts. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  28. ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending MARCH 7, 1981". Archived from the original on September 18, 2012. Retrieved February 13, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). Cash Box magazine. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  29. ^ "Song artist 607 – REO Speedwagon". TsorT. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  30. ^ "REO Speedwagon". Gghunt.utasites.cloud. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
  31. ^ "Charts". Gghunt.utasites.cloud. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
  32. ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1981". Kent Music Report. January 4, 1982. p. 7. Retrieved January 11, 2022 – via Imgur.
  33. ^ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  34. ^ "Top Singles – Volume 35, No. 22, December 26, 1981". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on October 20, 2013. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  35. ^ "Dutch charts jaaroverzichten 1981" (ASP) (in Dutch). Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  36. ^ "Chart File Top 100" (PDF). Record Mirror. London: Spotlight Publications. December 26, 1981. p. 27. Retrieved June 13, 2016.[permanent dead link]
  37. ^ "Top 100 Hits for 1981". The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  38. ^ "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1981". Archived from the original on September 18, 2012. Retrieved May 6, 2014.. Cash Box magazine. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  39. ^ "British single certifications – Reo Speedwagon – Keep On Loving You". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  40. ^ "American single certifications – R.E.O. Speedwagon – Keep On Loving You". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
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