Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Keep On Loving You
| cover = Keep On Loving You vinyl7'.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = REO Speedwagon
| album = Hi Infidelity
| B-side = Follow My Heart
| released = November 4, 1980
| recorded = September 3, 1980
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Soft rock
| length = 3:20
| label = Epic
| writer = Kevin Cronin
| producer = Kevin Beamish, Kevin Cronin, Alan Gratzer, Gary Richrath
| prev_title = Time for Me to Fly
| prev_year = 1978
| next_title = Take It on the Run
| next_year = 1981
| misc =
}}
"'Keep On Loving You'" is a soft rock power 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.[List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1981] The single was certified platinum for U.S. sales of over one million copies. It peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart. "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.
Background and recording
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:
Cronin also said:
Epic Records did not think the song was good enough to be released as a single but the band persuaded them to do so.[
]
Music video
In 1981, the music video of the song was the 17th played on the first day of broadcast of MTV, on August 1. 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."
Personnel
'REO Speedwagon'
*Kevin Cronin - lead vocals, acoustic guitar, piano
*Gary Richrath - electric guitar
*Bruce Hall - bass, backing vocals
*Neal Doughty - keyboards
*Alan Gratzer - drums, backing vocals
Chart performance
Weekly charts{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Chart (198081)
!Peak position
|-
|Australia (Kent Music Report]
|style="text-align:center;"|3
|-
|Canada ('CHUM')[. CHUM. Retrieved February 13, 2015.]
| style="text-align:center;"|2
|-
|Canadian 'RPM' Singles Chart
| style="text-align:center;"|2
|-
|-
|Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)
| style="text-align:center;"|14
|-
|-
|-
|Germany Media Control Charts
| style="text-align:center;"|15
|-
|Irish Singles Chart[ Note: REO Speedwagon must be searched manually.]
| style="text-align:center;"|6
|-
|Radio Luxemburg Singles
| style="text-align:center;"|4
|-
|New Zealand Singles Chart
| style="text-align:center;"|22
|-
|South African Singles Chart
| style="text-align:center;"|3
|-
|Swiss Music Charts
| style="text-align:center;"|4
|-
|UK Singles Chart[ Note: REO Speedwagon must be searched manually.]
| style="text-align:center;"|7
|-
|US 'Billboard' Hot 100
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
|US Top Rock Tracks
| style="text-align:center;"|9
|-
|US 'Cash Box'[. 'Cash Box' magazine. Retrieved February 13, 2015.]
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
|US 'Record World'
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
|US 'Radio & Records (R&R)'
| style="text-align:center;"|2
|}
Year-end charts
Certifications
See also
*List of 'Billboard' Hot 100 number-one singles of 1981
References
Category:1980 singles
Category:1980 songs
Category:1981 singles
Category:1980s ballads
Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
Category:Cashbox number-one singles
Category:REO Speedwagon songs
Category:Songs written by Kevin Cronin
Category:Epic Records singles
Category:Song recordings produced by Kevin Beamish
Category:Song recordings produced by Gary Richrath
Category:Song recordings produced by Kevin Cronin
Category:Rock ballads
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