The No. 1 Song On August 4, 1980 Sounds Even More Magical Today
On August 4, 1980, the best-performing single in the U.S. was the truly enchanting "Magic" by Olivia Newton-John, yet its rise to No. 1 seems so unlikely that it invites allegations of sorcery. After starring in the 1978 blockbuster "Grease," Newton-John continued her transition from soft rock and country singer to pop star and actor by signing on for a lead role in 1980's "Xanadu." She portrayed Kira, a muse from Greek mythology who comes alive in contemporary Los Angeles, and the heavily magical plot in "Xanadu" is summed up in the spacey, synth-drenched, and dreamy "Magic."
The tune wouldn't sound out of place on a 2020s indie pop playlist. "You have to believe we are magic / Nothin' can stand in our way," Newton-John's Kira coos in an enigmatic skating sequence in the film. While "Xanadu" was a flop, there were several hit singles from the movie's soundtrack, although only "Magic" floated to the top of the Hot 100. Here's the story of how "Magic" reached No. 1 in the summer of 1980, despite its extremely unpopular origin.
Magic was a huge hit from a flop movie
Before he was part of the Traveling Wilburys, one of the best supergroups in history, Jeff Lynne aligned his band, Electric Light Orchestra, with Olivia Newton-John to build the soundtrack for 1980's "Xanadu." In what turned out to be a wise move, MCA Records released the songs well before the theatrical debut of "Xanadu." Among the several Top 20 hits from the "Xanadu" LP was Newton-John's own "Magic," and what a hit it was, spending four weeks atop the pop chart. Frequent collaborator John Farrar wrote Newton-John's songs for "Xanadu," including "Magic," with not just the singer's abilities in mind but her character's motivations.
By August 4, 1980, when "Magic" was entrenched at No. 1, "Xanadu" still hadn't hit theaters. And as many of those songs started to climb the charts, the movie was proving to be a disaster. A box office flop thoroughly trashed by critics, it helped bring to fruition the Golden Raspberry Awards, aka the Razzies. About the only thing "Xanadu" had going for it was the ELO and Newton-John soundtrack. The album went on to sell over 2 million copies, being full of banger rock songs made famous by a movie that relatively few people saw or enjoyed.