"Steal Away" is a song by American singer Robbie Dupree, from his 1980 debut album Robbie Dupree. Released as the first single from the album, it became his biggest hit, peaking at No. 6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and No. 5 on the Adult Contemporary chart.[1] In Canada, the song reached No. 14 on the Pop chart and spent three weeks at No. 2 on the Adult Contemporary chart.[2]
| "Steal Away" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Robbie Dupree | ||||
| from the album Robbie Dupree | ||||
| B-side | "I'm No Stranger" | |||
| Released | April 1980 | |||
| Recorded | 1979 | |||
| Genre | Soft rock, pop rock, yacht rock, R&B | |||
| Length | 3:34 (album version) 3:21 (single version) | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Robbie Dupree, Rick Chudacoff | |||
| Producer(s) | Peter Bunetta, Rick Chudacoff | |||
| Robbie Dupree singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
In 2009, VH1 ranked "Steal Away" placed at No. 64 on their retrospective list 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 80s.[3] This is despite Dupree having had a second top 40 hit with his No. 15-peaking single "Hot Rod Hearts".
History and song information
editThe song was released by Dupree in 1980. It immediately charted in the top 20, becoming a big hit during the summer of 1980 and the driving force on his debut album.[4] In 1991, John D'Agostino of the Los Angeles Times described the song as "a blatant, wimpy rip-off of the Michael McDonald/Kenny Loggins' composition "What a Fool Believes".[5] The Washington Post noted similarities in both Dupree's vocal style and backing keyboards to "What a Fool Believes", mentioning that McDonald's publishers sought legal action, although McDonald himself did not accuse Dupree of stealing his song.[6]
In 2017, the song was used in the American television crime drama series, Better Call Saul, in season 3, episode 10, titled "Lantern."
Chart performance
editWeekly charts
edit| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] | 24 |
| Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[8] | 2 |
| Canada RPM Top Singles[9] | 14 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[10] | 6 |
| US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[10] | 85 |
| US Billboard Adult Contemporary[10] | 5 |
Year-end charts
edit| Year-end chart (1980) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Canada[11] | 92 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[12] | 26 |
References
edit- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 83.
- ^ Library and Archives of Canada (July 17, 2013). "Image : RPM Weekly". bac-lac.gc.ca.
- ^ Greenblatt, Leah (December 20, 2019). "VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the '80s: Do You Agree? | EW.com". EW.com. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
- ^ Chicago Top 40 Charts 1980. RP Smith. 2002
- ^ D'Agostino, John (June 13, 1991). "Michael McDonald brings his new band to Humphrey's tonight". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Harrington, Richard (1980-09-28). "Singing All the Way to Court". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 97. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1980-08-30. Retrieved 2019-07-26.
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1980-07-14. Retrieved 2019-07-26.
- ^ a b c "Robbie Dupree Steal Away Chart History". Billboard.
- ^ "Top 100 Singles (1980)". RPM. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
- ^ "1980 Talent in Action – Year End Charts : Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 92, no. 51. December 20, 1980.
External links
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