Xanadu (soundtrack) (35th anniversary)

Welcome back to Soundtrack Sunday.

Today marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of the chart debut for the soundtrack from Xanadu, a movie that would then hit theatres a month later on August 8th of 1980. The record reached number 1 in Newton-John's native home of Australia, number 2 in the UK, and number 4 on the US Billboard Album chart (with thirty-six weeks on the charts). It also spawned six top 40 singles.

For my full review of this favorite of mine, click here.

Electric Light Orchestra - Discovery (35th anniversary)

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Saturday.

This month marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of Discovery, the eighth studio album from the Electric Light Orchestra. The album spent thirty-five weeks in 1979 on the US Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 5.

Click here for my full review.

Electric Light Orchestra - Secret Messages

This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of Secret Messages, the eleventh studio album from the Electric Light Orchestra. Released in June of 1983, it charted at number 36 on the US Billboard Hot 200, number 35 in Japan, number 19 in Australia, number 13 in New Zealand, number 11 in Austria and Sweden, number 7 in the Netherlands, number 6 in Germany, number 5 in Norway and number 4 in the UK.

Electric Light Orchestra - Out of the Blue

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Saturday.

In the fall of 1977, the Electric Light Orchestra released their seventh studio album, the double-disk Out of the Blue. One of the English band's most commercially successful records, there were four million copies on pre-order alone (an incredible number considering the retail channels and the price of albums at the time) which helped the release to quickly achieve multi-Platinum status. The record scored its highest chart position in Canada, reaching number 1 during its total of 29 weeks on the chart. In both the US (58 weeks on the charts) and the UK (113 weeks on the charts), the album peaked at number 4.

Electric Light Orchestra - Discovery

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Saturday.

In 1979, the British rock group Electric Light Orchestra (ELO for short) put out their eighth studio album Discovery and was a smash seller world-wide. It was their first number 1 album in their native UK (it debuted at the number 1 spot and stayed there for five weeks) and in Norway, and their second number 1 album in Australia. It went to number 2 in Sweden, number 3 in Austria, number 4 in Italy and number 5 in the United States. In most places, the album stayed on the charts for over half a year (in some places a little more than a year). The album also produced five singles total.

Xanadu (soundtrack)

Welcome back to Soundtrack Sunday. This one goes out to one of my Twitter followers (a fellow lover of all 80's music) who shares my immense appreciation for this album.

On August 8th of 1980, Universal Pictures released a film starring Olivia Newton-John, Gene Kelly and Michael Beck. It is the story of Sonny Malone (Beck), a talented artist who was unsatisfied with his day job of painting larger versions of album covers and longs for something more. Into his life comes a mysterious girl named Kira (Newton-John) who turns out to no only be an artistic muse for him but also an actual muse (i.e. daughter of the Olympian god Zeus). Add to the mix former big-band leader Danny McGuire (Kelly) who is looking for one more big adventure and you get the $20 million dollar musical extravaganza Xanadu.