The Riddle (album)

The Riddle
Studio album by
Nik Kershaw
Released19 November 1984 (1984-11-19)
Recorded1984
StudioSarm East (London)
Sarm West (London)
Genre
Length42:32
LabelMCA
ProducerPeter Collins
Nik Kershaw chronology
Human Racing
(1984) 		The Riddle
(1984) 		Radio Musicola
(1986)
Singles from The Riddle
  1. "The Riddle"
    Released: 5 November 1984
  2. "Wide Boy"
    Released: 4 March 1985
  3. "Don Quixote"
    Released: 22 July 1985[3]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
BillboardFavourable[4]
DžuboksFavourable[5]
Record Mirror[6]
Rolling Stone[2]
Smash Hits[7]

The Riddle is the second studio album by English singer-songwriter Nik Kershaw, released on 19 November 1984 by MCA Records.

On release, the album was received favourably by the majority of music critics. It peaked at number eight on the UK Albums Chart and reached the top 10 in New Zealand and Norway. The album spawned three charting singles in the United Kingdom—"The Riddle" peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart; "Wide Boy" at number nine; "Don Quixote" at number 10. The album has been certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).

The album was re-released on 9 August 2013 on Universal Music Group's Re-presents imprint featuring rare bonus content. The reissue is a two-disc set with the original album digitally remastered from the original 1/2" mix tapes; the bonus content consists of associated B-sides, 12″ mixes, and live versions of the songs featured on the album.

  1. ^ a b Bultman, Scott. "Nik Kershaw – The Riddle". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  2. ^ a b c Henke, James (5 May 1985). "Lone Justice Proves They Are More Than Hype". The Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  3. ^ Smith, Robin (13 July 1985). "News". Record Mirror. p. 6.
  4. ^ Billboard magazine - Reviews: albums - 30 March 1985 - page 72
  5. ^ "Nik Kershaw – The Riddle". Džuboks (in Serbian). No. 194 (second series). p. 14.
  6. ^ Gardner, Mike (24 November 1984). "Albums". Record Mirror. Vol. 31, no. 48. p. 20.
  7. ^ Sheaff, Claire (22 November – 5 December 1984). "Albums: Nik Kershaw – The Riddle (MCA)". Smash Hits. Vol. 6, no. 24. Peterborough: EMAP National Publications, Ltd. p. 25. ISSN 0260-3004. Retrieved 22 December 2023.