Xanadu (soundtrack)

Xanadu
Soundtrack album by
Olivia Newton-John and Electric Light Orchestra
ReleasedJune 27, 1980
Studio
Genre
Length41:34
LabelMCA (US & Canada)
Jet (international)
Producer
Olivia Newton-John chronology
Totally Hot
(1978) 		Xanadu
(1980) 		Love Performance
(1981)
Electric Light Orchestra chronology
A Box of Their Best
(1980) 		Xanadu
(1980) 		Four Light Years
(1980)
Singles from Xanadu
  1. "Magic"
    Released: May 1980
  2. "I'm Alive"
    Released: May 1980
  3. "Xanadu"
    Released: June 1980
  4. "All Over the World"
    Released: July 1980
  5. "Suddenly"
    Released: October 1980
  6. "Don't Walk Away"
    Released: November 1980
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[2]
MusicHound1.5/5[3]
Smash Hits6/10[4]

Xanadu is the soundtrack to the 1980 musical film of the same name, featuring the Australian singer Olivia Newton-John and the British group Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). It was released in June 1980 on MCA Records in the United States and July 1980 by Jet Records in the United Kingdom.[5] The original LP release featured on side one the songs of Newton-John, and on side two the songs of ELO. In 2008 the soundtrack album was digitally remastered as a bonus CD as part of the film's DVD release titled Xanadu: Magical Musical Edition.

Although the film was a critical and commercial disappointment,[6] the soundtrack was a worldwide success and received positive reviews from music critics, earning double platinum certifications in the United States and Canada. The singles "Magic" and "Xanadu" reached number one in the United States and United Kingdom, respectively. "Magic" became Olivia's ninth Number One single in The Netherlands, while "Xanadu" topped the chart in Italy. All in all, the album was the fifth most popular US soundtrack of 1981.[7]

  1. ^ Xanadu at AllMusic
  2. ^ Larkin, Colin, ed. (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th edn). London: Omnibus Press. p. 915. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  3. ^ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 813. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
  4. ^ Starr, Red (7–20 August 1980). "Albums". Smash Hits. p. 28.
  5. ^ "Jeff Lynne Song Database - Olivia Newton-John & Electric Light Orchestra - Xanadu song analysis". www.jefflynnesongs.com. Retrieved 22 June 2018. - the U.S. MCA release was MCA 6100, and the U.K. Jet release was JET LX 526
  6. ^ Ewbank, Tim. Olivia: The Biography of Olivia Newton-John Hachette UK, 2008. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  7. ^ Casey Kasem's American Top 40 - The Top 100 of 1981 from 26 December 1981