Physical (album)

Physical (album)

Physical is the twelfth studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Olivia Newton-John, released on 13 October 1981 by MCA Records. The album was produced and partly written by her long-time producer John Farrar. Physical continues the pop style which Newton-John moved towards after Grease, becoming one of her most controversial and sexualized records, and her most successful studio album to date. Musically, the album features songs with a considerable use of synthesizers, something that would be used in several Newton-John's 1980s records.

The album received generally positive reviews from music critics, many considering it Newton-John's best work. Physical explores lyrical themes such as love, relationships, sex and environmental protection. The album reached the top 10 in several countries across the world — including the United States, United Kingdom, Japan and Australia — becoming one of the most successful albums of early 1980s. It is one of the best selling albums ever by an Australian solo artist, selling more than ten million copies worldwide.

The album's lead single, "Physical", was released on 28 September 1981. The single was a commercial phenomenon, staying 10 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 (the biggest setting at the time, tied with Debby Boone's "You Light Up My Life"). The song and its music video were very polemical, being banned or edited from several radio stations and network televisions. The single was followed by "Make a Move on Me", another top 10 worldwide hit, and "Landslide", which failed to enter into the majority of musical charts.

A video compilation was made featuring music videos for all of the songs from the album. Three Newton-John past hits, "Hopelessly Devoted to You", "A Little More Love" and "Magic", also had new music videos filmed. Let's Get Physical was premiered in February 1982 on ABC in the United States, and later released on home video as Olivia Physical. The video was a commercial and critical success, and won a Grammy Award for Video of the Year.

The album was promoted on Newton-John's fifth concert tour, Physical Tour, which in 1982 visited cities of North America only. The tour was filmed for the television and home video, released as Olivia in Concert. The Physical era marked the height of Newton-John's solo career, who was considered for several media vehicles such as Billboard and Cashbox as one of the most successful female singers of the early 1980s.