Both Sides - Critical Response

Critical Response

Both Sides was met with a lukewarm reception, especially in the Adult Contemporary radio, being criticised for its over reliance on slow, dark and downbeat songs. The album was preceded by the title track as the first single, reaching No. 7 in the UK and only No. 25 in the US (in a disappointing chart performance considering the lead singles from his two previous albums were No. 1 hits in America). The album itself was released weeks later surprisingly only going to No. 13 in the US, though it still went platinum there. Both Sides was a hit in other European countries such as the UK (where it was the 8th biggest-selling album of 1993, though it was only available for the final eight weeks of the year), Germany or Switzerland, reaching No. 1 all over Europe, but with a limited success, due to the lack of hit singles. The ballad "Everyday", released in early 1994, was another Top 20 hit in the UK, peaking at No. 15, and became the biggest hit single from the album in the US, reaching No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The third and last single, "We Wait and We Wonder"—a political anthem on which Collins plays bagpipes—reached only No. 45 in the UK.