Magic (Olivia Newton-John song)

1980 single by Olivia Newton-John

"Magic"

Picture sleeve of the US and Australasian releases

Single by Olivia Newton-John
from the album  Xanadu
B-side|

* "Fool Country" (US)
* "Whenever You're Away from Me" (UK)

Released| May 1980
Recorded| 1979
Studio| Musicland (Munich, Germany)
Genre|

* Pop[1]
* disco[2]
* soft rock[3]

Length| 4:31
Label|

* MCA (US)
* Jet (UK)

Songwriter(s)| John Farrar
Producer(s)| John Farrar
Olivia Newton-John singles chronology
| "Rest Your Love on Me"
(1980)  | "Magic"
(1980)  | "Xanadu"
(1980)

|
|

"Magic" is a song recorded by British-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John for the soundtrack to the 1980 musical fantasy film Xanadu, which starred Newton-John and Gene Kelly. Written and produced by Newton-John's frequent collaborator John Farrar, "Magic" was released as the soundtrack's lead single in May 1980 and topped the US  Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks beginning on 2 August.[4] On 30 August, it was displaced from the top by Christopher Cross's "Sailing".

In Canada, "Magic" spent two weeks at No. 1 on the RPM Top Singles chart, and also reached No. 4 in Australia and No. 32 in the United Kingdom. "Magic" became Newton-John's biggest Billboard Adult Contemporary hit, spending five weeks at the top of the chart, and also topped the RPM Adult Contemporary chart for a week.[5] Billboard ranked "Magic" as the third most popular single of 1980. Record World called it an "infectious pop ballad [that] has a big beat production treatment".[1]

Both US and UK B-sides also appear in Xanadu:

* US: "Fool Country" is one of three single B-sides to appear in the film but not on the soundtrack. This is featured in the nightclub grand opening segment following the film's title track and before its reprise.
* UK: "Whenever You're Away from Me" (a duet with co-star Gene Kelly), also appears as the B-side of the US "Xanadu" single.

## Track listing and formats

[edit]

All tracks written and produced by John Farrar.

* US 7-inch vinyl single (MCA Records)

A1. "Magic" – 4:25
B1. "Fool Country" – 2:29

* UK 7-inch vinyl single (Jet Records)

A1. "Magic" – 4:25
B1. "Whenever You're Away from Me" – 4:22

## Personnel

[edit]

* Olivia Newton-John – lead and backing vocals
* John Farrar – electric guitars, electric piano, synthesizers and backing vocals
* David Hungate – bass
* Carlos Vega – drums and percussion

Additional personnel

* Strings arranged and conducted by Richard Hewson
* David J. Holman – engineering and mixing

## Charts

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

| Chart (1980)  | Peak
position

|

Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] | 4
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)  | 20
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[7] | 1
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[8] | 1
Germany (GfK)  | 36
Japan (Oricon)  | 43
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[9] | 12
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)  | 4
South Africa (Springbok)[10] | 5
Sweden  | 12
UK Singles (OCC)  | 32
US Billboard Hot 100[11] | 1
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[12] | 1
US Cash Box Top 100 Singles[13] | 1
Belgium (Ultratop) [14] | 18
Luxembourg (Radio Luxembourg)[15] | 25
Quebec (ADISQ)[16] | 1
Chart (2022)  | Peak
position

|

Canada Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[17] | 37
US Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[18] | 11

### Year-end charts

[edit]

| Chart (1980)  | Rank
position

|

Australia (Kent Music Report)[19][20] | 30
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[21] | 10
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[22] | 36
US Billboard Hot 100[23] | 3

### All-time charts

[edit]

Chart (1958–2018)  | Rank
position

|

US Billboard Hot 100[24] | 376

## Certifications and sales

[edit]

Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

Australia (ARIA)[25] | Platinum  | 100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

## 2011 version

[edit]

"Magic (Peach & DJ Dan Murphy remix)"

Single by Olivia Newton-John featuring Wacci
Released| 22 May 2011
Genre| Electropop, dance-pop
Length| 3:37
Songwriter(s)| John Farrar
Producer(s)| DJ Dan Murphy, Steve Peach
Olivia Newton-John featuring Wacci singles chronology
| "Help Me to Heal"
(2010)  | "Magic (Peach & DJ Dan Murphy remix)"
(2011)  | "When You Wish upon a Star"
(2011)

|
|

Music video
"Magic (Peach & DJ Dan Murphy remix)" on YouTube

"Magic (Peach & DJ Dan Murphy remix)" is a remix of the song. In May 2011, it was remixed by two Australians, DJ Dan Murphy and Steve Peach, to create a dance version. Newton-John went back to the studio to re-sing the vocals. The version was sponsored by WACCI, a humanitarian group.[citation needed]

Everybody who worked on the project volunteered their time, with all proceeds being donated to Newton-John's charity, the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre.[citation needed]

Newton-John was presented the world premiere of the song on the Australian edition of Dancing with the Stars on Sunday 22 May 2011. The song was released exclusively on Australian iTunes that same day.[citation needed]

### Music video

[edit]

A video was shot for the new remix in Sydney in an attempt to break the Guinness Book World Record for largest cast in a music video by featuring 350 people. Newton-John does not appear in the video, which was directed by DJ Dan Murphy.[citation needed]

### Chart performance

[edit]

Chart (2011)  | Peak
position

|

Australia (ARIA)[26] | 79
Australia Dance (ARIA)  | 19

## Cover versions

[edit]

* A version of the song by Stimulator was used in commercials for Macy's.[27] This cover was also used in the film Ella Enchanted and appeared on the film's soundtrack.
* In 2015 Newton-John teamed with her daughter Chloe Lattanzi and Dave Aude to rework the song's chorus into a new recording, "You Have to Believe". The song went to number one on the US Dance Club Songs chart.[28]

## See also

[edit]

* List of Billboard Adult Contemporary number ones of 1980
* List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1980
* List of Cash Box Top 100 number-one singles of 1980

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 24 May 1980. p. 1. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
2. ^ Molanphy, Chris (17 April 2021). "Taylor's Version of Country Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
3. ^ Sendejas Jr., Jesse (7 August 2014). "The '70s' Seven Sexiest Soft-Rock Songs". Houston Press.
4. ^ "The 15 best Olivia Newton-John songs" Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
5. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
6. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. p. 217\. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
7. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
8. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada" (PDF). Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 26 July 1980. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
9. ^ "Top40Hitdossier.nl". top40.nl. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
10. ^ "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 5 September 2018.
11. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 \- ISBN 0-89820-089-X
12. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 182.
13. ^ "Top 100 1980-08-16". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved 2015-08-30.
14. ^ https://www.ultratop.be/nl///song/7429/Olivia-Newton-John-Magic
15. ^ "Radio Luxembourg Singles". umdmusic.com. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
16. ^ "Palmarès de la chanson anglophone et allophone au Québec" (PDF) (in French). BAnQ. 5 July 1980. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 November 2015. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
17. ^ "Canadian Digital Song Sales: Week of August 20, 2022". Billboard. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
18. ^ "CU.S Digital Song Sales: Week of August 20, 2022". Billboard. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
19. ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1980". Kent Music Report. 5 January 1981. Retrieved 17 January 2022 – via Imgur.
20. ^ Steffen Hung. "Forum - Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts - 1980s (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 2016-10-16.
21. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 25 April 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
22. ^ "Top Selling Singles of 1980 | The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. 31 December 1980. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
23. ^ "Pop Singles" Billboard 20 December 1980: TIA-10
24. ^ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
25. ^ "Billboard Vol. 94, No. 23: Majors Flight Economics with Quirky Rock Originals". Billboard. 6 December 1982. p. A-NZ 8. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
26. ^ "The ARIA Report: Issue 1109" (PDF). Trove. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 July 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
27. ^ Free-press-release.com Stimulator signs deal with Macy's for their "Find Your Magic" campaign
28. ^ "Hot Dance Club Songs". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 21 November 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2015.

## External links

[edit]

* Olivia Newton-John - Magic on YouTube

* v
* t
* e

Xanadu

* Film
* Musical

Music|

| Film|

* Soundtrack
* "Magic"
* "Suddenly"
* "I'm Alive"
* "Don't Walk Away"
* "All Over the World"
* "Xanadu"
* "You Made Me Love You"

|

Musical|

* Broadway Cast Recording
* "Evil Woman"
* "Strange Magic"
* "Have You Never Been Mellow"

Related articles|

* Kira
* Kubla Khan (Xanadu)
* Down to Earth
* Cover Girl
* "You Have to Believe"
* Pan-Pacific Auditorium

* v
* t
* e

Olivia Newton-John

* Albums
* Singles
* Videography
* Tours
* Awards and honours

Studio albums|

* If Not for You
* Olivia
* Let Me Be There
* Long Live Love
* Have You Never Been Mellow
* Clearly Love
* Come On Over
* Don't Stop Believin'
* Making a Good Thing Better
* Totally Hot
* Physical
* Soul Kiss
* The Rumour
* Warm and Tender
* Gaia: One Woman's Journey
* Back with a Heart
* 2
* Indigo: Women of Song
* Stronger Than Before
* Grace and Gratitude
* Christmas Wish
* A Celebration in Song
* This Christmas
* Liv On
* Friends for Christmas

Compilations|

* If You Love Me, Let Me Know
* First Impressions
* Greatest Hits
* Greatest Hits Vol. 2
* Back to Basics: The Essential Collection 1971–1992
* The Definitive Collection
* Magic
* Gold
* 40/40: The Best Selection
* Hopelessly Devoted: The Hits
* Just the Two of Us: The Duets Collection (Vol. 1)
* Just the Two of Us: The Duets Collection (Vol. 2)

Live albums|

* Love Performance
* Highlights from The Main Event
* One Woman's Live Journey
* Olivia's Live Hits
* Two Strong Hearts Live

Soundtracks|

* Grease
* Xanadu
* Two of a Kind
* A Few Best Men

EPs|

* Hotel Sessions

Video releases|

* Olivia Physical
* Olivia in Concert
* Twist of Fate
* Soul Kiss
* Olivia Down Under
* The Main Event
* Video Gold
* Live at the Sydney Opera House

Singles|

* "Till You Say You'll Be Mine"
* "If Not for You"
* "Banks of the Ohio"
* "What Is Life"
* "Just a Little Too Much"
* "Take Me Home, Country Roads"
* "Let Me Be There"
* "Long Live Love"
* "I Honestly Love You"
* "If You Love Me, Let Me Know"
* "Have You Never Been Mellow"
* "Please Mr. Please"
* "Something Better to Do"
* "Let It Shine"
* "Come on Over"
* "Jolene"
* "Don't Stop Believin'"
* "Every Face Tells a Story"
* "Sam"
* "Making a Good Thing Better"
* "You're the One That I Want"
* "Hopelessly Devoted to You"
* "Summer Nights"
* "A Little More Love"
* "Deeper Than the Night"
* "Totally Hot"/"Dancin' Round and Round"
* "I Can't Help It"
* "Rest Your Love on Me"
* "Magic"
* "Xanadu"
* "Suddenly"
* "Physical"
* "Make a Move on Me"
* "Landslide"
* "Heart Attack"
* "Tied Up"
* "Twist of Fate"
* "Take a Chance"
* "Livin' in Desperate Times"
* "Soul Kiss"
* "The Best of Me"
* "The Rumour"
* "Reach Out for Me"
* "When You Wish Upon a Star"
* "The Grease Megamix"
* "Grease: The Dream Mix"
* "I Need Love"

Featured singles|

* "You Have to Believe"

Other songs|

* "Me and Bobby McGee"
* "If"
* "Help Me Make It Through the Night"
* "If You Could Read My Mind"
* "Angel of the Morning"
* "Everything I Own"
* "God Only Knows"
* "The Air That I Breathe"
* "Love Is Alive"
* "Ring of Fire"
* "Slow Dancing"

Concert tours|

* Physical Tour
* One Woman's Journey Tour
* Heartstrings World Tour
* A Summer Night with ONJ
* Summer Nights
* Two Strong Hearts Live

Related articles|

* Toomorrow (soundtrack)
* Olivia Newton-John: Hopelessly Devoted to You
* Max Born
* Pat Carroll
* John Farrar
* Tottie Goldsmith
* Chloe Lattanzi (daughter)
* Matt Lattanzi (first husband)
* Emerson Newton-John (nephew)

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work
* MusicBrainz release group

|

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