“Islands in the Stream” was the second Hot 100 No. Of that week’s top 20 songs on the Hot 100, 11 had videos in medium or heavy rotation on the channel a twelfth song, Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long (All Night)” had a clip added to the channel that week.
This multi-chart dominance is even more impressive when you consider that the song didn’t have a video on MTV, a rarity for the pop charts at this juncture. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart as well. The song also reached the top of the country charts that same week, and was spending its third week at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in its tenth week on the charts, replacing Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” on top. On the chart dated October 29, 1983, “Islands in the Stream” ascended to No. ” Rogers, meanwhile, draws on his time in the ’60s rock group the First Edition to belt out his parts with grit and confidence - he’s gruff but sensitive, the perfect tone for this tune. For example, Parton sounds vulnerable and forlorn as she envisions what might happen if she and her beau were parted: “ I can’t live without you if the love was gone / Everything is nothing if you got no one. And when they do occasionally take solo turns to emphasize lyrical gravity, the emotional resonance is striking. However, they never overwhelm each other’s parts, and are generous and respectful of vocal space - something that seems natural, since their voices blend together perfectly. Parton and Rogers frequently sing the song’s verses together, which underscores the unity of the romantic union being described. The two lovebirds are inseparable “islands in the stream” who beckon each other to “sail away with me to another world” where they “rely on each other.” That’s evident in the verses (“All this love we feel needs no conversation/ We ride it together”), and even more obvious in the chorus. This isn’t an unrequited crush, but head-over-heels romance that endures. The lyrics describe the lightning-bolt feeling of intoxicating love at first sight: “Baby, when I met you there was peace unknown/ I set out to get you with a fine-tooth comb.” However, the song’s protagonists are in sync with each other’s desires. the Bee Gees - is also the perfect soundtrack to a warm-weather fling. “Islands”– written by Maurice, Barry and Robin Gibb, a.k.a. Anchored by a laid-back tempo, open-hearted vocals, and lush orchestration - a mellow latticework comprising sparkling keyboards, rakish horns, and string swells - the song became Rogers’ second No. Released in summer 1983, the Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton duet “Islands in the Stream” is the kind of easy, breezy pop song that’s the platonic ideal of adult contemporary.
Here, we honor the late Kenny Rogers by diving into the second of his two Hot 100 toppers, the timeless Dolly Parton duet “Islands in the Stream.” 1 single - by taking an extended look back at the chart-topping songs that made them part of this exclusive club.
#Kenny rogers through the years without vocal series#
1 is a Billboard series that pays special tribute to the recently deceased artists who achieved the highest honor our charts have to offer - a Billboard Hot 100 No.