Cry for Help
| "Cry for Help" | ||||||||||
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| Single by Rick Astley | ||||||||||
| from the album Free | ||||||||||
| Released | 21 January 1991 | |||||||||
| Format | 7", 12", CD maxi | |||||||||
| Recorded | 1990 | |||||||||
| Genre | Pop, soul | |||||||||
| Length |
4:51 (album version) 4:17 (radio edit) | |||||||||
| Label | RCA Records | |||||||||
| Writer(s) | Rick Astley, Rob Fisher | |||||||||
| Producer(s) | Gary Stevenson, Rick Astley | |||||||||
| Rick Astley singles chronology | ||||||||||
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"Cry for Help" is the title of the first single taken from British dance-pop singer Rick Astley's third studio album, Free. It was written by Rick Astley and Rob Fisher.
Released as a single in January 1991, "Cry for Help" reached the Top 10 on both the UK Singles Chart in the United Kingdom as well as the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, where the song peaked at No. 7 on both sides of the Atlantic.[1][2] It reached No. 3 in Canada, and it was a No. 1 hit on the U.S. adult contemporary chart.[3] The song's No. 7 UK chart placing meant that Astley became the first male solo artist to have his first eight singles reach the British Top 10.
The song is a moving soul ballad, unlike many of Astley's other more famous dance-oriented hit singles ("Never Gonna Give You Up"). It was co-written by British singer-songwriter Rob Fisher, formerly one half of the 1980s pop group Naked Eyes and Climie Fisher. To date, the song was Astley's last appearance in the Top 10 in either the U.S. or U.K.
The song has been sung by Rick Astley in duet with Soren Sko and covered by Thomas Anders (ex-Modern Talking).
Tracklist
- Cry for Help (Single Edit) - 4:03
- Cry for Help - 4:50
- Cry for Help (Extended Mix) - 6:26
Chart performance
Peak positions
| Chart (1991) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Charts | 13 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 22 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 4 |
| German Singles Charts | 14 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 9 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 11 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 17 |
| UK Singles Chart | 7 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 7 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1991) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[4] | 70 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks[5] | 4 |
| Dutch Top 40[6] | 76 |
References
- ↑ UK Singles Chart info from chartstats.com
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition (Billboard Publications)
- ↑ Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of #1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications)
- ↑ "Billboard Top 100 - 1991". Retrieved 2009-09-15.
- ↑ "TOP ADULT CONTEMPORARY SINGLES 1991". Retrieved 2011-11-08.
- ↑ "Dutch Single Top 100 - 1991". Retrieved 2009-09-15.
External links
- http://www.discogs.com/release/836168
- Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
- "Rick Astley - Cry For Help" music video on YouTube
| Preceded by "You're in Love" by Wilson Phillips |
Billboard Adult Contemporary number-one single 27 April 1991 |
Succeeded by "Baby Baby" by Amy Grant |
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