Hold On Tight (Electric Light Orchestra song)

"Hold on Tight"
Single by Electric Light Orchestra
from the album Time
B-side "When Time Stood Still"
Released 17 July 1981 (UK)
July 1981 (US)
Format 7" single
Recorded 1981 Musicland Studios, Munich
Genre Electronic rock, rock and roll[1]
Length 3:06
Label Jet
Writer(s) Jeff Lynne
Producer(s) Jeff Lynne
Electric Light Orchestra singles chronology
"Don't Walk Away"
(1980)		 "Hold on Tight"
(1981)		 "Twilight"
(1981)
Time track listing

"Hold on Tight" is a song written and performed by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO).

The song is track twelve on the band's 1981 album Time and was the first song released as a single. The song went top ten in most countries, hitting the top spot in Switzerland, number two in Germany, number four in the UK,[2] and number ten on the US Billboard Hot 100, as well as number two on the US Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart.[3] It has a verse sung in French, which is a reprise of the first verse of the song.

Music video

At the time the music video was the most expensive ever made at around £40,000.[4] It was filmed in black-and-white and pays homage to old serial films with ELO playing in the scenes.[5]

Uses in other media

In the mid-1980s, the song was used in The Coffee Achievers television advertisements, which promoted the benefits of drinking coffee. This campaign from the National Coffee Association played in the United States starring celebrities including David Bowie, Heart and ELO. The campaign was later parodied on Saturday Night Live as "The Crack Achievers" in a sketch that also used "Hold on Tight."

Alvin and the Chipmunks covered the song for their 1982 album Chipmunk Rock.

In 2005, "Hold on Tight" was used in an Ameriquest commercial. The song was also featured in the season one finale of My Name Is Earl.

During 2007 and 2008, "Hold On Tight" was used in television promotions for the Honda Accord.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1981) Peak
Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] 5
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[7] 2
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8] 4
Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[9] 2
Canada (CHUM)[10] 3
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[11] 6
France (IFOP)[12] 24
Germany (Media Control Charts)[13] 2
Ireland (IRMA)[14] 3
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[15] 5
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[16] 10
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[17] 7
Norway (VG-lista)[18] 7
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[19] 4
Spain (AFYVE)[20] 1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[21] 10
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[22] 1
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[2] 4
US Billboard Hot 100[3] 10
US Billboard Top Rock Tracks[3] 2
US Cash Box[23] 8
US Record World[24] 10

Year-end charts

Chart (1981) Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[25] 32
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[26] 6
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[27] 39
Canada (RPM Top 100 Singles)[28] 38
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[29] 42
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[30] 3
US American Top 40[31] 75
US Billboard Hot 100[32] 81
US Cash Box[33] 55

Preceded by
"Love What's Your Face" by Ingrid Kup		 Swiss number-one single
13 September 1981 – 27 September 1981 (3 weeks) 		Succeeded by
"For Your Eyes Only" by Sheena Easton

References

  1. ↑ Electric Light Orchestra – Time at the Wayback Machine (archived 17 April 2008). Rolling Stone. RealNetworks. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Archive Chart: 1981-09-05" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Time – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  4. ↑ UK Midlands Central TV News, August 1981
  5. ↑ "Electric Light Orchestra – Hold On Tight". ELOVEVO. YouTube. 11 February 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
  6. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  7. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Electric Light Orchestra – Hold On Tight" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  8. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Electric Light Orchestra – Hold On Tight" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  9. ↑ "Hold On Tight – ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA" (in Dutch). Top 30. Retrieved 5 June 2014. Hoogste notering in de top 30 : 2
  10. ↑ CHART NUMBER 1289 – Saturday, October 03, 1981 at the Wayback Machine (archived 7 November 2006). CHUM. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  11. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0392." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  12. ↑ "InfoDisc : Tous les Titres par Artiste" (in French). InfoDisc. Select "Electric Light Orchestra" from the artist drop-down menu. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  13. ↑ "Officialcharts.de – Electric Light Orchestra – Hold On Tight". GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  14. ↑ "The Irish Charts – All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  15. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Electric Light Orchestra - Hold On Tight search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  16. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Electric Light Orchestra – Hold On Tight" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  17. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Electric Light Orchestra – Hold On Tight". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  18. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Electric Light Orchestra – Hold On Tight". VG-lista. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  19. ↑ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (E)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
  20. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  21. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Electric Light Orchestra – Hold On Tight". Singles Top 60. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  22. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Electric Light Orchestra – Hold On Tight". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  23. ↑ CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending OCTOBER 3, 1981 at the Wayback Machine (archived 2 September 2012). Cash Box magazine. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  24. ↑ RECORD WORLD 1981 at the Wayback Machine (archived 15 July 2004). Record World. Geocities.com. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  25. ↑ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  26. ↑ "Jahreshitparade 1981" (in German). Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  27. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1981" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  28. ↑ "Top Singles – Volume 35, No. 22, December 26, 1981". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  29. ↑ "Single Top 100 1981" (PDF) (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  30. ↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1981" (in German). Hitparade.ch. Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  31. ↑ "Top 100 of 1981 (Part I)" (PDF). American Top 40. 26 December 1981. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  32. ↑ "Top 100 Hits for 1981". The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  33. ↑ The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1981 at the Wayback Machine (archived 18 September 2012). Cash Box magazine. Retrieved 5 June 2014.

External links