Physical (Olivia Newton-John song)
| "Physical" | ||
|---|---|---|
| Missing image Physicalcover.jpg | ||
| Single by Olivia Newton-John | ||
| From the album Physical | ||
| Single Released | September 1981 | |
| Recorded | Summer 1981 | |
| Song Length | 3:45 | |
| Record label | MCA | |
| Chart positions | 1 (USA) 7 (UK) | |
| Olivia Newton-John single chronology | ||
| "Xanadu" 1980 | "Physical" 1981 | "Make a Move On Me" 1982 |
"Physical" is a song and was a #1 hit for Olivia Newton-John, recorded in mid-1981. It first rose to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in America in November 1981 and stayed there for ten weeks, until the end of January 1982. In terms of chart placement, it was the most popular single of her career, as well as her final #1.
The single, slightly edgier than she had been known for in the past (such as her songs from Grease and her ballad I Honestly Love You), proved to be immensely popular both in America and in Great Britain. The song was a big dance hit and spawned a music video.
The video featured a lusty Olivia—dressed in a tight leotard—working out in a gym with several muscular young men who, despite her best efforts, continued to ignore her; the gym setting partly an attempt to divert attention from the overt sexual connotations of the term "physical". This was further emphasised by the twist comedy ending of the clip when the men, oblivious to Olivia's advances, are ultimately revealed to be gay.
Like her first #1 single, Physical went on to sell over two million copies, being certified Platinum.