Keep On Loving You

The first time that REO Speedwagon hit the Top 40 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart, they went all the way to the top.  Exactly 30 years ago today, REO Speedwagon’s “Keep On Loving You” nabbed the top spot on the singles chart, while also attaching itself to a lot of people’s memories in the process.  The song would begin a run in which the band hit the top 40 with 11 straight and 13 out of 14 singles, ending with “Here With Me,” which went to number 20 in 1988.  In between “Keep” and “Here,” that streak included such songs as “Take it On the Run”; “Keep the Fire Burnin'”; the band’s biggest hit (at least in terms of chart performance), “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” which spent three weeks at number 1 in 1985; and my personal favorite, 1987’s “In My Dreams.”

Though I’d argue that Journey is the quintessential 1980s pop rock ballad band, I think this list of songs indicates that REO Speedwagon is near the top of that list as well.