Going For The Gold: Phil Collins

Phil Collins and Sandie Shaw, July 2011. Phil Is the One on the Right (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)

Five (count ‘em, five) gold singles inhabit Phil Collins’ catalog. Let’s give ‘em the once over.

#1 – “In the Air Tonight”: His very first single, from his very solo album, “In the Air Tonight” has become one of his signature songs. Written in the wake of a divorce, the song’s powerful percussion and ominous arrangement won fans around the world, charting at Number 19 in the US and in the Top 10 in 10 other countries.

#2 – “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)”: Produced by Arif Mardin for the movie of the same name, it’s pure power ballad, 1980′s style. For Collins, it was a Number-1 in the US and a Top-10 in the UK, Canada and Germany.

#3 – “Sussudio”: Within months of scoring a gold record for “Against All Odds,” Collins released his third solo album, No Jacket Required. Four singles would come from that album, the leader being his third million seller, “Sussudio.” Within a few months of it’s release, it was in hot rotation on MTV, a coup that propelled the record to Number 1, as well.

#4 – “A Groovy Kind of Love”: This Mindbenders remake — recorded for the movie Buster, which also starred Collins — was originally planned for Stephen Bishop. But Collins, being the film’s star, decided to make the recording himself and won gold in the process. Like most of what he touched during the 1980′s it, too, went to Number 1 in the US (as well as 6 other countries).

#5 – “Another Day in Paradise”: By the time Collins released this one in 1989, Number 1′s were becoming old hat. This one holds the distinction of being the last Number 1 of the ’80′s and the first Number 1 of the ’90′s.

Want to know more about some golden oldies (and not-so-oldies)? Read more about them here…