Daryl Hall & John Oates Overview
Daryl Hall & John Oates, known more commonly as Hall & Oates, are an American musical duo from Philadelphia. Daryl Hall is the lead vocalist of the group, and also plays a wide range of musical instruments. John Oates primarily plays the electric guitar and provides backing vocals, but also contributes other instruments in recordings and live performances. The two also write most of the songs they perform, either separately or in collaboration. Because of their chart success, Billboard Magazine named them the most successful duo of the rock era, surpassing The Everly Brothers, which is some accomplishment.
Early Career
Daryl Hall was born Daryl Franklin Hohl in Pottstown, Pennsylvania on October 11, 1946. John Oates was born John William Oates on April 7, 1949. They first met each other at the Adelphi Ballroom in Philadelphia in 1967. At the time they met, each was heading his own musical group, Hall with “The Temptones” and Oates with “The Masters”. Both of the groups were not successful.
They were there for a band competition when gunfire rang out between two rival gangs, and in trying to escape, they ran to the same service elevator and discovered that they were interested in the same music and that both were attending Philadelphia’s Temple University. Because of this encounter they started spending time together on a regular basis. They eventually shared a number of apartments in the city. One of the apartments had “Hall & Oates” on the mailbox, which became the duo’s name.
It would take them two years to form a musical duo. Three years later, they signed to Atlantic Records in 1973, and released their debut album “Whole Oats” and it was not successful. Two years later in 1976, they signed with RCA Victor and stayed with them until 1988. All of their number one songs are on the RCA label. The two didn’t seriously start working together until 1970 after Oates got back from an extended stay in Europe.
Music Career
As all new musical groups launch out, they had some problems defining their sound. Their first single release was “She’s Gone” in 1974, from the album “Abandoned Luncheonette” and peaked at #60 on the Hot 100 chart. Two years later, they re-released the record and it became their first top-ten hit peaking at #7, in 1976. In the same year, they released “Sarah Smile” from the album “Daryl Hall and John Oates” and it reached #4 on the Hot 100 chart, becoming the groups second top-ten hit.
In January, 1977, they released “Rich Girl” from the album “Bigger Than Both of Us” and it became their first #1 hit, staying on top of the charts for two weeks. They released three albums and had no top-ten hits until 1981, when they released the “Voices” album and it produced two top-ten hits, “Kiss on My List” peaked at #1 for three weeks, and “You Make My Dreams” which peaked at #5.
Their next album “Private Eyes” released in 1981 produced three more top-ten hits including two more number one songs. The songs include; “Private Eyes” peaking at #1 for two weeks, “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” peaked at #1 for one week, and “Did It In A Minute” peaking at #9. In 1982, they released “H2O” and that album produced three more top-ten hits and one #1 single, “Maneater” which peaked at #1 for four weeks in 1982 and was their biggest hit and fifth #1 hit, “One On One” peaking at #7, and “Family Man” peaking at #6 in 1983.
The album titled “Rock ‘n’ Soul: Part 1” produced “Say It Isn’t So” peaking at #2 for four weeks, and “Adult Education” peaking at #8 in 1984. From the album “Big Bam Boom” it produced two more top-ten hits “Out of Touch” reaching #1 for two weeks, which was their sixth and last #1 hit single, and “Method Of Modern Love” peaking at #5.
The group’s last top-ten hit single was “Everything Your Heart Desires” from the album “Ooh Yeah!” peaking at #3 in 1988. Their last top forty single was “So Close” at #11 in 1990. Their last Hot 100 charted single was “I’ll Be Around” peaking at #97, in 2005.
All told, Daryl Hall & John Oates had 6 #1’s, 16 Top 10, 22 Top 20, and 29 Top 40 hits. They also had four top-ten albums. Billboard ranks Daryl Hall & John Oates as the #4 artist from 1980-1989, and the #37 artist of all-time from 1955-2010. They are also ranked as the #54 artist of all-time on the Adult Contemporary charts.
Awards
Daryl Hall & John Oates were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003. They were inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in April, 2014.
Top Ten & Number One Songs
The following is a complete listing of all of Daryl Hall & John Oates hits in chronological order and will include the title, debut date for songs not making #1, and the date song peaked at #1, peak position, and weeks at peak positions 1, 2, and 3 in () on the Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts. All number one songs will be in bold.
Hot 100 Hits
- She’s Gone – July 24, 1976 #7
- Rich Girl – March 22, 1977 #1 (2)
- Kiss On My List – April 11, 1981 #1 (3)
- You Make My Dreams – May 2, 1981 #5
- Private Eyes – November 7, 1981 #1 (2)
- I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) – January 30, 1982 #1 (1)
- Did It In A Minute – March 20, 1982 #9
- Maneater – December 18, 1982 #1 (4)
- One On One – January 29, 1983 #7
- Family Man – April 30, 1983 #6
- Say It Isn’t So – October 29, 1983 #2 (4)
- Adult Education – February 18, 1984 #8
- Out Of Touch – December 8, 1984 #1 (2)
- Method Of Modern Love – December 15, 1984 #5
- Everything Your Heart Desires – April 16, 1988 #3 (1)
Adult Contemporary Hits
- She’s Gone – August 14, 1976 #6
- One On One – February 5, 1983 #4
- Say It Isn’t So – November 5, 1983 #8
- Out Of Touch – October 6, 1984 #8
- Possession Obsession – June 15, 1985 #8
- Everything Your Heart Desires – April 16, 1988 #2 (1)
- Missed Opportunity – July 16, 1988 #8
- So Close – October 13, 1990 #6
- Don’t Hold Back Your Love – January 19, 1991 #4
- Starting All Over Again – May 11, 1991 #10
- Promise Ain’t Enough – September 6, 1997 #6
Maneater Biggest Hit #1 four weeks
Shop Daryl Hall & John Oates Greatest Hits
For fans of Daryl Hall & John Oates, I can recommend the following two albums Greatest Hits: Rock ‘n Soul, Part 1 (12 Tracks)
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