On This Day in 1983, Kenny Rogers Released a No. 1 Album Containing One of the Most Iconic Duets of All Time

On this day (August 22) in 1983, Kenny Rogers released Eyes That See in the Dark. The album peaked at No. 1 in late October that year and commanded the top spot for 16 weeks. Barry Gibb produced the album and co-wrote all 10 of its tracks, including “Islands in the Stream,” a smash hit duet with Dolly Parton.

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Early in his career, Rogers found a balanced blend of pop and country that gave him mass appeal. His singles and albums routinely performed well on the all-genre, country, and adult contemporary charts.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1976, Kenny Rogers Recorded a Major Hit That Earned Him an Angry Phone Call from His Mom]

Then, he moved to RCA and teamed with the production team of Gibb-Galuten-Richardson–Barry Gibb, Albhy Galuten, and Karl Richardson. The team was well-known for working with the likes of Frankie Valli, Barbara Streisand, Andy Gibb, and Dionne Warwick. However, until beginning work on Eyes That See in the Dark, they had never worked with a country artist.

On paper, Rogers and the production team didn’t seem like a match. However, with Gibb co-writing the material with other members of the Bee Gees and Galuten, and Rogers bringing the songs to life, the album became one of his most successful. It stayed at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart for 16 weeks. Only two LPs in his discography occupied the summit longer: Kenny and The Gambler, which were both released in 1970.

Dolly Parton Helps Kenny Rogers Score a Massive Hit

Kenny Rogers released “Islands in the Stream,” a duet with Dolly Parton, on August 15, one week before Eyes That See in the Dark hit shelves. It was a massive hit for the duo. It topped the Hot Country Songs chart for three weeks. Additionally, it was No. 1 on the Hot 100 for two weeks and the Adult Contemporary for four weeks.

“Islands in the Stream” was more than a huge chart success for both Rogers and Parton. It is also widely hailed as the greatest duet in country music history.

Unfortunately, the song does not appear on the version of Eyes That See in the Dark that is available to stream due to licensing issues. It does, however, appear on several compilation albums.

Featured Image by David Redfern/Redferns