Neil Diamond ruled over the US pop charts for an incredibly long stretch. Even into the early 80s, the esteemed singer and songwriter navigated the changing musical tides and scored some impressive hits.
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17 years after he first scored a US Top 40 single, Diamond did it one last time with a 1983 song. The tenor of the track suggested that Diamond was far from done.
Diamond Is Forever
It began with “Cherry, Cherry”. Many in the music business questioned whether Diamond could turn into anything besides a songwriter before that song dropped in 1966. Once it did and reached No. 6, Diamond was on his way.
To give you an idea of Diamond’s rate of success over the years, consider the following statistic. Between the years of 1966 and 1983, he endured just one calendar year (1968) without a song that made the Top 40 of the US charts.
As the years progressed, Diamond inevitably began moving away from uptempo material when it came to his singles. His audience had grown with him, and perhaps they’d mellowed a bit. Aside from the occasional stomper, the late 70s and early 80s mostly witnessed him sticking to the slower stuff.
E.T. with an Assist
Neil Diamond started the 80s off on fire. While he didn’t receive a lot of plaudits for the acting he did in The Jazz Singer in 1980, the soundtrack churned out three songs that went to the pop Top 10. In 1981, MTV debuted, an event that would severely shorten the pop shelf life of soft-rock, easy-listening types like Diamond.
But Diamond proved more resilient than most. After his 1981 album On The Way To The Sky faltered a bit in terms of its popularity, he came back strong with the album Heartlight in 1982. The title track, which found Diamond doing an unofficial tribute to the movie E.T., soared into the Top 5.
For the follow-up. Diamond decided to turn up the juice a bit. David Foster, one of the era’s most prolific and successful writers and producers, collaborated with him on “I’m Alive”. The song found Diamond right back in a swinging vibe as if it were the late 60s again.
“Alive” and Well
“I’m Alive” is a title that’s been used more than a few times, and by some high-profile artists, at that. ELO, Jackson Browne, and Celine Dion, to name just three, had success with songs of that name.
As for Diamond’s version of “I’m Alive”, his lyrics don’t hide from the fact that there are problems in the world. But he ultimately sends an uplifting message, preferring to take a walk on the bright side of life. “I’m alive, and I don’t care much for words of doom,” he insists. “If it’s love you need, well I’ve got the room.”
“I’m Alive” made it to No. 35 upon its release as a single in 1983. It was his 38th Top 40 hit. Diamond never made it that high again, with “Headed For The Future” in 1986 his closest call at No. 53.
Photo by CBS via Getty Images
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