What Was the Last U.S. Top-40 Hit by ELO?

Mixing classical music instruments with rock and roll was an approach that wasn’t exactly invented by the British band Electric Light Orchestra. But no band was more devout in following that formula, and ELO did so to massive success throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s.

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What was the last song by the band that managed to gain a toehold in the U.S. Top 40? Well, it turned out to be one that was mostly free of the classical trappings that had given ELO their identity in the first place.

Classical Crossovers

In the beginning, ELO was a side project. Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne stepped out from their day jobs with the British hitmakers The Move to try something a little bit more experimental. They intended to keep this new band focused on a rock/classical fusion.

But Wood didn’t stick around very long. Lynne soon made ELO his main musical focus, surrounding himself with not just rock players, but also those who could add cello, violin, and other classical touches to the records.

None of that would have mattered much to ELO’s chances of success if Lynne didn’t also prove to have a knack for writing and producing irresistible ear candy. The strings were a fascinating embellishment, but the songcraft drove the bus. ELO released seven albums from the decade-long stretch of 1974 to 1983, and every one of them spawned at least one U.S. Top-20 hit.

“Calling” the Charts … One Last Time

After a three-year hiatus, ELO released the album Balance of Power in 1986. By this time, the band was down to three members. This wasn’t that big a deal because Lynne was responsible for playing, singing, and producing the bulk of the album.

The strings players weren’t necessary, because Lynne had mostly eschewed that approach by this time. Instead, synthesizers were the main addition to the rockabilly-flavored rhythms that he favored. “Calling America,” a pop gem chosen as the first single for the album, delivered as expected, hitting No. 19 in the U.S.

But two further singles from the record (“So Serious” and “Getting to the Point”) died on the vine, neither getting higher than the Top 80. Little did anyone know at the time that this prolific, successful band was in its death throes, preventing further Top-40 hits from taking place.

The Aftermath

It turns out Jeff Lynne had been anxious to leave ELO behind for quite some time. He had originally intended for the 1983 album Secret Messages to be a double LP, which would have satisfied his record contact. When it only came out as a single record, Balance of Power was needed to seal the deal.

Lynne was always a reluctant frontman, and he also disliked touring. Thus, he disbanded ELO, focusing on producing and, in an unexpected twist, joining the Traveling Wilburys. He would eventually revive the ELO brand for three more well-regarded albums after the turn of the millennium.

“Calling America” doesn’t get near as much airplay these days as some of ELO’s other classic singles. Nonetheless, it displays Lynne’s ear for hooks and sharp production. Check it out if you haven’t heard it before, and you might be surprised to find it stands out as much more than just the answer to the trivia question posed at the beginning of this article.

Photo by Ron Wolfson/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images