Wilson Phillips had a big moment in the early 90s with their hit song “Hold On”. The trio went all the way to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a week, and the song was the most successful single of 1990 in the U.S.
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Beyond that milestone, Wilson Phillips also made a more personal record in June 1990. All three members of the band had famous parents, and they topped the chart 25 years to the day that one of their well-known dads did the same.
For context, sisters Carnie and Wendy Wilson are the daughters of Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys. Chynna Phillips is the daughter of John and Michelle Phillips of The Mamas & The Papas fame. Together, these three made up Wilson Phillips and took the 90s by storm.
With “Hold On”, they crowned the Hot 100 at the same time that Brian Wilson had been in the same position in 1965. The Beach Boys’ hit “Help Me, Rhonda” was No. 1 on the Hot 100 in June, dethroning The Beatles’ “Ticket To Ride”.
Originally, “Help Me, Rhonda” appeared on The Beach Boys Today!, but was re-recorded for the subsequent album Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!). It was The Beach Boys’ second No. 1 single following “I Get Around”. Additionally, it remains one of their most commercially successful songs.
The Story Behind Wilson Phillips’ No. 1 Hit “Hold On”
Chynna Phillips wrote the lyrics to “Hold On” during an intense period in her life. She was struggling with substance abuse, stuck in a terrible relationship, and overall in a dark place. In 2020, Phillips spoke with Kelly Clarkson about the song.
“I just said if I don’t change my course, I’m going to be in a lot of trouble,” she explained. Phillips based the lyrics on the tenets of Alcoholics Anonymous; specifically, the importance of taking recovery “one day at a time.”
In that way, the lyric “hold on for one more day” came to be. Phillips took the song to the Wilson sisters and producer Glen Ballard, who all loved it. However, Phillips recalled getting feedback from someone who didn’t believe the song would succeed.
“I remember one guy I played it for said, ‘That’s not going to go anywhere,’” she said in an interview with Rolling Stone. “‘That’s not a very good song. It’s really corny.’ I just remember thinking to myself, ‘God, I hope he’s wrong.’”
Photo by Cheryl Balter/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
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