Agent Provocateur (album)

Agent Provocateur
Studio album by Foreigner
Released December 7, 1984
Recorded 1984
Genre Rock
Length 41:42
Label Atlantic
Producer Mick Jones, Alex Sadkin
Foreigner chronology
Records
(1982)
Agent Provocateur
(1984)
Inside Information
(1987)
Singles from Agent Provocateur
  1. "I Want to Know What Love Is"
    Released: November 13, 1984
  2. "That Was Yesterday"
    Released: February 1985
  3. "Reaction to Action"
    Released: April 1985
  4. "Growing Up the Hard Way"
    Released: May 1985
  5. "Down on Love"
    Released: September 1985
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

Agent Provocateur is the fifth studio album by American/British rock band Foreigner, released on December 7, 1984. The album was the band's first and only number one album in the United Kingdom, and it reached the top 5 in the United States. Although album sales were lower than their previous work in the U.S., it contains the band's biggest hit single, "I Want to Know What Love Is", which is their only #1 single in the UK and the U.S., staying at the top spot for three and two weeks respectively. The follow-up single, "That Was Yesterday", also proved to be a sizeable hit, peaking at #12 in the U.S. The album was certified Platinum in the UK by the BPI, and triple Platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA.[2]

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Tooth and Nail"  Lou Gramm, Mick Jones 3:54
2. "That Was Yesterday"  Jones, Gramm 3:46
3. "I Want to Know What Love Is"  Jones 5:00
4. "Growing Up the Hard Way"  Jones, Gramm 4:18
5. "Reaction to Action"  Jones, Gramm 3:57
6. "Stranger in My Own House"  Jones 4:54
7. "A Love in Vain"  Jones, Gramm 4:12
8. "Down on Love"  Jones, Gramm 4:08
9. "Two Different Worlds"  Gramm 4:28
10. "She's Too Tough"  Jones, Gramm 3:07

Personnel

Additional personnel

Production

Charts and certifications

Charts

Album

Chart (1985) Peak
position
Austrian Top 75 Albums[3] 10
Canadian Top 100 Albums[4] 3
French Top Albums[5] 15
German Albums Chart[6] 1
Netherlands Top 100 Albums[7] 12
New Zealand Top 40 Albums[8] 4
Norwegian Top 40 Albums[9] 1
Swedish Top 60 Albums[10] 1
Swiss Top 100 Albums[11] 1
UK Albums Chart[12] 1
US Billboard 200[13] 4
US R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[13] 49

Singles

Year Single Chart Position
1984 "I Want To Know What Love Is" Billboard Hot 100 1
Mainstream Rock Chart 1
Adult Contemporary 3
Hot R&B/Hip Hop 85
1985 "That Was Yesterday" Billboard Hot 100 12
Mainstream Rock Chart 4
Adult Contemporary 24
"Reaction to Action" Billboard Hot 100 54
Modern Rock Chart 44
"Down On Love" Billboard Hot 100 54

Certifications

Album

Region Certification Sales/shipments
France (SNEP)[14] Gold 100,000
Germany (BVMI)[15] Platinum 500,000
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[16] Platinum 50,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[17] Platinum 300,000
United States (RIAA)[18] 3× Platinum 3,000,000

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. [Agent Provocateur (album) at AllMusic
  2. RIAA database
  3. "Foreigner – Agent Provocateur (Album)" (ASP). Austrian Charts (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  4. "100 Albums" (PHP/PDF). RPM 42 (3): 5. March 30, 1985. ISSN 0315-5994. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  5. "Les "Charts Runs" de chaque Album Classé" (PHP). InfoDisc (in French). Find "FOREIGNER" under the drop-down menu to see statistics.
  6. "Album – Foreigner, Agent Provocateur" (ASP). Media Control Charts (in German). Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  7. "Foreigner – Agent Provocateur (Album)" (ASP). Dutch Charts (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  8. "Foreigner – Agent Provocateur (Album)" (ASP). New Zealand Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  9. "Foreigner – Agent Provocateur (Album)" (ASP). Norwegian Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  10. "Foreigner – Agent Provocateur (Album)" (ASP). Swedish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  11. "Foreigner – Agent Provocateur (Album)" (ASP). Swiss Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  12. "All the Number One Albums: 1985". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  13. 1 2 "Agent Provocateur – Foreigner". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  14. "French album certifications – Foreigner – Agent Provocateur" (in French). InfoDisc. Select FOREIGNER and click OK
  15. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Foreigner; 'Agent Provocateur')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  16. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Foreigner; 'Agent Provocateur')". Hung Medien.
  17. "British album certifications – Foreigner – Agent Provocateur". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Agent Provocateur in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search
  18. "American album certifications – Foreigner – Agent Provocateur". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
Preceded by
Alf by Alison Moyet
UK number one album
January 26, 1985 – February 15, 1985
Succeeded by
Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen
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