Hold On Tight (Electric Light Orchestra song)

13 tracks
Side one "Prologue" "Twilight" "Yours Truly, 2095" "Ticket to the Moon" "The Way Life's Meant to Be" "Another Heart Breaks" Side two "Rain Is Falling" "From the End of the World" "The Lights Go Down" "Here Is the News" "21st Century Man" "Hold on Tight" "Epilogue"

Music video

"Hold On Tight" on YouTube

"Hold On Tight" is a song written and performed by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO).

The song is track twelve on the band's 1981 album Time and was the first song released as a single. The song went top ten in most countries, hitting the top spot in Spain and Switzerland, number two in Germany, number four in the UK,^[2] and number ten on the US Billboard Hot 100, as well as number two on the US Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart.^[3] It has a verse sung in French, which is a reprise of the first verse of the song.

Music video

At the time, the song's music video was the most expensive ever made, with a budget of approximately £40,000.^[4] The mostly black and white video features footage of ELO playing the song in a lounge, intercut with scenes in the style of 1940s serial films featuring the band members.^[5]

Uses in other media

In the mid-1980s, the song was used in The Coffee Achievers television advertisements, which promoted the benefits of drinking coffee. This campaign from the National Coffee Association played in the United States starring celebrities including David Bowie, Heart and ELO. The campaign was later parodied on Saturday Night Live as "The Crack Achievers" in a sketch that also used "Hold On Tight."
Alvin and the Chipmunks covered the song for their 1982 album Chipmunk Rock.
In 2005, "Hold On Tight" was used in an Ameriquest commercial. The song was also featured in the season one finale of My Name Is Earl.
During 2007 and 2008, "Hold On Tight" was used in television promotions for the Honda Accord.
The song was used in the opening of the movie Larry Crowne.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1981)	Peak Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[6]	5
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[7]	2
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[8]	4
Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)^[9]	2
Canada (CHUM)^[10]	3
Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[11]	6
France (IFOP)^[12]	24
Germany (Official German Charts)^[13]	2
Ireland (IRMA)^[14]	3
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[15]	5
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[16]	10
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[17]	7
Norway (VG-lista)^[18]	7
South Africa (Springbok Radio)^[19]	4
Spain (AFE)^[20]	1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[21]	10
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[22]	1
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)^[2]	4
US Billboard Hot 100^[3]	10
US Billboard Top Rock Tracks^[3]	2
US Cash Box^[23]	8
US Record World^[24]	10

Year-end charts

Chart (1981)	Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[25]	32
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[26]	6
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[27]	39
Canada (RPM Top 100 Singles)^[28]	38
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[29]	42
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[30]	49
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[31]	3
US Billboard Hot 100^[32]	81
US Cash Box^[33]	55

Preceded by "Love What's Your Face" by Ingrid Kup	Swiss number-one single 13 September 1981 – 27 September 1981 (3 weeks)	Succeeded by "For Your Eyes Only" by Sheena Easton

References

↑ Electric Light Orchestra – Time at the Wayback Machine (archived 17 April 2008). Rolling Stone. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
1 2 "Archive Chart: 1981-09-05" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
1 2 3 "Time – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
↑ UK Midlands Central TV News, August 1981
↑ "Electric Light Orchestra – Hold On Tight". ELOVEVO. YouTube. 11 February 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
↑ "Austriancharts.at – Electric Light Orchestra – Hold On Tight" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
↑ "Ultratop.be – Electric Light Orchestra – Hold On Tight" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
↑ "Radio 2 Top 30 : 12 september 1981" (in Dutch). Top 30. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
↑ CHART NUMBER 1289 – Saturday, October 03, 1981 at the Wayback Machine (archived 7 November 2006). CHUM. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0392." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
↑ "InfoDisc : Tous les Titres par Artiste" (in French). InfoDisc. Select "Electric Light Orchestra" from the artist drop-down menu. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Electric Light Orchestra – Hold On Tight". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
↑ "The Irish Charts – All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Electric Light Orchestra - Hold On Tight search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Electric Light Orchestra – Hold On Tight" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
↑ "Charts.org.nz – Electric Light Orchestra – Hold On Tight". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Electric Light Orchestra – Hold On Tight". VG-lista. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
↑ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (E)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Electric Light Orchestra – Hold On Tight". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
↑ "Swisscharts.com – Electric Light Orchestra – Hold On Tight". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
↑ CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending OCTOBER 3, 1981 at the Wayback Machine (archived 2 September 2012). Cash Box magazine. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
↑ RECORD WORLD 1981 at the Wayback Machine (archived 15 July 2004). Record World. Geocities.com. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
↑ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
↑ "Jahreshitparade 1981" (in German). Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1981" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
↑ "Top Singles – Volume 35, No. 22, December 26, 1981". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
↑ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1981" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
↑ "End of Year Charts 1981". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1981" (in German). Hitparade.ch. Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
↑ "Top 100 Hits for 1981". The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
↑ The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1981 at the Wayback Machine (archived 18 September 2012). Cash Box magazine. Retrieved 5 June 2014.

External links

Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

Electric Light Orchestra singles discography

1970s

1972	"10538 Overture" / "First Movement (Jumping Biz)" "Mr. Radio" (withdrawn)

1973	"Roll Over Beethoven" / "Queen of the Hours" "Showdown" / "In Old England Town (Instrumental)"

1974	"Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" / "Daybreaker" (US) "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" / "Oh No Not Susan" (UK) "Can't Get It Out of My Head" / "Illusions in G Major"

1975	"Boy Blue" / "Eldorado" "Evil Woman" / "10538 Overture (live)"

1976	"Strange Magic" / "New World Rising" (US) "Nightrider" / "Daybreaker (live)" "Strange Magic" / "Showdown (live)" (UK) "Livin' Thing" / "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" (US) "Livin' Thing" / "Fire On High" (UK)

1977	"Rockaria!" / "Poker" "Do Ya" / "Nightrider" "Telephone Line" / "Poor Boy (The Greenwood)" (US) "Telephone Line" / "Poor Boy (The Greenwood)" and "King of the Universe" (UK) "Turn to Stone" / "Mister Kingdom"

1978	"Mr. Blue Sky" / "One Summer Dream" "Sweet Talkin' Woman" / "Fire On High" (US) "Wild West Hero / "Eldorado" "Sweet Talkin' Woman" / "Bluebird is Dead" (UK) "It's Over" / "The Whale" The ELO EP

1979	"Shine a Little Love" / "Jungle" "The Diary of Horace Wimp" / "Down Home Town" "Don't Bring Me Down" / "Dreaming of 4000" "Confusion"/"Last Train to London" (UK) "Confusion" / "Poker" (US) "Last Train to London" / "Down Home Town" (US)

1980s

1980	"I'm Alive" / "Drum Dreams" "Xanadu" (duet with Olivia Newton-John) / "Fool Country" (Olivia Newton-John) (UK) "Xanadu" (with Olivia Newton-John) / "Whenever You're Away from Me" (Olivia Newton-John) (US) "All Over the World" / "Midnight Blue" (UK) "All Over the World" / "Drum Dreams" (US) "Don't Walk Away" / "Across the Border"

1981	"Hold On Tight" / "When Time Stood Still" "Twilight" / "Julie Don't Live Here"

1982	"Here Is the News"/"Ticket to the Moon" "Rain Is Falling" / "Another Heart Breaks" "The Way Life's Meant to Be" / "Wishing"

1983	"Rock 'n' Roll Is King" / "After All" "Secret Messages" / "Buildings Have Eyes" "Four Little Diamonds" / "Letter from Spain" "Stranger" / "Train of Gold"

1986	"Calling America" / "Caught in a Trap" "So Serious" / "Endless Lies" (US) "So Serious" / "A Matter of Fact" (UK) "Getting to the Point" / "Secret Lives"

1990s

1990	"Destination Unknown" (promo)

2000s

2001	"Alright" / "Love Changes All" / "Do Ya" (Unedited Alternative Mix) "Moment in Paradise" / "Alright" (PBS 2001 Version) / "Mr. Blue Sky" (PBS 2001 Version) / "Livin' Thing" (PBS 2001 Version)

2006	"Surrender"

2007	"Latitude 88 North"

2010s

2015	"When I Was a Boy"

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