Love in the First Degree (Alabama song)
| "Love in the First Degree" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Alabama | ||||
| from the album Feels So Right | ||||
| B-side | "Ride the Train" | |||
| Released | October 2, 1981 (U.S.) | |||
| Recorded | August 30, 1980 | |||
| Genre | Country pop | |||
| Length | 3:19 | |||
| Label | RCA Nashville 12288 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Tim DuBois, Jim Hurt | |||
| Producer(s) | Harold Shedd and Alabama | |||
| Alabama singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Love in the First Degree" is a song written by Jim Hurt and
Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart.[1]
"Love in the First Degree" became Alabama's biggest
crossover hit, peaking at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1982.[2]
Background
As with the previous single, "Feels So Right," the song's pop "love ballad" style — along with the country rock style of its other songs — became the cornerstone of Alabama's sound throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Today, "Love in the First Degree" remains one of Alabama's most popular songs.
Content
The song, a mid-tempoed song with a strong country-pop beat, uses the analogy of being found guilty of a crime (this time, of love) and the perpetrator throwing himself on the mercy of the object of his affection.
Charts
| Chart (1981-1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[3] | 15 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[4] | 5 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[5] | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
| Year-end chart (1982) | Rank |
|---|---|
| US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)[6] | 55 |
References
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 18.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 22.
- ^ "Alabama Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Alabama Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
- ^ "Alabama Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Talent in Action : Top Pop Singles". Billboard. 94 (51): TIA-20. December 25, 1982.
Works cited
- Morris, Edward, "Alabama," Contemporary Books Inc., Chicago, 1985 (ISBN 0809253062)
- Allmusic — Feels So Right by Alabama.
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