"Feels So Right" is a song written by Randy Owen, and recorded by American country music band Alabama. It was released in May 1981 as the second single and title track from the band's album Feels So Right. It was the group's fourth straight No. 1 single (and first multi-week No. 1) on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart.[1]
| "Feels So Right" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Alabama | ||||
| from the album Feels So Right | ||||
| B-side | "See the Embers, Feel the Flame" | |||
| Released | May 1, 1981 (U.S.) | |||
| Recorded | August 26, 1980 | |||
| Genre | Country pop, country rock, soft rock | |||
| Length | 3:36 3:21 (7") | |||
| Label | RCA Nashville 12236 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Randy Owen | |||
| Producer(s) | Harold Shedd and Alabama | |||
| Alabama singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Feel So Right" was covered by Clay Walker as a duet with Randy Owen on his 2010 album She Won't Be Lonely Long.
Content
editA mellow love song with sensuous and somewhat explicit lyrics and a strong country pop styling, "Feels So Right" was also Alabama's first crossover hit, performing modestly well on CHR and Top 40 radio stations. The song peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1981, and became their first of five top 10 hits on the adult contemporary chart. On the country chart, the song has the distinction of becoming the first No. 1 song to drop directly out of the top 40 since the inception of the 100-position chart,[2] falling to No. 43 for the chart week of August 1, 1981.
The pop "love ballad" style evident on "Feels So Right," along with the country rock style of its other songs, became the cornerstone of Alabama's sound throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Today, it remains one of Alabama's most popular songs.
Cover versions
editCountry music singer Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan covered the song from the television special CMT Giants: Alabama.
Single and album edits
editA slightly early fade on the single version is the only difference between the single and album versions of "Feels So Right".
Chart performance
edit| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[3] | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[4] | 20 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 5 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
| Year-end chart (1981) | Rank |
|---|---|
| US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)[5] | 77 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[6] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 18.
- ^ Billboard magazine — August 1, 1981 issue
- ^ "Alabama Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Alabama Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Number One Awards – Billboard's 1981 Year-End Charts : Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 93, no. 51. December 26, 1981. p. YE-9. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- ^ "American single certifications – Alabama – Feels So Right". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
- Morris, Edward, "Alabama," Contemporary Books Inc., Chicago, 1985 (ISBN 0809253062)
- Allmusic — Feels So Right by Alabama.