Arthur (The Album)
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Album Summary
Arthur (The Album) arrived in 1981 as the soundtrack companion to the beloved Dudley Moore comedy film of the same name, released through Warner Bros. Records. The crown jewel of the project was 'Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do),' a silky, sophisticated pop gem co-written and performed by Christopher Cross alongside Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, and Peter Allen — a collaboration that carried the full weight of that era's premier songwriting royalty. The soundtrack gathered a collection of tracks tailored to the film's mood of wealthy whimsy and romantic longing, blending polished Adult Contemporary sounds with the lush, orchestrated pop sensibility that defined early eighties mainstream radio. The album reflected the era's taste for cinematic, heavily produced pop music that could live both on the big screen and in heavy rotation on AM and FM stations coast to coast.
Reception
- 'Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)' became a genuine phenomenon, climbing to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and cementing the soundtrack's commercial presence.
- The album benefited enormously from the film's box office success, as Arthur was one of the biggest comedy hits of 1981, driving strong consumer interest in the accompanying music.
- Critical response was warm toward the sophistication of the songwriting, particularly praising the Bacharach and Sager involvement as a stamp of quality on the project.
Significance
- 'Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)' stands as one of the defining Adult Contemporary pop moments of the early 1980s, capturing a particular brand of bittersweet, champagne-and-moonlight romance that resonated deeply with radio audiences of the time.
- The album represents a high-water mark for the film soundtrack as a pop culture artifact — a moment when a perfectly placed song could become inseparable from the movie it scored and dominate the cultural conversation simultaneously.
- The appearance of 'Arthur's Theme' twice on the tracklist — opening the A-side and closing the B-side — underscores just how central that song was to the album's identity and commercial strategy, a testament to the confidence everyone involved had in that recording.
Samples
- Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) — sampled by various hip-hop and R&B producers across the decades, with its lush melodic hook proving an attractive source for artists seeking a polished, nostalgic pop texture.
Tracklist
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A1 Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) —
3:54
-
A2 Fool Me Again —
4:02
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A3 Poor Rich Boy —
3:17
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A4 It's Only Love —
2:53
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B1 Touch —
3:17
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B2 It's Only Love —
2:42
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B3 Money —
2:19
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B4 Moving Pictures —
3:21
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B5 Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) —
3:27
Artist Details
Here's the thing about Various, baby — this artist burst onto the 1980s rock scene like a force of nature, blending raw energy with a sound that was somehow both timeless and perfectly of its era. Various carved out a reputation for delivering tracks that hit you right in the chest, the kind of music that made you pull over your car just to let the song breathe. With a catalog that speaks for itself, Various remains one of the most compelling figures to come out of that decade of big hair, bigger riffs, and even bigger feelings.
