| "Sailing" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single byChristopher Cross | ||||
| from the albumChristopher Cross | ||||
| B-side | "Poor Shirley" | |||
| Released | May 1980 | |||
| Recorded | 1979 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:14 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Songwriter | Christopher Cross | |||
| Producer | Michael Omartian | |||
| Christopher Cross singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Christopher Cross - Sailing (Official Music Video)" onYouTube | ||||
"Sailing" is a 1979soft rock song written and recorded by American singer-songwriterChristopher Cross. It was released in May 1980 as the second single from his first albumChristopher Cross (1979), which was already certified Gold by this time. The song was a success in the United States, reaching number one on theBillboard Hot 100 chart on August 30, 1980, where it stayed for one week.[1][2] The song also wonGrammy Awards for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Arrangement of the Year, and helped Cross win the Best New Artist award.[3] In his Grammy acceptance speech, Cross acknowledged "Sailing" as his favorite song on the album and said that it was not originally meant to be a single.[4]
The song was recorded in 1979, utilizing the3M Digital Recording System, making it one of the first digitally recorded songs to chart.[5]
In 2007, VH1 named "Sailing" the most "softsational soft rock" song of all time.[6] Following its being featured on theYacht Rock web series, the song was identified as an archetype of theyacht rock style.[7] Cross and similar artists referred to the style as the West Coast sound during 1975–1985.[8]
Cross has said in interviews that the song's inspiration was his friendship with an older friend from his high school, Al Glasscock, who would take him sailing as a teenager, just to get away from the trials and tribulations of being a teenager.[9][10] Glasscock functioned as a surrogate older brother during a tough time for Cross emotionally.[11] Although Cross lost touch with Glasscock,The Howard Stern Show in April 1995 reunited the two after 28 years. Cross acknowledged on the show that his sailing trips with Glasscock had been the inspiration for the song. After that reunion, Cross sent Glasscock a copy of the platinum record he earned for selling more than five million copies of "Sailing."[11]Cross has also said in interviews that the orchestral beginning was an error of a wrong button pushed in the recording of the song, and then the acoustic part caught up with it. It was meant to start with the acoustic guitar part.
| Chart (1980–1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 46 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[16] | 38 |
| Canadian Adult Contemporary (RPM)[17] | 1 |
| Canadian Top Singles (RPM)[18] | 1 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[19] | 21 |
| Italy (FIMI)[20] | 12 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[21] | 18 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[22] | 41 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[23] | 8 |
| Spain (AFYVE)[24] | 24 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[25] | 48 |
| USBillboard Hot 100[2] | 1 |
| USBillboardAdult Contemporary[26] | 10 |
| Chart (1980) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles[27] | 24 |
| USBillboard Hot 100[28] | 32 |
| Chart (1981) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Italy (FIMI)[29] | 66 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[30] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
