Christopher Cross (album)

Christopher Cross is the self-titled debut album by Christopher Cross, released in December 1979. Recorded in mid-1979, the album was one of the early digitally recorded albums, utilizing the 3M Digital Recording System.[2] In 1981, it won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, beating Pink Floyd's The Wall [3] and it has been noted for being one of the most influential soft rock albums of the late 1970s and early 1980s.[4][5]

Christopher Cross
Studio album by
Christopher Cross
Released20 December 1979
RecordedJuly 1979
StudioWarner Bros. Recording Studios, North Hollywood, California; Pecan Street Studios, Austin, Texas
Genre
Length38:32
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerMichael Omartian
Christopher Cross chronology
Christopher Cross
(1979)		 Another Page
(1983)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

Reception

According to Stephen Thomas Erlewine, the album was "a huge hit and widely acclaimed, at least among industry professionals (critics didn't give it a second listen), leading to multi-platinum success and Grammys." In his retrospective review for AllMusic, Erlewine says that while its success as a soft rock album has little cachet with most listeners, it "remains one of the best mainstream albums of its time" because of consistent song quality and Cross's skillful musicianship: "Yes, he does favor sentimentality and can be very sweet on the ballads, but his melodicism is rich and construction tight, so there's a sturdy foundation for the classy professional gloss provided by his studio pros and friends, including indelible backing vocals by Michael McDonald."[1]

In retrospective appraisals, Christopher Cross is regarded as a key release of yacht rock music. For Spin in 2009, Chuck Eddy lists it among the genre's eight essential albums.[6] Vinyl Me, Please magazine's Timothy Malcolm includes it in his 2017 list of the 10 best yacht rock albums, explaining that, "It’s actually a sonic outlier for the yacht rock genre, heavy on acoustic guitar and strings. But its message fits the genre (a fool searching for inner peace), and yeah, it’s still undeniably smooth."[7] For The Vinyl District's online publication in 2018, Michael H. Little calls it the genre's best album as well as one of its smoothest, crediting it for making Cross "the face of soft rock".[8]

Track listing

All tracks composed by Christopher Cross.

  1. "Say You'll Be Mine" – 2:53
  2. "I Really Don't Know Anymore" – 3:49
  3. "Spinning" (Duet with Valerie Carter) – 3:59
  4. "Never Be the Same" – 4:40
  5. "Poor Shirley" – 4:20
  6. "Ride Like the Wind" – 4:30
  7. "The Light Is On" – 4:07
  8. "Sailing" – 4:14
  9. "Minstrel Gigolo" – 6:00

Personnel

Production
  • Producer – Michael Omartian
  • Assistant Producer – Michael Ostin
  • Engineer and Mix – Chet Himes
  • Second Engineer – Stuart Gitlin
  • Mastering – Bobby Hata
  • Artwork – Danny Henderson and James Flournoy Holmes
  • Design – James Flournoy Holmes and Wonder Graphics
  • Flamingo Concept – Jim Newhouse

Charts

Album charts
Chart (1980–81) Peak
position
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[9] 14
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[10] 16
UK Albums (OCC)[11] 14
US Billboard 200[12] 6

Singles – Billboard (United States)

Year Single Chart Position
1980 "Ride Like the Wind" Pop Singles 2
1980 "Sailing" Pop Singles 1
1980 "Never Be the Same" Adult Contemporary 1
1980 "Never Be the Same" Pop Singles 15
1981 "Say You'll Be Mine" Pop Singles 20

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[13] Platinum 70,000^
France (SNEP)[14] Platinum 300,000*
Germany (BVMI)[15] Gold 250,000^
Italy (FIMI)[16] Gold 200,000*
Netherlands (NVPI)[17] Gold 50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[18] Gold 7,500^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[19] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[20] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[21] 5× Platinum 5,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Accolades

Grammy Awards

Year Category Winner
1981 Album of the Year Christopher Cross
Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) "Sailing"
Record of the Year
Song of the Year
Best New Artist Christopher Cross

[22] [23] [24]

References
  1. Christopher Cross at AllMusic
  2. Jim McCullaugh (November 1, 1980), "Digital the Major Topic For N.Y. AES Parley", Billboard "The Christopher Cross LP, at number 32, uses the 3M digital technology"
  3. Zach Schonfeld (February 15, 2016), The Most Ridiculous 'Album of the Year' Winners in Grammy History, Newsweek, retrieved December 13, 2016
  4. Grammy Album of the Year winners 1959 – 2018-The Telegraph
  5. Best New Artists Who Also Won Album Of The Year|GRAMMY.com
  6. Eddy, Chuck (January 1, 2009). "8 Essential Yacht Rock Albums". Spin. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  7. Malcolm, Timothy (February 20, 2017). "The 10 Best Yacht Rock Albums To Own On Vinyl". Vinyl Me, Please. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  8. Little, Michael H. (July 11, 2018). "Graded on a Curve: Christopher Cross, Christopher Cross". The Vinyl District. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  9. "Dutchcharts.nl – Christopher Cross – Christopher Cross" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  10. "Charts.nz – Christopher Cross – Christopher Cross". Hung Medien.
  11. "Christopher Cross | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
  12. "Christopher Cross Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  13. "Platinum In Oz" (PDF). Cash Box. 11 June 1983. p. 35. Retrieved 17 April 2020 – via American Radio History.
  14. "French album certifications – Christopher Cross – 1er Album" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  15. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Christopher Cross; 'Christopher Cross')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  16. "Sale 40 – Lot 492: Italian Gold Record Award For Christopher Cross". Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles. 2011. Retrieved 2013-04-30.
  17. "Dutch album certifications – Christopher Cross – Christopher Cross" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 26 August 2019. Enter Christopher Cross in the "Artiest of titel" box.
  18. "New Zealand album certifications – Christopher Cross – 1er Album". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  19. Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (PDF) (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. p. 957. ISBN 84-8048-639-2. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  20. "British album certifications – Christopher Cross – Christopher Cross". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Christopher Cross in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  21. "American album certifications – Christopher Cross – Christopher Cross". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 26 August 2019. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
  22. Christopher Cross|Artist|www.grammy.com
  23. 23rd Annual GRAMMY Awards|1980|Grammy.com
  24. 23rd Annual GRAMMY Awards|GRAMMY.com
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