Hard Habit to Break

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"Hard Habit to Break"
Hard Habit to Break cover.jpg
Single by Chicago
from the album Chicago 17
B-side "Remember the Feeling"
ReleasedJuly 18, 1984 (1984-07-18) [1]
Genre Soft rock [2]
Length4:43
Label
Songwriters
Producer David Foster
Chicago singles chronology
"Stay the Night"
(1984)		"Hard Habit to Break"
(1984)		"You're the Inspiration"
(1984)

"Hard Habit to Break" is a song written by Steve Kipner and John Lewis Parker, produced and arranged by David Foster and recorded by the group Chicago for their 1984 album Chicago 17 , with Bill Champlin and Peter Cetera sharing lead vocals.

Contents

Released as the second single from the album, it reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 [3] and was prevented from charting higher by "Caribbean Queen" by Billy Ocean and "I Just Called to Say I Love You" by Stevie Wonder. "Hard Habit to Break" also peaked at No. 3 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Overseas it peaked at No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart. [4] [5]

In a 2024 interview, Vinnie Colaiuta asked Foster, "What were some of the most memorable things that you've done, production-wise, that you're really, really proud of?" Foster responded that "Hard Habit to Break" was, in his opinion, "The most perfect record, or close to perfect, that I produced." [6]

The song's title was used as the slogan for Demon Dogs, a hot dog stand owned by the band's manager Peter Schivarelli which was located in the area of DePaul University's Lincoln Park campus. [7] [8]

Critical reception

Reviewing the single upon its release, Billboard called the song "a bit complicated, with its shifts from acoustic to electric to orchestrated." [9] "Hard Habit to Break" was nominated for four Grammy Awards: Foster and Jeremy Lubbock won the award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s); [10] [11] [12] Chicago were nominated for the song in the categories Record of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal; [13] [14] and Cetera and Foster were nominated for Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices. [11] [15] [16] Songwriters Kipner and Parker won an ASCAP award in 1986 for most-performed song. [17]

Charts

Cover versions

Puerto Rican singer Glenn Monroig recorded a Spanish-language cover version entitled "El Vicio Que No Puedo Romper" for his album Apasionado (1986). All-4-One recorded a cover version for their compilation album Greatest Hits (2004).

References

  1. ↑ "Chicago singles".
  2. ↑ "Explore: Soft Rock | Top Songs | AllMusic". AllMusic . November 12, 2011. Archived from the original on November 12, 2011. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Hot 100 Singles (October 27, 1984)". Billboard. Vol. 96, no. 44. October 27, 1984. p. 64. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Chicago charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Chicago 17 Awards". Allmusic . Retrieved August 15, 2012.
  6. ↑ Breakfast With Vinnie (May 26, 2024). The David Foster Interview. Event occurs at 23:40. Retrieved July 10, 2025– via YouTube.
  7. ↑ A Native's Guide to Chicago. Fourth edition. Chicago, IL: Lake Claremont Press, 2004. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  8. ↑ Demon Dogs print advertisement in Friday, April 6, 2001 issue of The DePaulia– DePaul University Library Digital Collections. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Billboard Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard . August 4, 1984. p. 58. Retrieved January 25, 2026– via World Radio History.
  10. ↑ "27th Annual GRAMMY Awards". Recording Academy Grammy Awards. January 16, 2013. Archived from the original on March 21, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  11. 1 2 "David Foster, Man In Motion: Grammy Nominations & Awards" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 100, no. 30. July 26, 1986. p. D-16. Retrieved April 12, 2019– via AmericanRadioHistory.com.
  12. ↑ Grein, Paul (July 26, 1986). "With Hit Songs for Steppingstones, Star-Shaper Foster Is Now Writing His Own Script For Total Success". Billboard. Vol. 100, no. 30. p. D-10. Retrieved April 12, 2019– via Google Books.
  13. ↑ Hunt, Dennis (January 11, 1985). "Grammys May Offer Few Surprises". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California, USA. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  14. ↑ "Chicago". GRAMMY.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2019. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  15. ↑ "David Foster". GRAMMY.com. May 14, 2017. Archived from the original on March 20, 2019. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  16. ↑ "Peter Cetera". GRAMMY.com. February 15, 2019. Archived from the original on October 30, 2017. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  17. ↑ "ASCAP Awards Ceremony". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 24. June 14, 1986. p. 79. Retrieved March 6, 2019– via Google Books.
  18. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9550". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 8654". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Las canciones más populares en Latinoamérica". La Opinión (Los Angeles) (in Spanish). November 19, 1984. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  21. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Hard Habit to Break". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  22. ↑ "Chicago – Hard Habit to Break". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Chicago Songs and Albums | Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  24. ↑ "Chicago Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard . Retrieved January 25, 2026.
  25. ↑ "Chicago Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard . Retrieved January 25, 2026.
  26. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9638". RPM . Library and Archives Canada.
  27. ↑ "Top 100 Hits of 1984/Top 100 Songs of 1984".
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