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On the Way to the Sky | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 9, 1981 | |||
Recorded | 1981 | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 42:09 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Producer | Neil Diamond | |||
Neil Diamond chronology | ||||
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Singles from On My Way to the Sky | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
On the Way to the Sky is the fourteenth studio album by Neil Diamond, released in 1981. It contains the hit "Yesterday's Songs", which reached number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100 (and number one on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart), title track which peaked at number 27 in the US and a third single, "Be Mine Tonight", which also reached the Top 40, peaking at number 35.
Cash Box said of "Be Mine Tonight" that "from the full production to the singer's unique charisma and delivery, everything works here." [3] Billboard said that it's a "bristling midtempo rocker with much of the energy and sass of 'America' or 'Longfellow Serenade.'" [4]
For shipments of a million copies, the album was certified Platinum by the RIAA, [5] but underperformed the previous year's 5× Platinum Jazz Singer , which reached number three on the albums chart and spawned three Billboard Top 10 hits.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Yesterday's Songs" | Neil Diamond | 2:51 |
2. | "On the Way to the Sky" | Neil Diamond, Carole Bayer Sager | 3:47 |
3. | "Right By You" | Neil Diamond, Richard Bennett, Doug Rhone | 3:37 |
4. | "Only You" | Neil Diamond, Tom Hensley, Alan Lindgren | 4:39 |
5. | "Save Me" | Neil Diamond | 3:23 |
6. | "Be Mine Tonight" | Neil Diamond | 2:39 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "The Drifter" | Neil Diamond | 4:55 |
2. | "Fear of the Marketplace" | Neil Diamond | 4:18 |
3. | "Rainy Day Song" | Neil Diamond, Gilbert Bécaud | 4:31 |
4. | "Guitar Heaven" | Neil Diamond | 3:37 |
5. | "Love Burns" | Tom Hensley, Alan Lindgren | 3:45 |
Chart (1981-1982) | Peak position |
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Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [6] | 12 |
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [7] | 36 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [8] | 14 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [9] | 56 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [10] | 11 |
UK Albums (OCC) [11] | 39 |
US Billboard 200 [12] | 17 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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New Zealand (RMNZ) [13] | Gold | 7,500^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [14] | Silver | 60,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [15] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
The Jazz Singer is an album by Neil Diamond from 1980, which served as the soundtrack album to the 1980 remake of the film The Jazz Singer. The soundtrack was released in November 1980 originally on Capitol Records, instead of his then-usual Columbia Records, because the film was produced by EMI Films, owned by the parent company of the label for which the soundtrack was released. The soundtrack was re-released in February 1996 on Columbia Records in the United States and Sony elsewhere. After Diamond signed with Capitol Records, this album was reissued by Capitol globally in 2014.
Love at the Greek is a live double album by Neil Diamond which was released in 1977. It was Diamond's second live album recorded from a concert at The Greek Theater in Los Angeles, and Neil's second album produced by Robbie Robertson of The Band. The CD release does not include the songs "The Last Picasso" and "Longfellow Serenade".
Silk Electric is the thirteenth studio album by American R&B singer Diana Ross, released on September 10, 1982, by RCA Records. It was Ross' second of six albums released by the label during the decade. It reached No. 27 on the US Billboard 200, No. 33 in the UK Albums Chart and the Top 20 in Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands. The album cover was designed by Andy Warhol.
Beautiful Noise is the tenth album by Neil Diamond and his third with Columbia Records, released in 1976. "Dry Your Eyes" was performed with The Band at their farewell show and is featured in Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz.
"Heartlight" is a song written by Neil Diamond, Carole Bayer Sager and her then-husband, Burt Bacharach, and recorded by Diamond in 1982. It is the first track on Diamond's 1982 album, also titled Heartlight, and reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming his thirteenth top 10 hit on the chart. It also spent four weeks atop the adult contemporary chart in late 1982, and was the last of his eight #1s on that chart. Reportedly, it was inspired by the 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Diamond allegedly settled with MCA/Universal for $25,000, due to its supposedly drawing on the material of the film.
You Don't Bring Me Flowers is Neil Diamond's twelfth studio album. It was released in 1978 to capitalize on the success of the title song of the same name, a duet with Barbra Streisand, which had originally appeared as a solo recording on Diamond's previous album, I'm Glad You're Here with Me Tonight.
Home Before Dark is the twenty-seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Neil Diamond. Released on May 5, 2008, it was the artist's second album for American Recordings.
Lovescape is the nineteenth studio album by the American singer Neil Diamond. Released in 1991, it peaked at number 44 on the Billboard 200. "Hooked on the Memory of You" was a duet with Kim Carnes, while "Don't Turn Around" was co-written by Diane Warren. It is the last album, till 12 Songs, to credit him with playing guitar, but he may have contributed some uncredited guitar work on previous or subsequent albums.
Three Chord Opera is the twenty-fifth studio album by Neil Diamond, released in 2001. It marked the first album since 1974's Serenade to consist solely of original material written solely by Diamond, and the first album of any original songs since 1996's country-themed Tennessee Moon where he co-wrote all but one of the songs.
Tennessee Moon is the twenty-third studio album by Neil Diamond. Released in February 1996, it is the product of a collaboration with various country music songwriters and performers. A companion television special entitled Under a Tennessee Moon was aired on ABC. The album was certified gold by the RIAA.
Up On the Roof: Songs from the Brill Building, released in 1993 on Columbia Records, is a cover album and also the twenty-first studio album by Neil Diamond. It contains a duet with Dolly Parton, string arrangements by David Campbell, along with re-makes of tracks associated with the Brill Building, where Diamond had worked in the 1960s.
Melody Road is Neil Diamond's 32nd studio album, and first album of original music recorded since 2008's well-received Home Before Dark, which debuted on the US album charts at #1. It was produced by Don Was and Jacknife Lee.
The Christmas Album is the twentieth studio album by Neil Diamond and his first to feature Christmas music. It features orchestral and choir arrangements by David Campbell. The album reached No. 8 on the Billboard 200 album sales chart, No. 50 on the UK album sales chart, and No. 30 on Australian music chart.
Headed for the Future is the seventeenth studio album released by Neil Diamond in March 1986 on Columbia Records. The album went to number 20 on the US Billboard 200. Headed for the Future has also been certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.
Heartlight is the fifteenth studio album by Neil Diamond. It was released in August 1982 on Columbia Records. The album spent 34 weeks on the charts and peaked at #9. For shipments of a million copies it was certified Platinum by the RIAA.
September Morn is the thirteenth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Neil Diamond. Released in 1979, the album includes a disco version of the Motown song "Dancing in the Street" and a remake of "I'm a Believer".
Primitive is the sixteenth studio album by Neil Diamond. It was released in 1984 on Columbia Records. Its singles "Turn Around", "Sleep With Me Tonight", and "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" reached numbers 4, 24, and 28, respectively on the Billboard Adult Contemporary singles chart, while "Turn Around" also reached number 62 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album was certified gold by the RIAA on October 5, 1984.
The Best Years of Our Lives is the eighteenth studio album by Neil Diamond. It was released by Columbia Records in 1988 and reached number 46 on the Billboard 200 chart, number 42 on the UK album chart, and number 92 on the Australian chart. The album was certified gold by the RIAA on February 16, 1989. In his review of The Best Years of Our Lives music critic Bryan Buss referred to it as "a strong entry in Diamond's oeuvre" and as "an album that is romantic and sentimental without being manipulative".
The Christmas Album, Volume II is the twenty-second studio album by Neil Diamond, and his second to feature Christmas music. It was produced by Peter Asher and released by Columbia Records in 1994, only two years after Diamond's previous Christmas album. It features orchestral and choir arrangements by David Campbell, who also worked on the first Christmas album, as well as several of Diamond's other works. The album reached number 9 on the Billboard Holiday Album chart and was certified as gold by the RIAA on December 6, 1994.
Dreams is the thirty-first studio album by Neil Diamond. It was produced by Diamond and released by Columbia Records in 2010. The album contains cover versions of popular songs that Diamond claims in the liner notes are among his favorites. Among them is "I'm a Believer", which he wrote for The Monkees back in 1966. Dreams ranked at number eight on the Billboard 200 chart.