"Hold Me in Your Arms"
Single by Rick Astley
from the album Hold Me in Your Arms
B-side"I Don't Want to Be Your Lover"
Released30 January 1989 (1989-01-30)
GenrePop
Length4:32
LabelRCA
Songwriter(s)Rick Astley
Producer(s)
Rick Astley singles chronology
"Take Me to Your Heart"
(1988) 		"Hold Me in Your Arms"
(1989) 		"Giving Up on Love"
(1989)
Music video
"Hold Me in Your Arms" on YouTube

"Hold Me in Your Arms" is a song written and performed by Rick Astley. Released in early 1989 as the third single from his album Hold Me in Your Arms, it became a top ten hit in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In 2019, Astley recorded and released a "reimagined" version of the song for his album The Best of Me, which features a new piano arrangement.[1]

Critical reception

In an ironic review of 4 February 1989 the Phil Cheeseman, reviewer of British music newspaper Record Mirror, chided the song for lack of class and recommended the singer take a break.[2] Mick Mercer of Melody Maker expressed similar opinion on single.[3] Julianne Regan of All About Eve also wasn't really impressed by "Hold Me in Your Arms" by saying "this song is exactly what you'd expect from him" in her capsule review for New Musical Express.[4] Much more positive, a review in Music Week praised Astley's involvement in the writing of "Hold Me in Your Arms", which is presented to be "as strong a ballad as anything [SAW] has ever concocted".[5]

Chart performance

Like "Take Me to Your Heart", "Hold Me in Your Arms" was not intended to be marketed in North America. In the United Kingdom, the single entrered the chart at number 26 on 11 February 1989, then climbed to number 11, peaked at number ten the following week and eventually totaled eight weeks on the chart.[6] In Ireland, it charted for four weeks in February 1989, with a peak at number seven.[7] In both countries, it was Astley's consecutive seventh top ten hit. It was also a top ten hit in Finland where it attained number seven,[8] but met with a limited success in the other European countries where it was released: it was a top 30 hit in the Flanders part of Belgium, peaking at number 25,[9] and a top 40 hit in Germany – its peak at number 32 marked the first time for an Astley's single to miss the top ten on the German chart –[10] and the Netherlands, where it culminated at number 35.[11] On the Pan-Eurochart Hot 100 singles chart established by the Music & Media magazine, it started at number 78 on 18 February 1989, peaked at number 30 in its third week,[12] and charted for nine weeks. It also appeared for five weeks on the European Airplay Top 50, with a peak at number 24.[13] Outside Europe, "Hold Me in Your Arms" failed to be a hit in Australia, stalling at number 77.[14]

Track listing

  1. "Hold Me in Your Arms" – 4:32
  2. "I Don't Want to Be Your Lover" – 3:58

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "Hold Me in Your Arms"
Chart (1989) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[14] 77
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[9] 25
Europe (European Hot 100)[12] 30
Europe (European Airplay Top 50)[13] 24
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[8] 7
Germany (Media Control Charts)[10] 32
Ireland (IRMA)[7] 7
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[11] 35
UK Singles (OCC)[6] 10

References

  1. ^ Brungardt, Leah (12 November 2019). "An Interview with 'Never Gonna Give You Up' Singer Rick Astley on His Iconic Hit Song, His Newest Album and Much More!". All Access Music. Archived from the original on 12 November 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  2. ^ Cheeseman, Phil (4 February 1989). "Review: Rick Astley – "Hold Me in Your Arms"" (PDF). Record Mirror. London: Spotlight Publications Ltd. p. 29. ISSN 0144-5804. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 June 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2021 – via World Radio History.
  3. ^ Mick, Mercer (4 February 1989). "Review: Rick Astley – "Hold Me in Your Arms"". Melody Maker. London: IPC Limited. p. 32. ISSN 0025-9012.
  4. ^ Regan, Julianne (11 February 1989). "Review: Rick Astley – "Hold Me in Your Arms" (PWL)". New Musical Express. London: IPC Limited. p. 18. ISSN 0028-6362.
  5. ^ "LP Reviews" (PDF). Music Week. 3 December 1988. p. 24. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Rick Astley: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  7. ^ a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Hold Me in Your Arms". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  8. ^ a b Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Rick Astley". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 21. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Rick Astley – Hold Me in Your Arms" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  10. ^ a b "Offizielle Deutsche Charts > Rick Astley – Hold Me in Your Arms (single)" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  11. ^ a b "Rick Astley – Hold Me in Your Arms" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  12. ^ a b "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 9. 4 March 1989. p. 22-23. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 21 August 2023 – via World Radio History.
  13. ^ a b "European Airplay Top 50" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 10. 11 March 1989. p. 27. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 21 August 2023 – via World Radio History.
  14. ^ a b "Chartifacts – Week Ending: 10 February 1991 (from The ARIA Report Issue No. 55)". imgur.com. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
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