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Olivia Newton-John cast a spell with her 1980 hit “Magic.” A massive hit that spent weeks dominating Billboard’s charts, the soft rock classic is still enchanting listeners more than 45 years later, recently earning the No. 4 spot onSiriusXM’s fan-voted listof the best yacht rock songs of the 1980s.
“For four weeks in 1980, Olivia Newton-John’s ‘Magic’ sat atop the Billboard Hot 100,” the outlet wrote. “Its dreamy atmosphere and effortless melody make it one of the smoothest pop hits of the decade.”
Regarded as the gold standard of West Coast synth-pop, “Magic” seamlessly blends high-end studio polish with the nautical groove that’s the signature of the yacht rock genre.
Newton-John keeps her vocal delivery breathy yet effortless, while the lush, multilayered instrumentation drives the song but keeps it danceable and smooth. Overall, the song is a breezy production that’s helped it become a natural fit for modern yacht rock playlists.
Released in the summer of 1980, “Magic” is the opening track on the Xanadu (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), which also features bangers from the British rock band Electric Light Orchestra. And even though the musical fantasy starring Newton-John, Gene Kelly, and Michael Beck was a big flop at the box office, the soundtrack was an absolute smash.
Certified double platinum, the album and its mix of disco, pop, and rock became a massive commercial success, yielding five Top 20 singles, including “Magic,” “Xanadu,” and “All Over the World.”
In 2011, Newton-John revisited “Magic” for a remix with fellow Aussies Steve Peach and DJ Dan Murphy, sponsored by the humanitarian group WACCI. All proceeds from the song were donated to Newton-John’s cancer charity and wellness center. The world premiere of the song was presented on the Australian edition of Dancing With the Stars in May 2011.
“I have a wonderful life, and I realize I’m very fortunate,” the singer said in a 2011 chat with Interview. “I think a lot of people lose a sense of reality when they achieve success. That’s a terrible danger because you have to remember … that you’re still a person and all that out there is a kind of magic.”
Newton-John died in 2022 after a decades-long battle with breast cancer. But she never confused celebrity with substance, adding in her interview, “What people see out there is magic; it’s media magic. It’s not very real, and it’s very glamorous, but you have to keep a sense of you through it all.”
The real magic, as it turns out, was the music she left behind—songs like “Magic” that continue to soundtrack summers and win over generations of new fans.
Related: 1986 Hit, Voted the No. 2 Best Yacht Rock Song of the ’80s, Became a Timeless Anthem
