It’s hard to talk about Daryl Hall and John Oates these days without a wistful sigh, considering the possibility their personal differences might prevent them from playing together again. That would be a shame, because their recorded legacy is one of the finest of their era.
In total, Hall & Oates scored six U.S. No. 1 hits. Let’s go back in time and look at the songs that hit the biggest for this fantastic duo.
“Rich Girl” (1977)
Oddly enough, the inspiration for this song wasn’t a girl at all, but rather a rich male acquaintance of Daryl Hall’s who could get away with anything because of his wealth. By the time the song arrived, the duo had already hit the Top 10 with “Sara Smile” and “She’s Gone,” which both fell into the soft-rock category. And “Rich Girl” starts off that way, until the quiet electric piano and vocal of Hall is interrupted by a ringing guitar lick that kicks the song into overdrive.
“Kiss on My List” (1980)
There were a boatload of acts who scored big in the late ’70s soft-rock era that then struggled to make it happen once the decade changed. Considering they were in a bit of a commercial slump heading into 1980, it would have been easy for Hall & Oates to fall by the wayside as well. Instead, they kicked into another gear, starting with this track that was intended to be a gift to co-songwriter Janna Allen. But Hall & Oates held on to it, building the song from Daryl Hall’s excellent demo.
“Private Eyes” (1981)
It’s not like Hall & Oates were doing anything too different with their subject matter from song to song, as they usually focused on matters of the heart. But they had a way of adding little grace notes to each single that would make it stand out. In the case of “Private Eyes,” the lyrical hook is a clever way of referring to a guy who’s aware of what his lover is hiding from him. Meanwhile, the hand clap/white noise breakdown in each chorus lifts the song to another level of catchiness.
“I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” (1981)
Hall & Oates’ finest individual song? We’re putting in our vote for this suave, smooth, yet emotionally potent track. Oddly enough, the foundation for the track was available to just about anybody, as that classic drum beat came from a preset synthesizer setting Hall just happened to try out at the end of a session. The elements they add from there (the cool synth fills, the pulsing bass, the impassioned sax solo) help the song on its way to pop music glory.
“Maneater” (1982)
John Oates had the basic format for the song, but he envisioned it as more of a reggae track. Daryl Hall came along and transformed it into something more akin to soul music. It’s striking just how much open space there is in the song, which really throws a spotlight on the lyrics written by Hall and his longtime girlfriend/collaborator Sara Allen. Those words are pop perfection, a series of sizzling one-liners that all add up to a pretty detailed character sketch.
“Out of Touch” (1984)
This duo understood how to roll with the times. As the productions in the ’80s got bigger and bigger, they followed suit, working with Bob Clearmountain to craft the sound on their ’84 album Big Bam Boom. That album title actually offers a pretty accurate representation of what you can hear on “Out of Touch,” which is full of striking musical moments. None of that would matter if the hook hadn’t been there, but they come through with a killer chorus that provides the song’s emotional grounding.
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