Songoftheday 12/15/13 - You know our love was meant to be the kind of love that last forever...

Chicago - "You're The Inspiration"
from the album Chicago 17 (1984)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #3 (two weeks)
Weeks in the Top-40: 14

Today's Song of the Day is by the jazz-fusion-turned adult-pop rock band Chicago, whose 17th album had already produced two hits with "Stay The Night" and "Hard Habit To Break". For their third single the band released another ballad, their 'softest' one in a long time, "You're The Inspiration". Written by Chicago bassist and lead singer Peter Cetera with producer David Foster originally for Kenny Rogers, the song was in their new "mom pop" wheelhouse. To get MTV to come on board, they recruited Madonna and Billy Idol look-a-likes for the video...

"You're The Inspiration" became the second top-10 pop hit off Chicago 17 in January of 1985, while topping the adult-contemporary format (natch) for two weeks. Across the 'pond', the single made it to #14 in the UK. This would be the last top ten pop hit for the band with Cetera on board...

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After Cetera left the group, he re-recorded "You're The Inspiration" with soul vocal group Az Yet for a single that went to #77 on the pop chart and #29 on adult contemporary in 1997...

 Alt-rock Relient K even tried their hand at the song in 2011...

lastly, here's Chicago (sans Cetera) live with the song...

Up tomorrow: Irish modern rock heroes get their first big break on American radio courtesy of a civil rights pioneer.