May 21, 20221 min read

Love is in the Air - John Paul Young (1977)

In early 1977, Australian singer John Paul Young had a disco hit in Germany called "Standing in the Rain." He was looking for a follow-up single to release when he was handed a song destined not only to be another German hit...but a "Great Song of the '70s!"!

Because German radio and club audiences were hungry for more disco pop, John Paul asked songwriters/producers Harry Vanda and George Young to make sure "Love is in the Air" would fit right in.

They succeeded.

As 1977 gave way to 1978, the song went to #3 on the German chart...and then it exploded worldwide, reaching the Top 10 in 12 other countries. It peaked #2 in Norway, Sweden and South Africa, and here in the US, it topped Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart, while topping off at #7 on the Hot 100.

In 1992, "Love is in the Air" was used as the theme to the Baz Luhrman film "Strictly Ballroom" (which featured a nice remixed version of the song--check it out below).

John Paul also sang it at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, and it was played at the opening ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.

In 2017, it was was selected for preservation in the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia!

It all adds up to an international "Great Song of the 70s:" "Love is in the Air" by John Paul Young!