Chain Reaction

After writing hits for Dionne Warwick and Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross was next on Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb's list. This Motown-inspired song was the second single from Gibb brothers-penned album, Eaten Alive. Barry Gibb says in 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh, "'Chain Reaction' was never originally meant to be on the album. It was the last song we cut. We'd done the whole album and Diana said, 'Well, we still need one more song from somewhere.' We had 'Chain Reaction' all along but didn't have the nerve to play it to her because it was so Motown-ish that we were scared she wouldn't go back there. Robin Gibb persuaded her by saying, 'We think it's time you did something that you would have done with The Supremes and not just Diana Ross.' Once Diana had recorded it, she sat down and heard the playback and realized it was a credible tribute to the past."

Despite the Gibb brothers' fear the song had too much of a Motown vibe, it spent three weeks at #1 in the UK and won the Ivor Novello award for most-performed song in 1986. But it surprisingly flopped in Ross' homeland, stalling at a less-than-sparkling #66.

"Chain Reaction" is a song about the power of love and the overwhelming feeling it can create. The lyrics describe a romantic relationship that has taken hold and become unstoppable, much like a chain reaction. The song's title is a metaphor for the way that love can spread and grow between two people, creating an unbreakable bond. The upbeat melody and energetic production of the song add to the feeling of joy and excitement that comes with being in love.