Suddenly

Billy Ocean was suddenly a star in 1984 after releasing "Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run)," which went all the way to #1 in America (the song was originally "European Queen"). With wind in his sails, he teamed with Mutt Lange for his next single, another upbeat song about finding love called "Loverboy." He followed with "Suddenly," another song about - you guessed it - finding love. But this one is a ballad, showing his versatility as a singer and expanding his reach to a more mature audience. This run of hits came after an initial run in the UK in the late '70s. His 1976 single "Love Really Hurts Without You" was his only one from that time to make much impact in America, where it climbed to #22. Ocean was born in Trinidad but based in the UK.

Ocean wrote this song with his producer, Keith Diamond. Both were born in Trinidad, with Ocean settling in the UK and Diamond in America. They paired up when Ocean signed with Jive Records, which made "Suddenly" the title track of his first album on the label. Ocean and another British act, A Flock Of Seagulls, were the moneymakers on Jive at this time. A few years later, the label became a hotbed of hip-hip with acts like D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Too Short and A Tribe Called Quest.

"Suddenly" was a #1 hit on the Adult Contemporary chart, the first of three for Ocean, preceding "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)" and "Love Is Forever." Like Lionel Richie, Ocean got lots of airplay on pop, R&B and Adult Contemporary radio, giving him a very wide reach.