Magic (Olivia Newton-John song)

"Magic"
Picture sleeve of the US and Australasian releases
Single by Olivia Newton-John
from the album Xanadu
B-side
  • "Fool Country" (US)
  • "Whenever You're Away from Me" (UK)
ReleasedMay 1980
Recorded1979
StudioMusicland (Munich, Germany)
Genre
Length4:31
Label
SongwriterJohn Farrar
ProducerJohn Farrar
Olivia Newton-John singles chronology
"Rest Your Love on Me"
(1980)
"Magic"
(1980)
"Xanadu"
(1980)

"Magic" is a song recorded by British-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John for the soundtrack to the 1980 musical fantasy film Xanadu, which starred Newton-John and Gene Kelly. Written and produced by Newton-John's frequent collaborator John Farrar, "Magic" was released as the soundtrack's lead single in May 1980 and topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks beginning on 2 August. On 30 August, it was displaced from the top by Christopher Cross's "Sailing".

In Canada, "Magic" spent two weeks at No. 1 on the RPM Top Singles chart, and also reached No. 4 in Australia and No. 32 in the United Kingdom. "Magic" became Newton-John's biggest Billboard Adult Contemporary hit, spending five weeks at the top of the chart, and also topped the RPM Adult Contemporary chart for a week. Billboard ranked "Magic" as the third most popular single of 1980. Record World called it an "infectious pop ballad [that] has a big beat production treatment".

Both US and UK B-sides also appear in Xanadu:

  • US: "Fool Country" is one of three single B-sides to appear in the film but not on the soundtrack. This is featured in the nightclub grand opening segment following the film's title track and before its reprise.
  • UK: "Whenever You're Away from Me" (a duet with co-star Gene Kelly), also appears as the B-side of the US "Xanadu" single.