Top 10 Peter Cetera Songs From His Solo Career

Photo: Sven Mandel, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Our Top 10 Peter Cetera Songs From His Solo Career list looks at the music Peter Cetera has released outside of the albums he recorded with the band Chicago. As a solo performer, Peter Cetera has achieved significant success with six singles making it to the Top 40. While there have been many hits and music awards, Peter Cetera’s catalog is filled with deep album tracks presenting the music of an artist who rocks just as hard as he could sing those teary-eyed ballads.

# 10 – Livin’ in the Limelight

We open up with something nice and heavy on our Peter Cetera solo songs list. The heaviness is due to Toto’s lead guitarist, Steve Lukather, who also lays down a spectacular guitar solo in the middle of the track. The song “Livin’ In The Limelight” was released on Peter Cetera’s first solo album entitled Peter Cetera. The album was released in 1981. The album was not a commercial success as it did not even break into the Top 100 of the Billboard Top 200 album charts. A few years later, Chicago would stage a massive comeback with the success of Chicago 17, which stalled Peter Cetera’s solo career for a couple of years before he hit it big with “The Glory Of Love” in 1986.

# 9 – It’s Only Love

The Beatles are probably the most covered band in classic rock history. How could they not be? They released almost three hundred perfect songs in just seven years of work. I have great Beatles covers and some not so great ones. Peter Cetera’s cover of The Beatles “It’s Only Love” falls into the great category. The ex-Chicago lead singer and bassist doesn’t change much about the song regarding melody or lyrics. What he does do is add a nice contemporary, soulful groove that surrounds his gorgeous voice, making this one quite an excellent listen.

# 8 – Deck The Halls

We don’t often place songs from Christmas albums on best-of lists, but we are making an exception for this one. In 2004 Peter Cetera released his one and only Christmas album entitled You Just Gotta Love Christmas. The album was filled with mostly Christmas classics and a few original holiday songs written by Cetera. One of the album’s standout tracks was a Celtic-style version of the standard “Deck The Halls.” The inclusion of the very lovely Alison Krauss on the track made for an exceptional recording.

# 7 – Save Me

When one thinks of Peter Cetera’s solo career, one probably thinks of a catalog filled with ballads. However, if you paid attention to the first song we presented on this list and now this cranking tune, you will discover that Peter Cetera has always been a rocker at heart. Fueling this song’s groove is the stunning Bonnie Raitt on guitar and backing vocals. If you have never heard this one, make sure to press play below.

# 6 – After All

“After All” brought together the legendary vocal talents of Cher and Peter Cetera. Released on March 3, 1989, the song was written and recorded for the film Chances Are. The song would win an award for Best Original Song at the 1989 Academy Awards. While “After All” marked the first North American single from Cher’s nineteenth studio album, “Heart of Stone,” it also found a place in Cetera’s retrospectives, most notably on his 1997 compilation You’re The Inspiration – A Collection and again in 2017 on “The Very Best of Peter Cetera.”

Chart-wise, “After All” made an impressive ascent, peaking at number six on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and capturing the top spot on the Adult Contemporary chart, marking Cher’s first solo number one in this category since her days with Sonny. The song’s resonance was felt across North America and even touched charts in Europe, showcasing its wide appeal.

# 5 – Restless Heart

At the halfway point on our Peter Cetera solo songs list, we turn to another mid-tempo rocker. With a heavy snared drum and cranking bass line fueling the groove, Peter Cetera’s vocals soar above the mix making for a standout track that echoes a bit of the work he did with Chicago minus the horn section. “Restless Heart” was released on Peter Cetera’s 1992 album World Falling Down. The song was composed by Peter Cetera and Andy Hill. This song marked Cetera’s fifth and final number one on the US Adult Contemporary charts, where it remained at the top for two weeks. It also represented his last appearance in the top forty of the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 35.

# 4 – One Good Woman

Peter Cetera turned to some heavy hitters for his One More Story album. The album was produced by Patrick Leonard who is responsible for some of Madonna’s biggest hits of her career during the 1980s. One can easily hear Leonard’s touch on the song, especially on the keyboard parts. Also on board was the legendary guitarist Dan Huff and one of the most heralded drummers in pop music history John Robinson. Of course, in the end, it all comes down to Peter Cetera’s golden voice, which stands front and center. This is a really special one.

# 3 – Glory Of Love

If there ever was a doubt that Peter Cetera would be able to make it on his own as a solo artist, that thought was erased with the success of the song “Glory of Love.” The song defines the sound of 80s soundtracks. Peter Cetera’s “Glory of Love,” was released in 1986. Co-created with Diane Nini, his wife at the time, and the legendary David Foster, the track found a place in the soundtrack of The Karate Kid Part II, soaring to the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also a key feature of Cetera’s Solitude/Solitaire album, produced by Michael Omartian.

Dominating the charts, “Glory of Love” clinched the top position on the US Billboard Hot 100 on August 2, 1986, holding it for two weeks, and led the US adult contemporary chart for five weeks. The song was a major hit of 1986, according to Billboard, and achieved significant success in the UK, where it was among the top-selling singles of the year.

# 2 – The Next Time I Fall

Well, this was a big one. If you grew up in the 1980s, this is a song you heard at least a thousand times. It’s a perfect ballad that became a massive hit for both Peter Cetera and Amy Grant. The song hit number one on the Billboard Hit 100 in 1986. Even though it’s a duet, if you watch a video that features Grant and Cetera, there is not one shot in which both of them are featured together. I guess they were pretty busy at the time. Still, the video is worth a watch as Amy Grant is simply mesmerizing.

# 1 – You Never Listen To Me

Peter Cetera has some pretty big hits in his solo career, like the previous two songs we just listed, so it may come as a surprise to be placed in the number-one spot. Nonetheless, we are a rock and roll site, and to us, this one just hits the mark. Those haunting guitar solos sprinkled through this song should sound familiar to classic rock fans because that’s the work of Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour. The song was featured in an episode of Miami Vice, where it fit so perfectly.

Professional Sources, research, experience, and citations

Charting information used in the analysis and research of the commercial success of these songs comes from Billboard Magazine Charts

https://www.billboard.com/charts/

The Story Of Classic Rock

Other sources for important factual information include the band’s website

https://www.grammy.com/artists/peter-cetera/8754

Further analysis and original thoughts are provided by the writer Brian Kachejian’s experience as a professional musician and music collector for over 50 years and his experience as a New York State certified music and history educator and professional music journalist with the New York Press.