Christopher Cross occupies a curious place in music’s landscape: he’s not what you would call a “superstar,” but he’s far from a small name. And while his time in the spotlight was brief, his is a story of resilience in a world changing into something not friendly to his kind of work.
But in middle America, not everyone was involved in the nightlife or the underground clubs. The loudest, flashiest genres consume most of the oxygen, but other voices were there as well.
The “Singer-Songwriter” genre gave us some of the best-selling and most beloved stars in the industry, like James Taylor, Jim Croce, Joni Mitchell, and, of course, Christopher Cross.
Yet in August 1981, three simple letters would change things: MTV.
SAILING THROUGH THE VIDEO STAR ERA
And just like that, music focused more on looks and visuals: video did indeed kill the radio star.
The years between the end of disco and the music video era were a ticking clock that told us pop culture wasn’t going to be the same again.
It’s oddly coincidental that Cross released his debut album on December 27, 1979, moving between gaps, small spaces, and opportunities during that window. It went five times platinum in America, and found a similar reception in the UK, France, and Germany.
His second single, “Sailing,” earned the soft-spoken Texan five Grammy awards. He became the first artist to win the main categories in the same year: “Album of the Year,” “Record of the Year,” “Song of the Year,” and “Best New Artist.”
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