There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry) Explained

"There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)" is a song by English singer Billy Ocean from his sixth studio album, Love Zone (1986). The song was written and produced by Wayne Brathwaite and Barry Eastmond; Ocean was also credited as a co-writer for the song. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week beginning 5 July 1986, where it remained for one week, becoming the 600th different song to ascend to that position. It also topped the adult contemporary and R&B charts in the United States that same summer.

Background

According to Barry Eastmond, the song was inspired by an incident involving Ocean's single of the previous year, "Suddenly". Eastmond told Fred Bronson in The Billboard Book of Number One Hits about a friend of his wife's who had recently broken up with a long-term boyfriend. While at a party thrown by her new boyfriend, the song "Suddenly", which reminded her of her previous boyfriend, was played, and she broke down in tears. Eastmond and his co-writers used this scenario as the basis for writing "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)".

Music video

Towards the end of the music video for "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)", Ocean stands seeing a woman coming towards him and as he gets ready to hug her, but she walks past him, to his devastation. An alternative video consists of Ocean performing the song live at one of his concerts in 1986.

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)"

Chart (1986–1987)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[2]	10
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[3]	7
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[4]	11
US Top 100 Singles (Cash Box)[5]	1
US Black Contemporary Singles (Cash Box)[6]	3

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)"

Chart (1986)	Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[7]	60
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[8]	52
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[9]	33
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[10]	60
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11]	34
US Billboard Hot 100[12]	16
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[13]	6
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[14]	8
US Top 100 Singles (Cash Box)[15]	4
US Black Contemporary Singles (Cash Box)[16]	23

Notes and References

1. Web site: Tom . Breihan . The Number Ones: Billy Ocean's "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry). . December 16, 2020. On its own, “Sad Songs” is perfectly innocuous filler... [it] has all the hallmarks of mid-’80s adult-contempo soul.... September 24, 2023.
2. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book. St. Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. illustrated. 221. 0-646-11917-6.
3. European Hot 100 Singles . . 3 . 21 . 31 May 1986 . 12 . 29800226 . World Radio History.
4. Book: Pennanen, Timo . Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 . fi . 1st . Helsinki . . 2006 . 978-951-1-21053-5.
5. Web site: Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending July 12, 1986 . . 27 November 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200807002504/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/19860712.html . 7 August 2020.
6. Cash Box Black Contemporary Singles . Cash Box . L . 2 . 28 June 1986 . 15 . 0008-7289 . World Radio History.
7. National Top 100 Singles for 1986 . . 650 . 29 December 1986 . Imgur.
8. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 1986 – Singles. nl. Ultratop. 27 September 2021.
9. Top 100 Singles of '86 . RPM . 45 . 14 . 27 December 1986 . 5 . 0033-7064 . Library and Archives Canada.
10. Web site: Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1986. nl. Dutch Top 40. 27 September 2021.
11. Web site: Top Selling Singles of 1986 . . 27 November 2021.
12. Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 1986. Billboard. 27 November 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210603140007/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1986/hot-100-songs. 3 June 2021.
13. Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 1986. Billboard. 27 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210521212235/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1986/adult-contemporary-songs. 21 May 2021.
14. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1986. Billboard. 27 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210717134016/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1986/hot-r-and-and-b-hip-hop-songs. 17 July 2021.
15. Web site: The Cash Box Year-End Charts: 1986 – Top 100 Pop Singles . Cash Box . 27 December 1986 . 27 November 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210521212238/https://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/1986YESP.html . 21 May 2021.
16. Black Contemporary Top Fifty Singles 1986 . Cash Box . L . 28 . 27 December 1986 . 52 . 0008-7289 . World Radio History.