Ken Lee (9) | STAFF REPORTER
Music from the 1980s is best known for being a transformational time for the industry, with the emergence of EDM, and better technologies (like synthesizers), making a tune distinctly “80s” on first listen.
Glory of Love by Peter Cetera was released in 1986. The song marks his first major hit after he left Chicago (band).
Chicago is a rock band founded in Chicago, IL, in 1967. The original name was the “Big Thing”, but one year later then started calling themselves the “Chicago Transit Authority” – and yes, they did name themselves after the actual CTA. They later shortened their name in 1969 to how it stands today.
Cetera joined Chicago in 1968, and just a year later, they released their debut self-titled album Chicago Transit Authority. The sequel album Chicago saw Cetera on lead vocals for the song 25 or 6 to 4, which was the band’s first smash hit.
As the end of the 1970s drew, Chicago saw continued success in the mid-70s, but poor performance in the later part of the decade.
1981 saw new management and songwriter (David Foster). The next album immediately following (Chicago 16) was a major success, and the was the band’s return to making charting songs. The lead single Hard to Say I’m Sorry climbed the scoreboards and hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 11, 1982.
The next album, Chicago 17, was also a major hit for the band, with Cetera again on lead vocals for smash hits You’re the Inspiration and Hard Habit to Break, both reaching No. 3.
After the success of Chicago 16/17, Cetera sought to start a solo career, and wanted to mirror the arrangement Phil Collins and Genesis had at the time (Collins still touring, but getting time to record solo work). Ultimately, Cetera and Chicago were unable to reach an agreement and he left the band in the summer of ’85, ending the former’s 18 years of tenure in the band.
Immediately after his departure, he teamed up with songwriter David Foster (also the songwriter for Chicago), and they wrote and recorded his first single – Glory of Love (this article’s subject). It was an immediate hit, and reached No. 1. It was also used as the theme song for Karate Kid 2. He also recorded a duet with Amy Grant, titled Next Time I Fall (In Love), with that song also hitting No. 1. Both songs were later included on his Solitude album.
Glory of Love starts off with the lines, “Tonight it’s very clear / As we’re both lying here”. Cetera sings about dedication and loyalty – being an honorable man who wants to do right by his partner. The chorus is ,in my humble opinion, the highlight of the song, with the lines, “We’ll live forever / Knowing together that we did it all for the glory of love”. The song fades to silence with the outro line “We did it all for love”. In all, this song is, as the kids say, a certified banger, and one you cannot live without listening to (at least once – even if you hate it).
Cetera retired in 2019 after a career spanning more than 50 years.
