Favorite 100 Albums of the 80s: (#81) Barbara Streisand – Guilty

YEAR RELEASED: 1980

NOTABLE TRACKS: “Woman In Love” “Guilty”, “What Kind of Fool”, “Promises”

ALBUM MVP: “Woman In Love”

WHY I LOVED IT: You can go suck a fat one if you’re hating on Babs or this selection. If anything I may look back with regret that I didn’t place this higher. Incredibly this was Streisand’s 22^nd studio album of her career and one of her best, certainly her best of the 80s. The term guilty pleasure gets tossed around more than it should, but take my word for it “Woman In Love” is one of my all-time guilty pleasures.

At the risk of losing any masculinity I have accrued, this is literally my go-to song in the shower, high-pitched feminine voice and all.

As for the others, I always thought Streisand and Gibb were a bit of an odd combination, but “Guilty” and “What Kind of Fool” probably rank among either’s best work.

COMMERCIAL SUCCESS: I’d say an album that has sold over five million copies is quite successful. This album hit number-one on the Billboard Top 200 and spent 1981 ranked 12^th on the year-end Billboard Top 200. Streisand was nominated for a Grammy for Album of the Year and won an American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Female artist. “Woman In Love” spent three weeks at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100, Streisand’s fifth and final number-one hit. “Guilty” (the single) peaked at three on the Billboard Hot 100 and was 29^th on the year-end Billboard Hot 100. Along with Barry Gibb it won a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Duo or Group. Another duet with Barry Gibb, “What Kind of Fool” spent three weeks in Billboard’s top ten.

FUN FACTS: Per Songfacts.com, “1980 was the fourth successive year Streisand had a US #1 hit. Her streak started in 1977 with “Evergreen.” In 1978 it was “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,” a duet with Neil Diamond. The following year it was “No More Tears (Enough Is Enough),” a duet with Donna Summer. Barry and Robin Gibb of wrote this song. After their wildly successful contributions to the 1978 movie Saturday Night Fever, they were asked to work on an album for Streisand, which became Guilty. It was Streisand’s best-selling album.”