Voices (Hall & Oates album)

Voices is the ninth studio album by American pop rock duo Daryl Hall & John Oates. The album was released on July 29, 1980, by RCA Records. It spent 100 weeks on the Billboard 200, peaking at number 17.^[1] In 2020, the album was ranked number 80 on The Greatest 80 Albums of 1980 by Rolling Stone magazine.^[2]

The album slowly became a massive hit, spinning off four singles into the top 40 of the American pop charts: "How Does It Feel to Be Back" (number 30 in summer, 1980), "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (number 12 in fall, 1980), "Kiss on My List" (number 1 for three weeks in spring, 1981), and "You Make My Dreams" (number 5 in summer, 1981). "Everytime You Go Away" was not released as a single but was covered by Paul Young in 1985, when it went to number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 27, 1985.

Voices was the first album that Hall & Oates produced by themselves, working in conjunction with renowned engineer Neil Kernon.

• Daryl Hall – lead vocals (2–9, 11), backing vocals, mando-guitar, keyboards, synthesizers (including ARP String Ensemble and Yamaha CP30), vocoder, percussion
• John Oates – lead vocals (1, 4, 7, 10), backing vocals, 6-string and 12-string guitars, percussion, Roland CR-78 drum machine
• G. E. Smith – lead guitars
• John Siegler – bass
• Jerry Marotta – drums
• Chuck Burgi – drums, percussion
• Charles DeChant – saxophone

• Jeff Southworth – lead guitar on "Kiss On My List"
• Ralph Schuckett – organ on "Everytime You Go Away"
• Mike Klvana – synthesizers on "Africa"

• Produced by Daryl Hall and John Oates
• Engineered by Neil Kernon and Bruce Tergeson
• Assistant Engineers – Jon Smith and John Palermo
• Mixed by Neil Kernon
• Recorded at The Hit Factory and Electric Lady Studio, New York City.
• Mastered by Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk, New York City.
• Album Cover Design – Sara Allen
• Art Direction – J.J. Stelmach
• Photography – Ebet Roberts
• Equipment Technician – Mike Klvana

The album debuted at number 75 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart the week of August 16, 1980 as the highest debut of the week.^[5] After ten months since its debut on the chart, it peaked at number 17 on June 13, 1981, making it their highest charting album since 1975 when Daryl Hall & John Oates also peaked at number 17.^[6][7] It remained on the chart for one hundred weeks, more than any other album by the duo.^[6][7] It was certified gold by the RIAA on May 6, 1981, for shipments of 500,000 units, and reached platinum status on January 22, 1982, denoting shipments of one million.^[8]