“Physical” is a song recorded by British-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John for her 1981 eleventh studio album of the same name. It was released as the album’s lead single in 1981. The song was produced by John Farrar and written by Steve Kipner and Terry Shaddick, who had originally intended to offer it to Rod Stewart. The song had also been offered to Tina Turner by her manager Roger Davies, but when Turner declined, Davies gave the song to Newton-John, another of his clients.
“Physical” was an immediate smash hit, shipping two million copies in the United States, where it was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and spent 10 consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, which tied the record of most consecutive weeks at number one on that chart. “Physical” ultimately became Newton-John’s biggest hit and cemented her legacy as a pop superstar, a journey that began when she crossed over from her earlier country pop roots. The song’s suggestive lyrics, which even caused it to be banned in some markets, helped change Newton-John’s longstanding clean-cut image, replacing it with a sexy, assertive persona that was strengthened with follow-up hits such as “Make a Move on Me”, “Twist of Fate” and “Soul Kiss”.
