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“After All”: Peter Cetera and Cher hit #1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts 33 years ago this week, April 22, 1989

BrianWilkins.org
April 29, 2022

The 1989 movie “Chances Are” isn’t exactly a classic. But it’s definitely weird and worth a watch if you’re bored one night. The short, spoiler version is that Louie Jeffries was a young lawyer in the 1960s. He was married to Corrine Jeffries, played by Cybill Shepherd. Louie get killed when he’s hit by a car while crossing the street. But when he goes to the “pearly gates” after death, he slipped through the cracks and was instantly reincarnated as baby Alex Finch (Robert Downey Jr.).

Finch ends up in the same town as his former widow and his daughter, Miranda Jeffries (Mary Stuart Masterson), 23 years later. Miranda is now the same age he is. Finch starts to remember that he was Louie Jeffries in his past life. But now Miranda, his daughter, is sexually attracted to Finch/Louie. But Finch/Louie is still in love with Corrine, while Corrine notices little habits and mannerisms by Finch that remind her of her late husband.  Follow all that? Again it’s a strange movie. But it’s so 80s and a decent watch.

Regardless, the soundtrack produced one of the best duets of the 1980s. Peter Cetera, of Chicago fame, and Cher, blended their very-powerful voices in “After All.”

The song hit number-1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Charts on April 22, 1989. “After All” stayed there for four weeks. It peaked at number-6 on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 13, 1989. I was never a big fan of Cher. But Chicago and Peter Cetera have always been one of my top-10 favorite bands, based on how many times I’ve listened to their songs. It’s borderline criminal that “You’re The Inspiration” only reached number-3 on the Billboard Hot 100 on January 19, 1985. It did, however, top the Adult Contemporary Charts around the same time.

That whole Chicago 17 album is an absolute masterpiece. “Along Comes A Woman” is also on that album and peaked at number-14 on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 20, 1985. The song is so true on every level.

“After All” has very deep, very painful, very happy meaning to me. It’s such a beautiful song that represents a wholesome time and priceless memories. “Chances Are” the movie? Well, it’s 80s. I’ll give it that.

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