"Throwing It All Away" is the seventh track on the 1986 album Invisible Touch by Genesis. It was the second single taken from the album in the United States, reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1986, as well as No. 1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart and the Album Rock Tracks chart.[3] It was the last single released from the album in the UK in June 1987, reaching No. 22.[4] The song was also a top 40 hit on the Irish Singles Chart, peaking at No. 24.[5] The working title was "Zephyr and Zeppo".
Quick Facts Single by Genesis, from the album Invisible Touch ...
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The song is a soft rock ballad structured around a guitar riff by Mike Rutherford, who also wrote the lyrics.[6] The U.S. single included an edited version of the instrumental "Do the Neurotic" as the B-side; the UK edition featured the track "I'd Rather Be You".
Billboard called it a "dance ballad" that sounds a lot like "a cheerier version" of Collins' earlier single "Take Me Home."[10] In Billboard magazine's Critics' Choice at the end of 1986, Kim Freeman chose the song as No. 7 in his top ten countdown, describing it as "a rare ballad that isn't too sappy to enjoy".[11] Cash Box called it "romantic and wistful."[12]
Stevie Chick, writing for The Guardian in 2014, called the song a "genuinely affecting ballad" but observed its similarity to Collins' solo work, stating it "could have easily fitted on his solo albums".[13]
In his assessment of the song for AllMusic, François Couture claimed: "This love song featured heartfelt vocals, a simple piano accompaniment, and Mike Rutherford's trademark rhythm guitar, plus a very catchy chorus. Nothing striking, but all the elements came together nicely and adult contemporary radio stations played it extensively."[14]
7": Virgin / GENS 5 (UK)
- "Throwing It All Away" – 3:41
- "I'd Rather Be You" – 3:57
7": Atlantic / 7-89372 (US)
- "Throwing It All Away" – 3:41
- "Do The Neurotic" (Edit) – 5:21
12": Virgin / GENS 5–12 (UK)
- "Throwing It All Away" (live)
- "I'd Rather Be You"
- "Invisible Touch" (live)
- Also released on MC (GENSC5)
- Live tracks recorded at The Forum, Los Angeles, 1986
More information Country, Date ...
Country |
Date |
United States |
8 August 1986 |
United Kingdom |
8 June 1987 |
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More information Year-end chart (1986), Rank ...
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Billboard.com archive (link) "Reviews". Billboard. 16 August 1986. p. 69. Retrieved 4 August 2022. Nielsen Business Media, Inc (27 December 1986). "1986 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 52. p. Y-21.