In total, the duo had 34 singles chart hits on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, seven RIAA platinum albums, and six RIAA gold albums. Because of that chart success, Billboard Magazine named them the most successful duo of the rock era, surpassing even The Everly Brothers. In 2003, they were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. They were also placed #15 on the Billboard Magazine list of the 100 greatest artists of all time and the #1 duo, while VH1 placed the duo as #99 on their list of the 100 greatest artists of all time.
From their first hit in 1974 onwards, Daryl Hall and John Oates' smooth, catchy take on Philly soul brought them commercial success— including six number one singles and six platinum albums as referred to before. Hall & Oates' music was well-constructed and produced; at their best, their songs were filled with strong hooks and melodies that adhered to soul traditions without being a slave to them by incorporating elements of arena rock and new wave.
Daryl Hall, born on October 11, 1946, began performing professionally while he was a student at Temple University. In 1966, he recorded a single with Kenny Gamble and the Romeos; the group featured Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Thom Bell, who would all become the architects of Philly soul. During this time, Hall frequently appeared on sessions for Gamble and Huff. In 1967, Hall met John Oates, a fellow Temple University student. Oates was leading his own soul band at the time. The two students realized they had similar tastes and began performing together in an array of R&B and doo wop groups. By 1968, the duo had parted ways, as Oates transferred schools and Hall formed the soft rock band Gulliver; the group released one album on Elektra in the late '60s before disbanding.
After Gulliver's breakup, Hall concentrated on session work again, appearing as a backup vocalist for The Stylistics, The Delfonics, and The Intruders, among others. Oates returned to Philadelphia in 1969, and he and Hall began writing folk-oriented songs and performing together. Eventually they came to the attention of Tommy Mottola, who quickly became their manager, securing the duo a contract with Atlantic Records. On their first records — Whole Oates (1972), Abandoned Luncheonette (1973), War Babies (1974) — the duo were establishing their sound, working with producers like Arif Mardin and Todd Rundgren and removing much of their folk influences. At the beginning of 1974, the duo relocated from Philadelphia to New York. During this period, they only managed one hit — the number 60 "She's Gone" in the spring of 1974.
After they moved to RCA in 1975, the duo landed on its successful mixture of soul, pop, and rock, scoring a Top Ten single with "Sara Smile." The success of "Sara Smile" prompted the re-release of "She's Gone," which rocketed into the Top Ten as well. Released in the summer of 1976, Bigger than the Both of Us was only moderately successful upon its release. The record took off in early 1977, when "Rich Girl" became the duo's first number one single.
Although they had several minor hits between 1977 and 1980, the albums Hall & Oates released at the end of the decade were not as successful as their mid-'70s records. Nevertheless, they were more adventurous, incorporating more rock elements into their blue-eyed soul. The combination would finally pay off in late 1980, when the duo released the self-produced Voices, the album that marked the beginning of Hall & Oates' greatest commercial and artistic success. The first single from Voices, a cover of Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," reached number 12, yet it was the second single, "Kiss on My List" that confirmed their commercial potential by becoming the duo's second number one single; its follow-up, "You Make My Dreams" hit number five. They quickly released Private Eyes in the summer of 1981; the record featured two number one hits, "Private Eyes" and "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)," as well as the Top Ten hit "Did It in a Minute." "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" also spent a week at the top of the R&B charts — a rare accomplishment for a white act. H20 followed in 1982 and it proved more successful than their two previous albums, selling over two million copies and launching their biggest hit single, "Maneater," as well as the Top Ten hits "One on One" and "Family Man." The following year, the duo released a greatest-hits compilation, Rock 'N Soul, Pt. 1, that featured two new Top Ten hits — the number two "Say It Isn't So" and "Adult Education."
In April of 1984, the Recording Industry Association of America announced that Hall & Oates had surpassed Everly Brothers as the most successful duo in rock history, earning a total of 19 gold and platinum awards. Released in October of 1984, Big Bam Boom expanded their number of gold and platinum awards, selling over two million copies and launching four Top 40 singles, including the number one "Out of Touch." Following their contract-fulfilling gold album Live at the Apollo with David Ruffin & Eddie Kendrick, Hall & Oates went on hiatus. After the lukewarm reception for Daryl Hall's 1986 solo album, Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine, the duo regrouped to release 1988's Ooh Yeah!, their first record for Arista. The first single, "Everything Your Heart Desires," went to number three and helped propel the album to platinum status.
However, none of the album's other singles broke the Top 20, indicating that the era of chart dominance had ended. Change of Season, released in 1990, confirmed that fact. Although the record went gold, it only featured one Top 40 hit — the number 11 single, "So Close." The duo mounted a comeback in 1997 with Marigold Sky, but it was only partially successful; far better was 2003's Do It for Love and the following year soul covers record Our Kind of Soul.
And That's What Hurts
Hall & Oates Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never let nobody dare
Never let somebody hold me
Long enough for me to care...
Till I found you
Till I found you.
Never let my guard down easy
I never knew the reason why
I never let my feelings show
Till I felt the pain
Of loving you
And that's what hurts
When we say goodbye
And that's what hurts
On those sleepless nights
There's nothing I can do
'Cause I'm lost inside of you
And that's what hurts.
I never let nobody touch me
Never let nobody try
I never let somebody move me
Deep enough to make me cry
Till I found you
Till I found you
I was strong and independent
I Never needed anyone
I thought I had it all together
Until you came and proved me wrong
Now I'm stronger with you
In my life
And that's what hurts
When we say goodbye
And that's what hurts
On those sleepless nights
There's nothing I can do
'Cause I'm lost inside of you
And that's what hurts
Yeah and that's the catch
But the hearts not good at holding back
It's a blessing and a curse
And I don't know what's worse
And that's what hurts.
Sometimes I want to run
Sometimes I feel just like a fool
Sometimes I'm even sorry baby
That I felt in love with you.
Oooh that's when it hurts
It hurts so bad
Ooh can't sleep at night
Nothing I can do
'Cause I'm lost inside of you
Oohhh
It hurts oh it hurts
'Cause I'm lost inside of you
I can't help myself
I can't help myself
Hurts without you baby
You're not here, you're not here
The lyrics of Hall & Oates's "And That's What Hurts" tells the story of a person who has always guarded their heart and never let anyone in until they found someone they cared deeply for. The singer reflects on how they thought they had everything under control before they met this person who changed everything. This individual gave them a reason to let go of their guard and allowed them to be vulnerable, but now that they have to say goodbye, it's what hurts the most. They feel lost and unable to move on because they are so deeply in love with this person.
The first verse sets up the scene for the singer's guarded nature. They have never let anybody know them or dared to let them hold them. However, all this changes when they meet the person whom they have fallen in love with. The chorus repeats that it is the pain of loving this person that hurts when they say goodbye or on sleepless nights. And there is nothing they can do about it, as they are lost inside of this person.
The second verse further establishes how the singer felt invincible until meeting this person. They thought they had everything under control and never needed anyone until they arrived. The bridge of the song highlights the inner turmoil of loving someone so profoundly that it becomes a blessing and a curse. They don't know what's worse and sometimes can't help running or feeling like a fool. The last verse ends with expressing how much it hurts to be without this person, but the singer can't help themselves because they can't let go of their love.
Line by Line Meaning
Never let nobody know me
I have always kept myself guarded and never let anyone in
Never let nobody dare
I have always been wary of people approaching me
Never let somebody hold me
I have never let anyone get close enough to me to hold me
Long enough for me to care...
I was always scared of people getting close to me because I didn't want to end up caring for them
Till I found you
I found you and everything changed
Never let my guard down easy
Even with you, I was still hesitant to let my guard down
Never let myself let go
I never allowed myself to fully let go and enjoy the moment
I never knew the reason why
I never understood why I was so guarded and scared of getting close to people
I never let my feelings show
I always kept my feelings bottled up and never expressed them
Till I felt the pain
It was only when I fell in love with you that I felt the pain of love
Of loving you
I fell in love with you and it hurt
And that's what hurts
The pain of loving you is what hurts the most
When we say goodbye
Saying goodbye to you is the most painful thing
On those sleepless nights
I can't sleep when I think about you
There's nothing I can do
There is nothing I can do to ease the pain
'Cause I'm lost inside of you
I am lost in my love for you
I never let nobody touch me
I never let anyone touch me in a way that made me vulnerable
Never let nobody try
I always kept people at arm's length to avoid getting hurt
I never let somebody move me
I never let anyone have an emotional impact on me
Deep enough to make me cry
I never let anyone get close enough to make me cry
I was strong and independent
I prided myself on being strong and independent
I Never needed anyone
I thought I didn't need anyone in my life
I thought I had it all together
I thought I had my life under control
Until you came and proved me wrong
You came into my life and showed me that I needed you
Now I'm stronger with you
Being with you has made me stronger
Yeah and that's the catch
Loving you is both a blessing and a curse
But the hearts not good at holding back
I can't help but love you with all my heart
It's a blessing and a curse
Loving you is both a wonderful and painful experience
And I don't know what's worse
I don't know if it's worse to love you and feel the pain or not love you at all
Sometimes I want to run
Sometimes I feel like running away from my emotions
Sometimes I feel just like a fool
Sometimes I feel foolish for falling so deeply in love with you
Sometimes I'm even sorry baby
Sometimes I regret falling in love with you because it hurts so much
Oooh that's when it hurts
That's when I feel the pain the most
It hurts so bad
The pain of loving you is unbearable
Ooh can't sleep at night
I can't sleep at night because I'm constantly thinking about you
Hurts without you baby
It hurts to be without you
You're not here, you're not here
I miss you so much and it hurts
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHILD, LACY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Seilá Fc
3:28 When Daryl Hall makes you thrill. Fantastic!
a c
My thoughts exactly. I've tried to do it a million times to no avail
Marcelo Mendes Amado
Seilá Fc Thanks For Your Comment !!!
Jacqueline Leclercq
Beautiful song!! thank you for posting!!!
Marcelo Mendes Amado
Jacqueline Leclercq Thanks For Your Comment !!!
Mark Jolley
Another gem from hall and oats!!😁😁😁😁
Marcelo Mendes Amado
Mark Jolley Thanks For Your Comment !!!
Cobra SS
Love this song
Marcelo Mendes Amado
Cobra SS Thanks For Your Comment !!!
DJ Peter Valjebeck
I just LOVE this song...mmmm….