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.
Someone Like You
Hall & Oates Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How hard it was for me to let you go
Hard to face all those nights
And suffer through all the fools advice
Seems tome it's not so bad
To try for the kind of love that we had
Oh I need that romance
When it's got no chance
Now you're gone away
And I'm left to carry on
Ain't nobody else gonna bear up to comparison
And if I can't have the real thing
Then I've got to find someone
Just like you
What you got it's what you need
There's pain in that but it's plain enough to see
I know I was satisfied
But nobody else came out of my side
I hope someone will come today
Somebody like you
Someone to take me all the way
Somebody like you
Someone to take your place
Somebody like you
Someone to fill this empty space
The lyrics to Hall & Oates's song "Somebody Like You" explore the difficulty of moving on after a breakup, particularly when a love was strong and seemingly irreplaceable. The singer of the song acknowledges that only the person they lost could ever truly understand the depth of their feelings, and that it was hard to let go and face the lonely nights ahead. They also express frustration with the well-meaning but ultimately unhelpful advice of others who can't understand the specifics of their situation.
Despite the pain and sadness they feel, however, the singer remains hopeful about finding love again someday. They believe that the kind of bond they shared with their former partner was worth pursuing, even if it ultimately didn't work out. The line "One that grows strong when it's got no chance" suggests that the love they had was perhaps doomed from the start, but that doesn't make it any less valuable. The singer is left searching for someone who can live up to the high bar set by their former flame, acknowledging that it won't be easy to find someone who measures up.
Overall, the lyrics of "Somebody Like You" capture the complicated emotions of love and loss, and the struggle to move on from a deep connection. The singer recognizes that finding someone new won't be the same as what they had before, but still holds out hope for a second chance at love.
Line by Line Meaning
Only you could ever know
Only you have the knowledge and understanding of how difficult it was for me to let you go.
How hard it was for me to let you go
The process of letting you go was extremely difficult for me to complete.
Hard to face all those nights
It was tough to endure those solitary nights.
And suffer through all the fools advice
I had to go through a lot of unwise counsel from people.
Seems to me it's not so bad
It appears to me that it's not as terrible as I had earlier thought.
To try for the kind of love that we had
It might be worth pursuing a romance that's similar to what we both had.
Oh I need that romance
The presence of genuine love is imperative for me.
One that grows strong when it's got no chance
One that becomes stronger when the odds are against it.
Now you're gone away
Now that you're no longer here with me.
And I'm left to carry on
I'm left to continue with life without you.
Ain't nobody else gonna bear up to comparison
No one else can compare to you.
And if I can't have the real thing
In case I can't have what we had before.
Then I've got to find someone
I'll have to search for another person who is similar to you.
Just like you
Someone who is exactly like you.
What you got it's what you need
What you possess is what you require.
There's pain in that but it's plain enough to see
Although there's a certain agony that comes with it, it's apparent that this is necessary.
I know I was satisfied
I was content with what I had before.
But nobody else came out of my side
No one else managed to come close to being by my side.
I hope someone will come today
I'm optimistic that someone will appear soon.
Somebody like you
Someone who is like you in every way possible.
Someone to take me all the way
Someone who will be with me every step of the way.
Someone to take your place
Someone who will fill the void you left behind.
Someone to fill this empty space
Someone who will occupy the void within me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HALL, MYRICK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@thathawaiiandude787
I agree...I was a teen in the early 80’s. And grew up through the 70’s and 80’s. And, never left it behind me.
About 80% of all my playlists are from that era. HALL & Oates have DEFINITELY been a huge part of my musical history. They had great writing, great hooks and of course that silky smooth Blue Eyed Soul voice of Daryl.
Back in HS I would put in their “Rock n soul part 1” and never had to pass on any song and just let it run. ALL were good songs.
Only a few LP’s our CDs I could do that to back then.... George Michaels, Michael Jackson’s (Thriller), Prince (Purple Rain), Huey Lewis (Sports and Fore), Whitney Houston’s debut.... among them.
Miss those days. ❤️
@AlexRoza
Only you could ever know
How hard it was for me to let you go
Hard to face all those nights
And suffer through all the fools advice
Seems to me it`s not so bad
to try for the kind of love that we had
Oh I need that romance
One that grows strong
When it`s got no chance
Now you`re gone away
And I`m left to carry on
Ain`t nobody else gonna bear up to comparison
And if I can`t have the real thing
Then I`ve got to find someone
Just like you
What you got it`s what you need
There`s pain in that but it`s plain enough to see
I know I was satisfied
But nobody else came out of my side
I hope someone will come today
Somebody like you
Someone to take me all the way
Somebody like you
Someone to take your place
Somebody like you
Someone to fill this empty space
@cruisinnewcollection-tw3ln
My dad passed away yesterday and now I'm making a playlist with all the songs he loved and I remember him by. This is one of them. Thank you dad for showing me the greatest artists of all times. Loved, missed and never forgotten 🤘🔥❤
@monikarimkus9864
I wish you and your family lots of strenght 🙏💫💥🗯
@roxykilfoyle1028
I am so sorry for your loss 💔💔💔
@renattadubon247
Dad treats me like shit I don't understand why he acts like that. Now I can't stop crying😢
@teodorazayakova9081
Nobody wants to heart the others. Deeply in our hearts, we're all good people. I'm sure that all of us regrets about everything that was said and done. In the end there is only love!
@dawnross5240
Sorry to hear and for your loss. I lost mine too. In 2021.
@mikeharris7261
I never understood why the songs that hit the hardest get little to no airplay. This song along with Wait For Me are just pure gold
@Oak690
Watch Daryl sing "Wait for me" live from 1995. Total amazing performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXZ6AstmabE
@jacquelinespratt1015
My favor Wait For Me is with Joe Walsh on Daryls House and my favorite Someone Like You is also on Daryls House with Pat Monahan and does it with Todd Rundgren also
@jacquelinespratt1015
These were hugely touch me to the heart of my soul songs for me Wait for me when I 16 and somebody like you in 1986 when my heart was broken