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.
Wait for Me
Hall & Oates Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Time is running out for the magic pair
I know you gave the best that you have
But one more chance
Couldn't be all that hard to bear
Wait for me please
Wait for me, alright
But won't you wait for me (wait for me)
Please wait for me (wait for me)
Although I know the light is fading fast
You could go either way
Is it easier to stay
I wonder what you'll do
When your chance rolls around
But you gotta know how much I want to keep you
When I'm away I'm afraid it will all fall down
So wait for me please
Wait for me, alright
I guess that's more than I should ask
But won't you wait for me (wait for me)
Please wait for me (wait for me)
Although I know the light is fading fast, yeah
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Love is what it does and ours is doing nothing
But all the time we spent, it must be good for something
Please forgive all the disturbance I'm creating
But you got a lot to learn if you think that I'm not waiting for you
So wait for me please
Wait for me, oh, I
I guess that's more than I should ask
So won't you wait for me (wait for me)
Please wait for me (wait for me)
Oh God, I know the light is fading fast, yes it is
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-later
You got a lot to learn if you think that I'm not waiting for you
So wait for me please
Wait for me, alright
I guess that's more than I should ask
So won't you wait for me (wait for me)
Please wait for me (wait for me)
Although I know the light is fading fast, yes it is
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
You got a lot to learn if you think that I'm not waiting for you
Wait for me please
Wait for me, alright
I guess that's more than I should ask
So won't you wait
So won't you wait
In "Wait For Me," Hall & Oates sing a song about a person who wants their partner to wait for them, as they fear that their relationship might fall apart due to the distance between them. The midnight hour is almost over, and time is running out for the "magic pair." The singer knows that their partner has given their best, but they still want one more chance. The singer continues, "Wait for me please / Wait for me / Alright, I guess / That's more than I should ask / Why won't you wait for me / Please wait for me / Although I know the light is fading fast." They know that asking for their partner to wait for them is a big request, but they can't help wanting them to wait for them, as their love for them is strong.
The singer acknowledges that their partner could go either way, and they wonder what their decision will be when their chance rolls around. The singer wants their partner to know how badly they want to keep them and fears that if they go away, everything will fall apart. All the time they spent together must be good for something. The singer asks their partner to forgive them for the disturbances they have caused, but they have a lot to learn if they think that the singer is not waiting for them. The singer ends the song by repeating "Wait for me please" and urging their partner to wait for them.
Line by Line Meaning
Midnight hour almost over
The night is coming to an end.
Time is running out for the magic pair
The time for the two of them to stay together is limited.
I know you gave the best that you have
I understand that you already did your best in the relationship.
But one more chance
Can we try this again?
Couldn't be all that hard to bear
It won't be too much of a burden to try again.
Wait for me please
I'm not ready to let go of our relationship just yet.
Wait for me
Please don't leave me just yet.
Alright, I guess
I know it's a lot to ask, but I still hope you'll wait for me.
That's more than I should ask
I understand that asking for another chance is already too much.
Why won't you wait for me
I still hope you'll wait for me, but I wonder why you won't.
Although I know the light is fading fast
I understand that time is running out for the two of us.
You could go either way
You have a choice to make.
Is it easier to stay
Would it be better for you to stay with me or leave?
I wonder what you'll do
I don't know what decision you'll make.
When your chance rolls around
When it's your turn to make a decision about our relationship.
But you gotta know how much
You have to understand how much I value our relationship.
I want to keep you
I want to hold onto our relationship and keep it going.
When I'm away I'm afraid
I fear that distance will break us apart.
It will all fall down
Our relationship might crumble if we're not together.
Love is what it does
Love is an action and not just a feeling.
And ours is doing nothing
Our love needs work and we're not doing anything to make it better.
But all the time we spent
We have invested a lot of time in our relationship.
It must be good for something
Our relationship must be worth something if we've spent so much time on it.
Please forgive all the disturbance
I apologize for causing any trouble or discomfort.
I'm creating
I'm making this emotional plea to save our relationship.
But you got a lot to learn if you think
I hope you realize that I'm still waiting for you.
That I'm not waiting for you
I want to be with you, and I'm patiently waiting for you to make your choice.
Yes it is
Time is really running out for us to work things out.
Waiting
I'm still here, willing to wait for you.
So won't you wait
I hope you'll choose to wait for me too.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Daryl Hall
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ChadBest-ug8uo
Underrated gem by Hall and Oates.....one of my favorites!
@mitzie393
Love this song sm
@giovanafrancisco245
Tema por demás adorable gracias al dúo de Filadelfia ❤
@user-cy8rr6zq7d
絆の人生にとって必要な曲です
@marlenelyles
Love all their music 🎵🎶🎵❤
@WarpedRecord
This has been my favorite Hall & Oates song for 42 years, and I didn’t realize there was a video for it until a few seconds ago.
@donnarachiele1226
Mine too
@jessemuncey9740
18 years old, mine as well, also possession obsession. Let me know any obscure gems you guys know
@LisaGemini
It's a damn shame they don't play it live anymore. At least when I saw them in Tampa last September, they omitted it. C'mon, guys! Put it back in the show.
@jenniesecho
@Lisa Cunningham Honestly, he can't hit the notes anymore. I just saw them live and it was not good. So disappointed, I was really looking forward to it.