Kiss on My List

"Kiss on My List" is a song by American duo Hall & Oates. It was written by Daryl Hall and Janna Allen, and produced by Hall and John Oates. It was the third single release from their ninth studio album, Voices (1980), and became their second US Billboard Hot 100 number-one single (after "Rich Girl" in 1977). It spent three weeks at the top spot.

"Kiss on My List"
Single by Hall & Oates
from the album Voices
B-side	"Africa"
Released	November 1980
Recorded	1980
Genre	Synth-pop[1] new wave[2] yacht rock[3]
Length	4:25 (album version) 3:48 (7" version)
Label	RCA Records
Songwriter(s)	Daryl Hall Janna Allen
Producer(s)	Daryl Hall John Oates
Hall & Oates singles chronology
"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (1980) "Kiss on My List" (1980) "You Make My Dreams" (1981)
Music video
"Kiss on My List" on YouTube

The music video was the 204th that aired on MTV's first day of broadcast.^[4] The 45 rpm version of the song appears on the compilation albums Rock 'n Soul Part 1 (1983) and Playlist: The Very Best of Daryl Hall & John Oates (2008).

Background

The song was written with the intention of Janna Allen, sister of Hall's longtime girlfriend Sara Allen, singing it, as she was interested in starting a music career. Hall cut a demo version as a guide for her, but later when his manager found the tape lying around the studio, he insisted that Hall and Oates cut the song themselves. In fact, the production team liked the demo so much that they did not do a second take, instead adding background vocals and instrumentation to the demo and mixing them together. Hall recalled that is why the drums sounded so "dinky" - the "drums" in fact being the early Roland CR-78 drum machine mixed in with a live drumming overdub.

Hall calls it an anti-love song, with the song title being tongue-in-cheek sarcasm in that the kiss is not that important, in that it is on a list of other things that are just as important.^[4]

In an interview with Mix magazine, Daryl Hall said: "Eddie Van Halen told me that he copied the synth part from 'Kiss on My List' and used it in 'Jump.' I don't have a problem with that at all."^[5]

Reception

Record World said it has "a bouncy pop sound with heavenly harmonies."^[6]

Personnel

• Daryl Hall – lead vocals, keyboards, synthesizers
• John Oates – backing vocals, 6 and 12-string guitars, Roland CR-78 drum machine
• John Siegler – bass guitar
• Jerry Marotta – drums

Additional musicians

• Jeff Southworth – lead guitar
• Mike Klvana – equipment technician

Chart performance

Weekly charts Chart (1981) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] 13 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] 6 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[9] 33 UK Singles (OCC)[10] 33 US Billboard Hot 100[11] 1 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[12] 16 US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[13] 54

Year-end charts Chart (1981) Rank Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] 83 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[14] 32 US Billboard Hot 100[15] 7

See also

• List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1981 (U.S.)