"The Rumour" by Olivia Newton-John

Granddaughter of the famed physicist Max Born, Olivia Newton-John would become famous for something "Physical" as well. She began her singing career in the early 70s, carving out a niche as a country and folk artist. Her first chart appearance was a cover of Bob Dylan's "If Not For You," which landed at #25 in 1971. Her talents were quickly noticed and by 1974 she won a Grammy for Country Female Vocal after "Let Me Be There" hit #6.

While maintaining a hint of her country roots, Newton-John shifted towards soft rock in the mid-70s and became a superstar. Her heartfelt ballad, "I Honestly Love You," gave Newton-John her first #1 smash and earned her a couple more Grammys, this time for Record Of The Year and Pop Female Vocal. She followed this with another #1 classic, "Have You Ever Been Mellow."

In the late 70s, she landed a breakout role in the musical film Grease, which led to more hits including the #1 duet with John Travolta, "You're The One That I Want." Her hot streak continued into the early 80s, with "Magic" staying at #1 for 4 weeks in 1980, followed by "Physical" in 1981, her biggest chart success yet. "Physical" stayed atop the chart for an astounding 10 weeks. A second film with Travolta, Two Of A Kind, generated her final top 10 hit when "Twist Of Fate" peaked at #5. A second track from the film, "Livin' In Desperate Times" reached #31.

By 1985, Newton-John was finally running out of steam on the US charts. "Soul Kiss" became her final top 40 of the decade after peaking at #20. She appeared in the top 40 once more, though, when "The Grease Megamix" single reached #35 in 1996. Her accomplishments have made her the 10th most successful artist of the 70s, the 25th for the 80s, and #41 of all-time.

Newton-John has sung tunes written by many big names, including the aforementioned Bob Dylan. Songwriter John Farrar wrote many of her hits, and she's collaborated with the likes of Richard Marx and Cliff Richard. Her hit "Xanadu," the title track to another film in which she was the star, went to #8 in 1980 and was written by Jeff Lynne and performed with E.L.O. 

One would think that a song written and performed with the great Elton John would be instant hit, but "The Rumour" somehow only made it to #62 in 1988.