Rock Steady

Album: Just Gets Better with Time (1987)
Charted: 38 7
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is the Whispers' biggest hit, peaking at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. It's about a guy who falls into a complicated relationship with a girl he thinks he loves. He is trying to figure out if she loves him in return, though it should be obvious that she does. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Mike - Santa Barbara, CA
  • This was written and produced by the team of L.A. Reid and Babyface. It was one of the first songs the pair worked on for another artist - they were members of the group The Deele at the time. In 1989, they formed LaFace Records and became music moguls as well as hit producers. TLC, OutKast and Pink were all signed to LaFace.

Comments: 2

  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn this day in 1987 {September 19th} a video of the Whispers' "Rock Steady" was aired on the nationally syndicated television program, 'Soul Train'...
    Fourteen weeks earlier "Rock Steady" peaked at #1 {for 1 week} on Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart...
    As noted above, it reached #7 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart...
    Between 1969 and 1997 the Los Angeles group had forty records on the Hot R&B Singles chart, fifteen made the Top 10 with two* reaching #1, the above "Rock Steady" and "And The Beats Goes On" for 5 weeks in 1980...
    Original member Nicholas Caldwell passed away at the age of 71 on January 5th, 2016...
    May he and Don Cornelius {1936 - 2012} R.I.P.
    * They just missed having a third #1 record when their "It's A Love Thing" peaked at #2 for 3 weeks in 1981, the first week it was at #2, the #1 record for that week was "Don't Stop The Music" by Yarbrough and Peoples, for it's 2nd and 3rd week at #2, the #1 record for both those weeks was "Being With You" by Smokey Robinson...
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyPer: http://www.oldiesmusic.com/news.htm {01-07-2016}
    Nicholas Caldwell, one of the founders of the R&B group, the Whispers, died Tuesday (January 5th, 2016) of congestive heart failure at his home in San Francisco at the age of 71...
    All told, the Los Angeles-based group charted twenty-one times from 1970 to 1990; their biggest hit was "Rock Steady”, it peaked at #7 {for 1 week} on August 23rd, 1987...
    The Whispers were inducted into the 'Vocal Group Hall of Fame' in 2011...
    May he R.I.P.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino EditionMusic Quiz

Whether he's splitting ears or burning Nazis, Quentin Tarantino uses memorable music in his films. See if you can match the song to the scene.

Jimmy Jam

Jimmy JamSongwriter Interviews

The powerhouse producer behind Janet Jackson's hits talks about his Boyz II Men ballads and regrouping The Time.

Song Cities

Song CitiesMusic Quiz

Nirvana, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen are among those who wrote songs with cities that show up in this quiz.

"Private Eyes" - The Story Behind the Song

"Private Eyes" - The Story Behind the SongSong Writing

How a goofy detective movie, a disenchanted director and an unlikely songwriter led to one of the biggest hits in pop history.

Guy Clark

Guy ClarkSongwriter Interviews

Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris and Lyle Lovett are just a few of the artists who have looked to Clark for insightful, intelligent songs.

Steely Dan

Steely DanFact or Fiction

Did they really trade their guitarist to The Doobie Brothers? Are they named after something naughty? And what's up with the band name?