Stars

The song Stars by Simply Red, released in November 1991, became the first single from their self-titled fourth album to reach the top 10 in the UK, peaking at number eight in December of that year. It was written by lead vocalist Mick Hucknall and produced by Stewart Levine. Beyond the British Isles, Stars also made its way to the top of the charts in Denmark, Italy, Luxembourg, and Zimbabwe. In the United States, it reached number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the group's last appearance on that chart. The album Stars, released on September 30, 1991, was a resounding success, particularly in its home country, where it became the best-selling album of 1991 and 1992. It was the first record to achieve best-selling status for two consecutive years since Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge over Troubled Water in 1970-1971. By April 2019, it ranked as the fourteenth best-selling album of all time in the UK.

Critics have described Stars in various ways: as an "exquisite ballad" that tells the story of a couple who love each other but cannot be together, resulting in a bittersweet farewell. Its "dreamy and melancholic" character has been noted, with a "delicately emotive voice" and a "smooth rhythm." Some critics have called it a "very heartfelt love song" written by Hucknall, highlighting its warmth and catchiness. The production, handled by Stewart Levine with Daren Klein as recording and mixing engineer, contributed to a sound that some perceived as a "funkier groove" that suited the band well. The album Stars was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 1992, and in 2000, Q magazine included it in its list of "The 100 Best British Albums of All Time." The single Stars received platinum certification in the UK, surpassing 600,000 units sold and streamed.