Don't Give Up on Us (song)

{{Infobox song

| name = Don't Give Up on Us

| cover = David Soul - Don't Give Up On Us single cover.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = David Soul

| album = David Soul (only later editions)

| B-side = "Black Bean Soup"

| released = 1976 (UK)
January 1977 (U.S.)

| recorded = 1976

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Soft rock{{cite web|url=http://www.stereogum.com/5507/40_most_softsational_softrock_songs/franchises/list/|title=VH1's 40 Most Softsational Soft-Rock Songs|date=May 31, 2007|website=Stereogum|publisher=SpinMedia|access-date=July 31, 2016}}{{cite news|first= Troy L. |last= Smith |title= Every No. 1 song of the 1970s ranked from worst to best |website= Cleveland.com |date= December 14, 2021 |access-date= January 30, 2023|url= https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2021/12/every-no-1-song-of-the-1970s-ranked-from-worst-to-best.html}}

| length = 3:32

| label = Private Stock

| writer = Tony Macaulay

| producer = Tony Macaulay

| prev_title = The Train

| prev_year = 1970

| next_title = Going in with My Eyes Open

| next_year = 1977

| misc = {{External music video|type=single|{{YouTube|ZpZuomdVadA|"Don't Give Up on Us"}}|header=Official audio}}

}}

"Don't Give Up on Us" is a hit song recorded by American-British singer David Soul, and written by Tony Macaulay.

Background

Riding high on the success of his role in the hit TV show Starsky and Hutch, Soul returned to singing, which had been one of his early career choices. His debut, the Tony Macaulay-written-and-produced song was a worldwide smash, spending four weeks at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart in January and February 1977,{{cite book

| first= David

| last= Roberts

| year= 2006

| title= British Hit Singles & Albums

| edition= 19th

| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited

| location= London

| isbn= 1-904994-10-5

| pages= 335–6}} and a single week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1977. In addition, the song spent one week at No. 1 on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart.{{cite book |title= Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2002 |publisher=Record Research |page=227}} It has sold 1.16 million copies in the UK.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/nov/04/uk-million-selling-singles-full-list |title=UK's million-selling singles: the full list |author= Ami Sedghi |newspaper=The Guardian |date=November 4, 2012 |access-date=November 4, 2012 }}

Its B-side, "Black Bean Soup", with lyrics by actor Gardner McKay,{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/David-Soul-Dont-Give-Up-On-Us/release/1759199 |title=David Soul - Don't Give Up On Us (Vinyl) |website=Discogs.com |year=1976 |access-date=March 27, 2014}} is a duet with actress Lynne Marta, whom Soul was involved with at the time.

"Don't Give Up on Us" was rated No. 93 in VH1's 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders because, despite having more hits in the UK, Soul was never again able to reach the top 40 in the US. Soul recorded a new version of the song in 2004, allegedly after being embarrassed when hearing it by chance in an elevator as sung by Owen Wilson in the film version of Starsky and Hutch.{{citation needed|date=March 2014}} The film soundtrack included a cover of the song by Wilson and Neal Casal.

Chart performance

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable"
Chart (1976–1977) !Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite book\|last=Kent\|first=David\|author-link=David Kent (historian)\|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992\|edition=illustrated\|publisher=Australian Chart Book\|location=St Ives, N.S.W.\|year=1993\|isbn=0-646-11917-6\|page=280}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|1
{{single chart\|Flanders\|4\|artist=David Soul\|song=Don't Give Up On Us\|accessdate=21 May 2024}}
{{single chart\|Wallonia\|40\|artist=Chubby Checker\|song=Don't Give Up On Us\|accessdate=1 April 2024}}
Canada RPM Top Singles {{cite web\|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.5264a&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.5264a.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.5264a \|title=Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada \|website=Bac-lac.gc.ca \|date= July 17, 2013\|access-date=October 11, 2016}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|1
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary{{cite web\|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.4362&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.4362.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.4362 \|title=Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada \|website=Bac-lac.gc.ca \|date= July 17, 2013\|access-date=October 11, 2016}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|1
Irish Singles Chart{{cite web\|url=http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement \|title=The Irish Charts - All there is to know - David Soul search \|website=Irishcharts.ie \|date= \|access-date=June 13, 2022}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|2
{{single chart\|Dutch100\|3\|artist=David Soul\|song=Don't Give Up On Us\|accessdate=21 May 2024}}
{{single chart\|Dutch40\|3\|year=1977\|week=10\|accessdate=21 May 2024}}
New Zealand Singles Chart{{cite web\|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/singles/1977-04-01 \|title=NZ Top 40 Singles Chart \| The Official New Zealand Music Chart \|website=Nztop40.co.nz \|date=April 3, 1977 \|access-date=October 11, 2016}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|1
UK Singles Chart \| style="text-align:center;"\|1
US Billboard Hot 100Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - {{ISBN\|0-89820-089-X}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|1
US Billboard Adult Contemporary \| style="text-align:center;"\|1
align="left"\|US Cash Box Top 100{{cite web\|url=http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/70s_files/19770416.html \|title=Top 100 1977-04-16 \|work=Cashbox Magazine \|access-date=May 4, 2016 }} \| style="text-align:center;"\|1

class="wikitable"

Chart (1976–1977)

!Peak
position

Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=280}}