Stars (Simply Red song)
"Stars" is a 1991 song by British soul and pop band Simply Red, released as the second single from their fourth album of the same name (1991). Written by lead singer Mick Hucknall and produced by Stewart Levine, "Stars" became the first single from the album to crack the UK top 10, reaching number eight in December 1991. Outside the UK, "Stars" reached the top 10 in Denmark, Luxembourg and Zimbabwe and peaked within the top 40 in more than 10 other countries. In the United States it climbed to number 44 on the "Billboard" Hot  100, marking the band's last appearance on the listing, and reached number eight on the "Billboard" Adult Contemporary chart. "Q Magazine" included "Stars" in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever" in 2003. The song was featured on the band's compilation albums, "Greatest Hits" in 1996, "" in 2008 and "Song Book 1985–2010" in 2013. Critical reception. AllMusic editor Jon O'Brien viewed the song as "wistful dreamy". "Billboard" magazine described it as a "midtempo crooner". Writing for CultureSonar in 2018, Ellen Fagan wrote, "This exquisite ballad references a couple who love one another but are unlikely to walk  off into the sunset together for various reasons. Because of that, both are destined to walk away reeling. The video released with the song is a vintage '80s masterpiece of surrealism; the whole package emerges as a mournful tune with a yearning, otherworldly feel." A reviewer from "Dundee Courier" deemed it a "slowie". Pan-European magazine "Music & Media" noted that it "has numerous allusions, including references to Mick Hucknall's own road to fame and to the stars in the European flag. This soulful pop song confirms the position of the red-headed singer at the top, close to the  galactic stars." Pop Rescue stated that the singer "hits those notes with perfection in the chorus, resulting in a wonderfully warm and catchy track." Karla Peterson from "The Press-Courier" called it "swooning" and "one of the most open-hearted love songs Hucknall has ever written." In 2014, Luke Turner from The Quietus noted that the song itself "holds up wonderfully", adding that "there's not a huge amount going on, but that's what makes it work: piano, terrific drums, layers of vocals, and a load of bonus hints of chorus snuck in amongst the verses." Richard Paton from  Toledo Blade described it as a "soulful groove". Johnny Dee from "Smash Hits" said it is "superb". Chart performance. "Stars" was a major hit in Europe, becoming one of Simply Red's most successful songs to date. It was a Top 10 hit in Denmark, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom, where the single peaked at number eight in its third week on the chart. Additionally, it also was a Top 20 hit in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and Switzerland. On the Eurochart Hot 100, "Stars" peaked at number 19 on January 18, 1991. Outside Europe, the single made  it to number eight in Zimbabwe, number 17 in Canada, number 29 in Australia, number 32 in New Zealand and number 44 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100. In 2013, the song again charted, this time in Japan, where it peaked at number 49 on the Japan Hot 100. "Stars" received a gold record in the United Kingdom, with sales and streams of over 400,000 units. Music video. The music video for "Stars" was released in November 1991 and features Hucknall wandering around a desert surrounded by large gold stars with close-ups of him and a woman. It was  directed by Zanna and edited by Marc Eskenazi.