Taking It All Too Hard
| "Taking It All Too Hard" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Genesis | ||||
| from the album Genesis | ||||
| B-side | "Silver Rainbow" | |||
| Released | June 1984 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 3:56 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Songwriters | Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford | |||
| Producers | Genesis, Hugh Padgham | |||
| Genesis singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Taking It All Too Hard" is the sixth track from the self-titled album by the English rock band Genesis, released in 1983. It was sung by Phil Collins, who co-wrote the song with Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford.
In the United States, "Taking It All Too Hard" was issued as the fourth single from Genesis, with the eighth track from the album, "Silver Rainbow," included as the single's B-side. Billboard reported that "Taking It All Too Hard" was the fifth most added song in the adult contempoary radio format during the week of 23 June 1984.[1] It peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart[2] and reached No. 50 on the Billboard Hot 100.[3]
Background
No music video was made for this single, and the song has never been performed live by the band.[4] Tony Banks' played a Yamaha CP-70 electric piano on the track.
Reception
Cashbox said that "Collins' versatile vocals help make this song another potential mega-hit."[5] Billboard called it an "intriguing fourth single from the Genesis album" with a "light Latin beat and a dozen key changes."[6]
Personnel
- Phil Collins – drums, percussion, vocals
- Tony Banks – keyboards
- Mike Rutherford – guitars, bass
Chart performance
Weekly charts
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[7] | 50 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[8] | 11 |
| US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[9] | 41 |
References
- ^ "Most Added Records" (PDF). Billboard. 23 June 1984. p. 16. Retrieved 1 March 2026 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "Taking It All Too Hard" Billboard chart history, Billboard.com. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 334.
- ^ The Pet Shop
- ^ "Reviews" (PDF). Cashbox. 9 June 1984. p. 7. Retrieved 23 July 2022 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "Singles Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. 9 June 1984. p. 66. Retrieved 1 March 2026 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "Genesis Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
- ^ "Genesis Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
- ^ "Genesis Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 March 2026.