Something Better to Do

1975 single by Olivia Newton-John

"Something Better to Do"

Single by Olivia Newton-John

from the album Clearly Love

B-side

"He's My Rock"

Released

September 1975

Genre

Country, pop

Length

3:15

Label

EMI

Songwriter(s)

John Farrar

Producer(s)

John Farrar

Olivia Newton-John singles chronology

"Please Mr. Please"
(1975)

"Something Better to Do"
(1975)

"Let It Shine"
(1975)

"Something Better to Do" is a song written by John Farrar and recorded by Olivia Newton-John. The song was released in September 1975 as the lead single from Newton-John's sixth studio album, Clearly Love. The narrator of the song muses that she's having a hard time adjusting to life without her departed lover; even the birds are wasting their songs singing to her, and until her beloved returns, "the birds will have to find something better to do."

Record World said that the "Strong multi-tracked chorus contains the old Olivia charm."^[1]

"Something Better to Do" was Newton-John's fifth number one on the Easy Listening chart, spending three weeks at the top, while peaking at number thirteen on the Billboard Hot 100.^[2] In addition, the song went to number nineteen on the U.S. country chart.^[3] The record's performance on the Hot 100 and Country charts seemed to signal the beginning of a downturn in Newton-John's popularity, as it broke her streak of five consecutive singles to make the top ten of both charts stretching back to "Let Me Be There" in early 1974; however, her popularity on easy listening-oriented radio stations continued unabated for a time.^{[citation needed]}

Charts

Chart (1975)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[4]	60
Canadian RPM Top Singles^{[citation needed]}	26
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary ^[5]	1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[6]	40
US Billboard Hot 100^[7]	13
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)^[8]	1
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)^[9]	19
US Cashbox^[10]	15

References

^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 20 September 1975. p. 1. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 181.
^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 248.
^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 217. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^ "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
^ "Olivia Newton-John – Something Better to Do". Top 40 Singles.
^ "Olivia Newton-John Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
^ "Olivia Newton-John Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
^ "Olivia Newton-John Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
^ Whitburn, Joel (2014). Cash Box Pop Hits 1952-1996. Sheridan Books, Inc. ISBN 978-0-89820-209-0.