You Can't Change That

1979 single by Raydio

"You Can't Change That"

Single by Raydio

from the album Rock On

B-side

"Rock On"

Released

April 1979

Recorded

c. 1979

Genre

Soft rock^[1]
yacht rock^[2]
soul^[2]

Length

3:23

Label

Arista

Songwriter(s)

Ray Parker Jr.

Producer(s)

Ray Parker Jr.

Raydio singles chronology

"Honey I'm Rich"
(1978)

"You Can't Change That"
(1979)

"More Than One Way to Love a Woman"
(1979)

"You Can't Change That" is a song by Raydio from their second studio album Rock On. Released as a single in 1979, it reached No.9 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and No.3 on the soul chart.^[3]

Critical reception

Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times called "You Can't Change That" a "good natured" tune that's one of "the album's high points".^[4] Craig Lytle of AllMusic also called the song "a laid-back yet very danceable track; it features the vocals of the mild-tempered Ray Parker Jr. and the distinctive tenor of Arnell Carmichael."^[5] Record World said it has a "a bit of a Spinners feel."^[6]

Personnel

Raydio

Arnell Carmichael – vocals
Ray Parker Jr. – vocals, keyboards, synthesizers

Additional personnel

Jack Ashford – percussion
Ollie E. Brown – drums, percussion, vocals
Charles Fearing – guitars
Larry Tolbert – drums, percussion
Cheryl Brown, Darren Carmichael, Valorie Jones, Francis Pearlman – background vocals

Chart history

Weekly charts

Chart (1979)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[7]	6
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[8]	17
Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[9]	9
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[10]	7
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[11]	12
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[12]	12
US Billboard Hot 100^[13]	9
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)^[14]	25
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)^[15]	3
US Cash Box Top 100^[16]	10

Year-end charts

Chart (1979)	Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[17]	54
Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[18]	57
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[19]	82
US Billboard Hot 100^[20]	30
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)^[21]	46
US Cash Box ^[22]	65

References

^ Kuge, Mara (7 February 2019). "14 Secretly Cruel Soft Rock Love Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock.
^ ^a ^b Molanphy, Chris (July 31, 2021). "What a Fool Believes Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
^ Allmusic artist bio
^ Hilburn Robert (May 6, 1979). "Disk Derby: Have You Met Miss Jones?". newspapers.com. Los Angeles Times. p. 416.
^ Lytle, Craig. "Raydio: Rock On". allmusic.com. Allmusic.
^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. March 17, 1979. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 247. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^ "Raydio – You Can't Change That" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - September 22, 1979" (PDF).
^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 35, 1979" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
^ "Raydio – You Can't Change That" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
^ "Raydio – You Can't Change That". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
^ "Raydio Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
^ "Raydio Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
^ "Raydio Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
^ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, August 11, 1979
^ "Kent Music Report No 288 – 31 December 1979 > National Top 100 Singles for 1979". Kent Music Report. Retrieved December 3, 2020 – via Imgur.com.
^ "Top 100 Singles (1979)". RPM. July 17, 2013. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1979". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
^ Musicoutfitters.com
^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 27, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
^ Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 29, 1979