Peak: #4 on the Hot 100
Streams: 3.8 million
Almost 35 years later, “Hold On” is absolutely the Wilson Phillips song that endures, and that’s as it should be. It’s a spectacular record that showcases exactly what these women could do with their voices and their songwriting, as well as what Glen Ballard could do as a producer. But if you were listening to pop music in 1990 and 1991, then you’ll remember that “Hold On” was just the beginning. For about 18 months, Wilson Phillips were absolutely everywhere.
In case you need a refresher: They were a vocal trio comprised of Wendy and Carnie Wilson (daughters of Beach Boy Brian Wilson) and Chynna Phillips (daughter of John Phillips from Mamas and the Papas). But while their connection to pop royalty helped them get noticed, it was the quality of their work that helped them hang around. There really is something magical about the way their voices blend together, whether that’s on the soaring parts of “Hold On” or on the tight harmonies that run througout “Release Me,” their second number one hit.
But their voices also stand out individually. Chynna’s at the center of “Hold On” and “You’re In Love” (their third number one), and Carnie’s rich alto is the star of “The Dream Is Still Alive,” the fifth and final top 20 hit from their debut album. And then there’s Wendy, whose quirkier, Susannah Hoffs-adjacent sound gives a California glow to “Impulsive.”
The song is about a woman who’s luxuriating in the realization that her lover has pulled her out of her shell. For once in her life, she’s acting impulsively, and she’s enjoying it. Co-writers Clif Magness and Steve Kipner nail both the description of this feeling and the melody that makes it sound like a dreamy rush. Magness wrote massive hits like Jack Wagner’s “All I Need,” while Kipner penned everything from Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical” to Christina Aguilera’s “Genie in a Bottle.” These guys were not gonna miss.
But Wendy Wilson’s timbre gives the song an extra spark, and so does Glen Ballard’s production, with its chiming electric guitars and loping tempo. (That’s The Eagles’ Joe Walsh playing the guitar solo, by the way.) Altogether, this lets “Impulsive” form a nice bridge between 70s acts like Linda Ronstadt and artists like Sheryl Crow who adapted that California sound for the later 90s. So why not give in to bliss and listen today?
That chorus is pretty sweet
Pretty boring song, but inoffensive. This video is so 90s! I hate that I can't watch it without remembering Chris Farley as Carnie in an SNL sketch. That was so mean.