When it came to the ‘80s and power ballads, REO Speedwagon reigned supreme. In fact, the arena rock band’s ninth studio album, Hi Infidelity, was an absolute juggernaut, peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, where it stayed for 15 non-consecutive weeks.
Additionally, Hi Infidelity became the biggest-selling album of 1981, taking the title as the Billboard No. 1 Album of the Year. Several fan-favorite hits belong on Hi Infidelity, such as “Take It on the Run,” “Don’t Let Him Go,” and “In Your Letter,” but one song helped pioneer the modern power ballad format — “Keep On Loving You.”
Written by REO’s lead singer Kevin Cronin, “Keep On Loving You” gave REO Speedwagon their first No. 1 hit and set the bar for popular first-dance wedding tracks. However, Cronin, who originally penned the song as a traditional love ballad and told American Songwriter “the verses came in about 20 minutes, in pretty much their finished form,” drew inspiration from his real life. According to Song Facts, he wrote the song as a response to his wife, Denise, who had cheated on him.
“That song is a yin-yang thing, where there is obviously trouble in paradise in the verses, but I always believed that people are capable of changing, and that if your life runs into a tough spot, it doesn’t mean that you necessarily have to run from it,” Cronin told SongFacts of the song. “You can also look it in the eye, and if there is enough worthwhile in the relationship to keep it going, then you give it all you’ve got, and that’s what I did. Even in giving it all I got, at some point, we realized that it just wasn’t going to work. So when I wrote that line, I meant it. I tried my best, but it just didn’t happen.”
Since its release in November of 1980, “Keep On Loving You” has continued to be a beloved track in REO Speedwagon’s catalog. Over the years, the song has been placed on various lists, including Ultimate Classic Rock’s 2025 ‘50 Greatest Power Ballads of All Time,’ where it ranked at No. 11. In 2013, the outlet named “Keep On Loving You” as the No. 1 REO Speedwagon all-time greatest song.
“Keep On Loving You” became somewhat of a blueprint for the power ballad sound, which REO Speedwagon perfected with follow-up hits like “Can’t Fight This Feeling” and “Keep the Fire Burnin’.”
Related: 1958 Timeless Classic, Reimagined by a 13-Year-Old, Ranked Among ‘Best Country Songs of All Time’