Peter Cetera was already well-known as the frontman, vocalist, and bassist for the American rock band Chicago. In 1986, he embarked on a solo career and released a popular track that was originally intended for a hit Sylvester Stallone film, but instead became the anthem for another cult classic.
Following his departure from the rock band in 1985, Cetera released his first solo single, “Livin’ in the Limelight,” shortly after. The track wasn’t a mainstream success, with Cetera only gaining traction as a solo artist when he released his second single, “Glory of Love.” It was released in early June and written alongside his then-wife Diane Nini and David Foster.
The power ballad ended up becoming Cetera’s first major success since leaving Chicago and topped the Billboard Hot 100 charts at No. 1 for two weeks and the Adult Contemporary charts. Billboard ranked “Glory of Love” at No. 61 on their list of the Top Movie Songs of All Time for having appeared in the second installment of a popular movie franchise.
“Glory of Love” appears in the martial arts film Karate Kid Part II, starring Ralph Macchioand Pat Morita. Thanks to the movie’s popularity as one of the highest-grossing films of 1986, Cetera’s track also gained recognition as its main theme. It was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song and a Golden Globe in the same category. It lost the Oscar to Lionel Richie‘s “Say You, Say Me.” Cetera was also nominated for a Grammy for Best Vocal Performance by a Male Artist.
The success of the hit power ballad may have been thanks to a rejection. According to reports, Cetera originally wrote “Glory of Love” as the ending title track for Rocky IV that same year. It was rejected and passed on by United Artists, leading it to appear in the martial arts film.
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Interestingly enough, Cetera couldn’t escape his past with Chicago due to a mix-up. Karate Kid Part II was released at the same time as Cetera’s solo album, Solitude/Solitaire, and fans were improperly under the impression “Glory of Love” was a new Chicago track.
“People thought ‘Glory of Love’ was the new Chicago song,” Cetera said in an interview with the LA Times. “A lot of them went looking for the Chicago album. They didn’t know about me as a solo artist. . . . They said, ‘Peter who?’”
He explains that despite the track being a No. 1 hit, he couldn’t take full advantage of it because his solo career was overshadowed by the band. The singer says the mix-up caused him thousands in album sales when fans instead bought the movie soundtrack instead of his solo album.
