Little River Band Greatest Hits charted

Greatest Hits Little River Band

Released: November 1982 Peak: 33 US, -- UK, 48 CN, 13 AU, 14 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 2.0 US Genre: classic rock

Tracks: Click on a song title for more details. It’s a Long Way There [4:12] Help Is on Its Way [4:04] Reminiscing [4:13] Man on Your Mind [4:16] The Other Guy [2:49] The Night Owls [5:19] Lonesome Loser [3:58] Take It Easy on Me [3:45] Down on the Border [2:55] Happy Anniversary [4:03] Lady [4:55] Cool Change [5:14] Total Running Time: 49:43 The Primary Players: Glenn Shorrock (vocals: 1975-82+) Graeham Goble (guitar, vocals: 1975-82+) Beeb Birtles (guitar/vocals: 1975-82+) Derek Pellici (drums: 1975-82+) David Biggs (guitar: 1976-81) George McArdle (bass: 1976-79) Wayne Nelson (bass, vocals: 1980-82+) John Farnham (vocals: 1982+)

Rating: 4.469 out of 5.00 (average of 19 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Band Little River Band formed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1975. The band has included more than 30 members over the years, but their most classic lineup in the ‘70s and into the early ‘80s consisted of singer, Glenn Shorrock, singer/guitarist Graeham Goble, singer/guitarist Beeb Birtles, guitarist David Briggs, bassist George McArdle, and drummer Derek Pellicci. They had six top-10 albums in Australia but only 1979’s First Under the Wire reached the top 10 in the United States. They’ve sold more than 30 million records worldwide, including two platinum albums and two gold albums in the United States. Surprisingly, when it came to singles, they only had three top-ten hits in Australia but six top-10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. All of those are featured on the group’s 1982 Greatest Hits collection. Severely Underappreciated Little River Band had a soft rock sound that made them a perfect band for top 40 and adult contemporary but had just enough rock credentials to gain airplay on album rock radio as well. They never reached the lofty heights of some of their peers, however. Arena rockers like Foreigner, Journey, REO Speedwagon, and Styx all found multi-platinum success with monstrous #1 albums in the early ‘80s. Similar yacht rock artists like Toto and Christopher Cross became Grammy darlings. The band’s trifecta of lead singers in their heyday might have contributed to their relative anonymity, although other similar artists in the ‘70s and ‘80s such as Chicago, the Doobie Brothers, and Styx also had more than one vocalist and were much higher profile acts. A Perfect Compilation? Little River Band found their greatest sales success with their 1982 Greatest Hits album. However, its two million in sales was nothing compared to contemporaries like Journey, Tom Petty, and Bob Seger who released greatest-hits collections that continue to chart and outsell anything else in their catalogs. It’s baffling why LRB haven’t kept pace with some of those acts. While anthologies are often dicey propositions that leave out obvious hits or throw in head-scratchers that fans could live without, the Greatest Hits collection from Little River Band would be hard-pressed to be any better. In addition to their six top-10 hits, the collection features four more songs that reached the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. That leaves only two other songs – 1975’s top-30 hit “It’s a Long Way There” and the new song “Down on the Border.” The Songs Here’s a breakdown of each of the individual songs.

It’s a Long Way There Little River Band

Writer(s): Graeham Goble Released: single (August 1976), Little River Band (1975), Greatest Hits (compilation, 1982) Peak: 28 BB, 31 CB, 26 GR, 44 HR, 27 CL, 72 CN, 35 AU, 5 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 1.90 video, 19.98 streaming About the Song: Little River Band’s self-titled 1975 debut album sported three top-40 singles in Australia: “Curiosity Killed the Cat” (#15), “Emma” (#20), and “It’s a Long Way There” (#35). Even though it was the lowest charting of the three in Australia, “It’s a Long Way There” was the song that would break the band in United States. It became their first chart entry on the Billboard Hot 100, climbing to #28. The follow-up single, “I’ll Always Call Your Name” stalled at #62 in the U.S. and didn’t even chart in Australia.

Help Is on Its Way Little River Band

Writer(s): Glenn Shorrock Released: single (April 1977), Diamantina Cocktail (1977), Greatest Hits (compilation, 1982) Peak: 14 BB, 14 CB, 21 GR, 18 HR, 21 RR, 17 CL, 10 CN, 11 AU, 7 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 2.40 video, 43.67 streaming

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About the Song: Little River Band’s second album, 1976’s After Hours, was only released in Australia. The follow-up, Diamantina Cocktail, came out in 1977. The lead single, “Help Is on Its Way,” landed at #1 in Australia and gave LRB their first top-20 hit in the U.S.

Happy Anniversary Little River Band

Writer(s): David Briggs, Beeb Birtles Released: single (December 1977), Diamantina Cocktail (1977), Greatest Hits (compilation, 1982) Peak: 16 BB, 22 CB, 17 GR, 29 HR, 14 RR, 24 CL, 21 CN, 4 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 1.6 video, 5.19 streaming About the Song: 1977’s Diamantina Cocktail produced three chart hits in Australia – the #1 “Help Is on Its Way” and the minor hits “Witchery” (#33) and “Home on Monday” (#73). The latter two failed to chart in the United States, but a fourth single – “Happy Anniversary” – went the other direction. It was a top-20 hit in the United States but didn’t chart in Australia.

Reminiscing Little River Band

Writer(s): Graeham Goble Released: single (June 1978), Sleeper Catcher (1978), Greatest Hits (compilation, 1982) Peak: 3 BB, 3 CB, 3 GR, 5 HR, 2 RR, 10 AC, 16 CL, 7 CN, 35 AU, 5 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 5.0 radio, 9.4 video, 167.89 streaming

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Song: Little River Band’s fourth album, Sleeper Catcher, was promoted with three singles. The first, “Shut Down Turn Off,” reached #16 in Australia but didn’t chart in the U.S. The next single, “Reminiscing,” became the group’s biggest hit in America, reaching #3, but only got to #35 in Australia.

Lady Little River Band

Writer(s): Graeham Goble Released: single (September 1978), Sleeper Catcher (1978), Greatest Hits (compilation, 1982) Peak: 10 BB, 10 CB, 3 GR, 7 HR, 4 RR, 7 AC, 2 CL, 29 CN, 46 AU, 6 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 3.0 radio, 8.4 video, 52.52 streaming About the Song: The Sleeper Catcher album gave Little River Band two top-10 hits in the United States with “Reminiscing” and the follow-up single, “Lady.” Both songs fared much better on the U.S. charts than in Australia where neither hit made it inside the top 30.

Lonesome Loser Little River Band

Writer(s): David Briggs (see lyrics here) Released: single (July 1979), First Under the Wire (1979), Greatest Hits (compilation, 1982) Peak: 6 BB, 7 CB, 11 GR, 4 HR, 13 RR, 15 AC, 19 CL, 3 CN, 19 AU, 1 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- US, -- UK, -- world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 1.0 radio, -- video, 77.13 streaming

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Song: While most of Little River Band’s songs in the ‘70s and early ‘80s were written by their trio of lead singers, “Lonesome Loser” was penned by guitarist David Briggs. He uses gambling imagery to tell the story of a man unlucky in love. He realizes he isn’t going to solve his problems just by having a woman in his life. He has to get his life together first. “Lonesome Loser” was the lead single from their 1979 album First Under the Wire. It came in the midst of the band’s four consecutive top-10 hits in 1978 and ’79. Goble, Shorrock, and Birtles all sing together at the opening of the song, giving it a distinctive a cappella intro. On a personal note, I generally consider 1979 – when I turned twelve – to be ground zero for when I first actively started paying attention to music. I wouldn’t start my own charts until 1982 (see first chart here), when I was fifteen years old. However, I retroactively created a list of My Top 100 Songs Pre-1982 which included “Lonesome Loser” and its follow-up, “Cool Change.”

Cool Change Little River Band

Writer(s): Glenn Shorrock (see lyrics here) Released: single (August 1979), First Under the Wire (1979), Greatest Hits (compilation, 1982) Peak: 10 BB, 13 CB, 3 GR, 12 HR, 5 RR, 8 AC, 15 CL, 7 CN, 1 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- US, -- UK, -- world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 2.0 radio, 22.0 video, 73.19 streaming

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Song: After Little River Band landed two top-10 hits with their 1978 Sleeper Catcher album, they matched the feat with 1979’s First Under the Wire. The first single, “Lonesome Loser,” reached #6 and the follow-up, “Cool Change,” peaked at #10. They propelled Wire to #10 on the Billboard album chart, the band’s only album to reach that status. Ironically, the song “Cool Change” failed to chart in the band’s native Australia, but in May 2001, it was named by the Australasian Performing Right Association oas one of the top 30 Australian songs of all time. WK In 2018, Australian radio network Triple M named it one of the top 100 “most Australian” songs of all time. WK However, the band “could’ve come from anywhere.” SS Like “easy-listening peers Pablo Cruise and Ambrosia, they existed in a gauzy, purgatory free of musical, cultural, and geographic identity.” SS “Cool Change” is a “piece of pleasant and competent soft-rock that goes down easy,” SS but things weren’t so easy-going with the band at the time. The band featured three songwriters who wrote and even recorded separately. They even toured in different buses. SS Glenn Shorrock wrote “Cool Change” amidst squabbles with Graeham Goble and essentially recorded it as a solo track, supported by session players Peter Jones on piano and Bill Harrower on saxophone. SS The song used sailing as a means of embracing the need for time alone, referencing the tranquility of being on the “cool and bright clear water.” Shorrock later admitted the song was “a cry for help.” SF Amusingly, he wasn’t much of a seafarer when he wrote the song, but he took up sailing after the song’s success. SF

The Night Owls Little River Band

Writer(s): Graeham Goble Released: single (September 1981), Time Exposure (1981), Greatest Hits (compilation, 1982) Peak: 6 BB, 7 CB, 5 GR, 8 HR, 4 RR, 33 AC, 20 CL, 9 AR, 16 CN, 18 AU, 15 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 2.7 video, 11.82 streaming About the Song: Little River Band released Time Exposure in 1981. Like the two albums before it, it generated two top-10 hits in the United States. The first was the album’s lead single, “The Night Owls,” which got to #6. Once again, though, it fared better in the U.S. than it did in the band’s native Australia.

Take It Easy on Me Little River Band

Writer(s): Graeham Goble Released: single (December 1981), Time Exposure (1981), Greatest Hits (compilation, 1982) Peak: 10 BB, 13 CB, 6 GR, 14 HR, 5 RR, 14 AC, 22 CL, 17 CN, 9 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 2.3 video, 13.30 streaming About the Song: “Take It Easy on Me” was the follow-up single to “The Night Owls.” Both reached the top 10, giving LRB the distinction of three straight albums that produced two top-10 hits. The song didn’t even chart in Australia.

Man on Your Mind Little River Band

Writer(s): Glenn Shorrock, Kerryn Tolhurst Released: single (March 1982), Time Exposure (1981), Greatest Hits (compilation, 1982) Peak: 14 BB, 13 CB, 6 GR, 73 HR, 7 RR, 26 AC, 23 CL, 37 CN, 15 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 2.1 video, 2.65 streaming About the Song: If one uses the success of singles to measure an album’s success, LRB’s Time Exposure would be their biggest album. While it didn’t chart as high as 1979’s First Under the Wire, it was the only album by the band to generate three top-20 hits. The first two singles, “The Night Owls” and “Take It Easy on Me,” were both top 10 hits. “Man on Your Mind” got to #14 in America.

Down on the Border Little River Band

Writer(s): Graeham Goble Released: single (July 1982), Greatest Hits (compilation, 1982) Peak: 7 AU, 25 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 0.9 video, 2.47 streaming About the Song: It seems odd that through most of their chart years, Little River Band fared much better in the United States than their native Australia. “Down on the Border” was one of the few exceptions. The song didn’t even chart in the U.S., but was a top-10 hit in Australia. That was likely due to the arrival as John Farnham as the band’s new vocalist to replace Glenn Shorrock. He landed nine top-10 hits, including two #1 songs, in Australia from 1967 to 1980.

The Other Guy Little River Band

Writer(s): Graeham Goble Released: single (November 1982), Greatest Hits (compilation, 1982) Peak: 11 BB, 8 CB, 4 GR, 5 RR, 6 AC, 30 CN, 18 AU, 18 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 1.0 radio, 2.1 video, 20.52 streaming About the Song: Greatest Hits sets often arrive during a transitionary time for a band. In the case of Little River Band, the collection marked the departure of Glenn Shorrock, one of the band’s original lead singers, and the arrival of John Farnham. He contributed vocals on two songs for Greatest Hits: “Down on the Border” and “The Other Guy.”

Resources/References: SF Songfacts page for “Lonesome Loser” SF Songfacts page for “Cool Change” SS Spandex & Synths WK Wikipedia page for Greatest Hits WK Wikipedia page for “Lonesome Loser” WK Wikipedia page for Cool Change” Related DMDB Pages: First posted 10/2/2025; last updated 10/3/2025.