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"Cry for Help"
Single by Rick Astley
from the album Free
B-side	"Behind the Smile"
Released	14 January 1991 (1991-01-14)
Length	4:51 (album version) 4:17 (radio edit)
Label	RCA
Songwriter(s)	Rick Astley Rob Fisher
Producer(s)	Gary Stevenson Rick Astley
Rick Astley singles chronology
"Ain't Too Proud to Beg" (1989) "Cry for Help" (1991) "Move Right Out" (1991)
Music video
"Cry for Help" on YouTube

"Cry for Help" is a song by English singer-songwriter Rick Astley, released as the first single from his third studio album, Free (1991). It was written by Astley and Rob Fisher, formerly one half of the 1980s pop outfits Naked Eyes and Climie Fisher. The Andraé Crouch Choir provided backing vocals. The song is a ballad, unlike Astley's earlier dance-oriented hit singles.

Released as a single on 14 January 1991 by RCA Records, "Cry for Help" reached number seven on both the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Astley's last top-10 hit in either country. It also reached number four in Canada and was a number-one hit on both the US and Canadian Adult Contemporary charts. Its accompanying music video received heavy rotation on MTV Europe. "Cry for Help" was awarded one of BMI's Pop Awards in 1993, honoring the songwriters, composers and music publishers of the song.

The song has been sung by Rick Astley in duet with Søren Sko and covered by Thomas Anders (ex-Modern Talking). In 2019, Astley recorded and released a "reimagined" version of the song for his album The Best of Me. On 27 April 2021, the original music video was upgraded to 1080p HD to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the song reaching number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. On 18 July 2024, the original music video was upgraded again to 4K to celebrate the reissue of the album Free.

Critical reception

Dave Obee from Calgary Herald felt the "finest moments" on the song come from Andrae Crouch's choir arrangement, adding that it's what makes "Cry for Help" "worth hearing". David Quantick from NME wrote, "Rick still sings like God, and "Cry for Help" is pretty good in a Wet Wet Wet sort of way, especially when the Proper Choir comes in". Eleanor Levy from Record Mirror described it as "a Michael McDonald style ballad that, rather than shocking the world, cuddles it instead."

Track listing

• 12-inch single

1. "Cry for Help" – 6:26
2. "Behind the Smile" – 4:33
3. "Cry for Help" (album version) – 4:50

• CD single

1. "Cry for Help" (7" version) – 4:20
2. "Behind the Smile" – 4:37
3. "Cry for Help" (12" version) – 6:27

• 7-inch and cassette single

1. "Cry for Help" (edit) – 4:03
2. "Behind the Smile" – 4:33

Personnel

• Rick Astley – lead vocals
• Dave West – acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, organ, synthesizers
• Hywel Maggs – guitars
• Vinnie Colaiuta – drums
• Anne Dudley – string arrangements and conductor
• The Andraé Crouch Choir – backing vocals

Charts

References

1. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 12 January 1991. p. vi. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
2. "Station Reports > TV > MTV/London" (PDF). Music & Media. 23 February 1991. p. 29. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
3. "BMI Congratulates The PRS Writers and Publishers of BMI's Most Performed Works of 1992: Million Performance Songs" (PDF). Music Week. 20 November 1993. p. 2. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
4. Brungardt, Leah (12 November 2019). "An Interview with 'Never Gonna Give You Up' Singer Rick Astley on His Iconic Hit Song, His Newest Album and Much More!". All Access Music. Archived from the original on 12 November 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
5. "On this day in 1991 'Cry For Help' reached number 7 in the US Billboard Charts. To celebrate the song, the official music video has been upgraded to HD!". YouTube. Archived from the original on 8 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
6. "Cry For Help - Head over to my YouTube to watch the upgraded video in 4K 🙌". Facebook. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
7. Obee, Dave (17 March 1991). "Recent Releases". Calgary Herald.
8. Quantick, David (19 January 1991). "Singles". NME. p. 19. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
9. Levy, Eleanor (12 January 1991). "Singles". Record Mirror. p. 14. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
10. "Rick Astley – Cry for Help". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
11. "Rick Astley – Cry for Help" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
12. "Rick Astley – Cry for Help" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
13. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1510." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
14. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 1507." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
15. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 7. 16 February 1991. p. 31. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
16. Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
17. "Rick Astley – Cry for Help" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
18. "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 10. 9 March 1991. p. 42. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
19. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Cry for Help". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
20. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 9, 1991" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
21. "Rick Astley – Cry for Help" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
22. "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 8. 23 February 1991. p. 30. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
23. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
24. "Rick Astley – Cry for Help". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
25. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
26. "Rick Astley Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
27. "Rick Astley Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
28. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
29. "Jaaroverzichten 1991" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
30. "RPM 100 Hit Tracks of 1991". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
31. "RPM 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of 1991". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
32. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 1991" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 51–52. 21 December 1991. p. 21. Retrieved 17 January 2020 – via World Radio History.
33. "EHR Year-End Top 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 51–52. 21 December 1991. p. 20. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
34. "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1991" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
35. "Dutch Single Top 100 – 1991" (PDF). Retrieved 15 September 2009.
36. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1991" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
37. "1991 Top 100 Singles". Music Week. 11 January 1992. p. 20.
38. "Billboard Top 100 – 1991". Archived from the original on 7 July 2009. Retrieved 15 September 2005.
39. "Top Adult Contemporary Singles 1991". Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 8 November 2011.

External links

• "Cry for Help" at Discogs (list of releases)

• 1991 songs
• 1991 singles
• 1990s ballads
• RCA Records singles
• Rick Astley songs
• Songs written by Rick Astley
• Songs written by Rob Fisher (British musician)