5 Facts About Richard Marx’s First Number One, “Hold On to the Nights”

“Hold On to the Nights” reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1988. It was Richard Marx’s first chart-topping pop single.

The song was written solely by Marx. He also produced it alongside David Cole.

It was released as the third single from his self-titled debut album. The album had already produced two top-five hits: “Don’t Mean Nothing” and “Should’ve Known Better.”

The ballad’s success helped push the album to multi-platinum status. It sold over four million copies in the United States.

Marx later said the song was inspired by a real relationship. He wrote it about a woman he was dating at the time.