Chicago, Hard Habit To Break | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 195^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2024), we recollect and reflect on “Hard Habit To Break” by the legendary rock band Chicago. 

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶! Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace this column are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome. In the 195^th edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2024), we recollect and reflect on “Hard Habit To Break” performed by Chicago.

“I’m addicted to you, babe / You’re a hard habit to break.” Chicago – what a band, what a band, what a band! The Grammy-winning rock band, formed in Chicago, Illinois, has no shortage of pop hits.  In 1984, they struck gold once more with “Hard Habit To Break”.  “Hard Habit To Break” is the third track on Chicago 17.  The adult contemporary/soft rock song was penned by John Parker and Stephen Kipner. David Foster produced it. “Hard Habit To Break” was nominated for two Grammys at the 27^th Annual Grammy Awards: Record Of The Year and Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals.  It lost to Tina Turner ( “What’s Love Got To Do With It”) and The Pointer Sisters (“Jump (For My Love)”) respectively. Despite taking an “L” at the Grammy Awards, “Hard Habit To Break” peaked at no. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Peter Cetera and Bill Champlin share lead vocal duties on “Hard Habit To Break.” Cetera leads the charge on the first and third verses and the chorus (“You don’t know what you got / Until it’s gone / And I found out / A little too late”).  Champlin takes the reins on the second and fourth verses (“But deep in the night / It’s an endless fight / I can’t get you out of my mind”).  Cetera and Champlin both perform the bridge (“I can’t go one (Can’t go on)”).  Besides their respective lead moments, the band sings selectively during the centerpiece, the chorus:

“Now being without you

Takes a lot of getting used to

Should learn to live with it

But I don’t want to

Being without you

It’s all a big mistake

Instead of getting easier

It’s the hardest thing to take

I’m addicted to you, babe

You’re a hard habit to break.”

Matters of the heart drive the theme.  That is always a recipe for success.  Another recipe for success is the refined, soft rock/pop backdrop.  The electric keys and synth elements make “Hard Habit To Break” a far cry from, say, “25 or 6 To 4”. There are still plenty of rock elements, with the guitars sounding quite ripe during the big, anthemic chorus.  As the song progresses, the accompaniment becomes more dynamic, adding instrumentation. The horns, a key part of Chicago’s sound, remain intact – no fears! Another reason why this top-five hit is epic? An adventurous harmonic progression with modulations. “Hard Habit To Break” is an addicting 80s rock gem, period!

Chicago // Chicago 17 // Warner // 1984

Chicago, Hard Habit To Break: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 195 (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Warner; OpenClipart-Vectors, Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Speedy McVroom from Pixabay]