Fame: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture is the soundtrack from the film of the same name, released in 1980 by RSO Records. In 2003, it was reissued on CD with three bonus tracks, which was then reissued again in 2009 and 2012.

Release and singles

The motion picture soundtrack album for Fame was released in the U.S. on May 16, 1980, by RSO Records. It features nine songs, all of which appear in various scenes in the film. In his later review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine awarded the album five stars out of five and wrote, "Yes, the production techniques often do sound dated ... but the music by Michael Gore is dynamic, varied, and alive, sung with real passion and vigor, and it still retains its essential spark 23 years after it was a pop culture phenomenon." In the US, the title song "Fame" was released as a single in May 1980, and reached number 4 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart while the album reached number 7 on the Billboard 200 chart. A second single, "Out Here on My Own", was released in August and reached number 19 on the Hot 100 chart, while the third single "Red Light" by Linda Clifford was number 41. "Fame" was released in the UK at the end of June, however, it failed to chart. The album was released in the following month, peaking at number 21 on the UK Albums Chart. "Out Here on My Own" was also released in the UK and it too failed to chart. However, in June 1982, after the success of the Fame TV series, "Fame" was re-released, topping the Singles Chart for three weeks, spending a total of 16 weeks on the chart and it became the second biggest selling single in the United Kingdom of 1982. After its success, the Fame album was also re-released and also topped the Album Charts. In August, "Out Here on My Own" was re-released, peaking at number 58.

Track listing

Personnel

Musicians

Vocalists String and keyboard musicians Brass and wind musicians Drum and percussion musicians

Technical

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Sales and certifications