"Chain Reaction" is a song by American singer Diana Ross, released on November 12, 1985, as the second single from her sixteenth studio album, Eaten Alive (1985). The song was written by the Bee Gees and contains additional vocals from Barry Gibb. Sonically, "Chain Reaction" is an R&B and dance-pop song. According to the Gibbs' biography, the brothers had initial reservations about offering the song to Ross in case it was too Motown-like for her.
The single became Ross's second 1 hit in the UK Singles Chart. It also hit No. 1 in Australia—where it became the best selling single of 1986—Ireland, and Zimbabwe. In New Zealand, it peaked at No. 3 and it made the top 5 in South Africa. In 1993, the song entered the UK top 20 again, when it was re-released to commemorate Ross's 30th anniversary in show business. The song fared poorly in the US, where it initially peaked at No. 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 in late 1985. A few months later, a remixed version of the song was issued as a single (Ross performed this version of the song on the American Music Awards, which she hosted that year). The new version re-entered the chart and performed better, stalling at No. 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 77 on the Cash Box Top 100.
Music video
At the beginning of the accompanying music video for "Chain Reaction" in black-and-white, Ross enters a TV studio and proceeds to perform the song in front of dancing spectators in a '60s-style live TV. The performance is intercut with a view from the station control room where producers are shown additional scenes appearing in color, confounding them on where the scenes are coming from. Half-way through Ross is walking up a desolate street with barrels of fire littered around and dancers in the background. Careful lighting and fog help create the effect Ross is performing on a real street. It is the only time the street is shown and the video eventually returns to the TV studio performance. The final style of scene has Ross performing in what is supposed to be the glamorous front exterior of the TV studio. A quick shot of the control room is shown with the lead producing yelling in shock or frustration, before the scene continues. It's assumed the producers have lost control of the broadcast. The video ends with intercuts of the TV performance, the exterior, and the control room. The band finishes in the black and white scenes of their show, dancing with the audience and using a combination of both color scenes. A producer gets in a cab from a nervous breakdown.
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications and sales
"Chain Reaction '93"
In 1993, Diana Ross released "Chain Reaction '93". Producing the remix herself, the single was also successful in the United Kingdom. This version's purely instrumental sound differs it from the original. A music video was not recorded for the song.
Track listings
CD single
"Chain Reaction '93" – 3:47
"Upside Down" – 4:07
12-inch UK remix single
"Chain Reaction" (Original 12-inch Version) – 6:50
"Chain Reaction" (Reaction Dub, remix by E-Smoove) – 6:34
"Chain Reaction" (Low End Mix, remix by Dewey B and Spike) – 6:15
"Chain Reaction" (Low End Dub, remix by Dewey B and Spike) – 6:15
"Chain Reaction" (Smoove Reaction Instrumental, remix by E-Smoove) – 8:40
French 2-track CD single
Original Single Version – 3:47
'93 remix
Italian 12-inch
"Chain Reaction" (Original Single Version) – 3:47
"Love Hangover" (Tribal Hangover – remix and additional production by Frankie Knuckles for Def Mix Productions) – 9:31 "Upside Down" ('93 Remix – Remix and additional production by Satoshi Tomiie and David Morales for Def Mix Productions.) – 8:09 "Upside Down" (Dub 2 – Remix and additional production by Satoshi Tomiie and David Morales for Def Mix Productions.) – 7:37 "Someday We'll Be Together" ('93 Remix – Remix and additional production by Frankie Knuckles for Def Mix Productions) – 8:45
Charts
Steps version
British pop group Steps covered "Chain Reaction" and released it as a single on September 24, 2001. The song reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart.