"Stars" is a 1991 single by British soul and pop bandSimply Red, released as the second single from their fourth album of the same name. Written by lead singerMick Hucknell and produced by Stewart Levine, "Stars" became the first single from the album to crack the UK top 10, reaching number eight in December 1991. Outside the UK, "Stars" reached the top 10 in Denmark and Zimbabwe and peaked within the top 40 in more than 10 other countries. In the United States it climbed to number 44 on the BillboardHot 100, marking the band's last appearance on the listing, and reached number eight on the BillboardAdult Contemporary chart. In 2003, Q Magazine ranked "Stars" at number 241 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever". The song was included on the band's compilation albums, Greatest Hits in 1996, in 2008 and Song Book 1985–2010 in 2013.
Critical reception
editor Jon O'Brien called the song "wistful dreamy". Billboard described it as a "midtempo crooner". Writing for CultureSonar, Ellen Fagan wrote, "This exquisite ballad references a couple who love one another but are unlikely to walk off into the sunset together for various reasons. Because of that, both are destined to walk away reeling. The video released with the song is a vintage '80s masterpiece of surrealism; the whole package emerges as a mournful tune with a yearning, otherworldly feel." Music & Media commented that "the title track of their new album has numerous allusions, including references to Mick Hucknall's own road to fame and to the stars in the European flag. This soulful pop song confirms the position of the red-headed singer at the top, close to the galactic stars." Pop Rescue noted that Hucknall "hits those notes with perfection in the chorus, resulting in a wonderfully warm and catchy track." Karla Peterson from The Press-Courier called it "swooning" and said the track is "one of the most open-hearted love songs Hucknall has ever written." In 2014, Luke Turner from The Quietus noted that the song itself "holds up wonderfully." He added that "there's not a huge amount going on, but that's what makes it work: piano, terrific drums, layers of vocals, and a load of bonus hints of chorus snuck in amongst the verses." Richard Paton from Toledo Blade labeled "Stars" as a "soulful groove" in his review of the Stars album.
Music video
The video to "Stars" features Hucknall wandering around a desert surrounded by large gold stars with close-ups of him and a woman. It was edited by Marc Eskenazi.
