# The “huge” 1982 hit that became a “turning point” for America

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-huge-1982-hit-that-became-a-turning-point-for-america/
- Published: 2026-11-07T00:45:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-07T01:24:17+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/huge-hit-1982-america-turning-point/
- Topics: Americas, World

## Key points

- ‘You Can Do Magic’ reached number eight in the US.
- It was America’s first hit as a duo.
- Russ Ballard helped the band return to the charts.

## Summary

America returned to the US Top 10 in 1982 with ‘You Can Do Magic’, their biggest American hit since 1975. The song marked a turning point for Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Beckley, showing they could succeed as a duo after Dan Peek left the band.

English songwriter Russ Ballard wrote the track for America’s album *View from the Ground*. The duo made only a couple of chord changes before recording it, and it reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. Ballard later produced their 1983 album *Your Move* and co-wrote ‘The Border’, another US Top 40 hit.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.