To say that Olivia Newton-John was a household name in the time 1980 came along would be a severe understatement. You didn't often hear her name mentioned without being followed by 'Grease' or 'John Travolta,' but everybody had seen her act and heard her sing. She'd been singing long before she became an actress; her first album was released in 1971. By 1979, given her music and film success, she'd been awarded the Order of the British Empire by the Queen of England. In short, she was already a big deal.
Inspired by the way her 'Grease' character Sandy went from good girl to bad and won the boys in the process, Newton-John decided to do the same with her music career. 1981's 'Physical' saw her shake off her country roots and adopt an electro-pop sound with suggestive lyrics. The gamble paid off - the album sold millions of copies.