Hard Habit to Break

"Hard Habit to Break" is a song written by Steve Kipner and John Lewis Parker, produced and arranged by David Foster and recorded by the group Chicago for their 1984 album Chicago 17, with Bill Champlin and Peter Cetera sharing lead vocals. Released as the second single from the album, it reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100^[2] and was prevented from charting higher by "Caribbean Queen" by Billy Ocean and "I Just Called to Say I Love You" by Stevie Wonder. "Hard Habit to Break" also peaked at No. 3 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Overseas it peaked at No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart.^[3][4] The lyrics of the song appear to describe a man having a hard time getting over a significant other getting away after he took her for granted and she left him for someone else.^[5][6]

"Hard Habit to Break"
Single by Chicago
from the album Chicago 17
B-side	"Remember the Feeling"
Released	July 2, 1984 (1984-07-02)
Genre	Soft rock[1]
Length	4:43
Label	Warner Bros. Full Moon
Songwriter(s)	Steve Kipner John Lewis Parker
Producer(s)	David Foster
Chicago singles chronology
"Stay the Night" (1984) "Hard Habit to Break" (1984) "You're the Inspiration" (1984)

In a 2024 interview Vinnie Colaiuta asked song producer David Foster, "What were some of the most memorable things that you've done, production-wise, that you're really, really proud of?" Foster responded that "Hard Habit to Break" was, in his opinion, "The most perfect record, or close to perfect, that I produced."^[7]

"Hard Habit to Break" was nominated for four Grammy Awards: Foster and Jeremy Lubbock won the award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s);^[8][9][10] Chicago were nominated for the song in the categories Record of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal;^[11][12] and Cetera and Foster were nominated for Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices.^[9][13][14] Songwriters Kipner and Parker won an ASCAP award in 1986 for most-performed song.^[15]

The song's title was used as the slogan for Demon Dogs, a hot dog stand owned by the band's manager Peter Schivarelli which was located in the area of DePaul University's Lincoln Park campus.^[16][17]

Personnel

Chicago

• Peter Cetera – lead and backing vocals
• Bill Champlin – keyboards, lead and backing vocals
• Robert Lamm – backing vocals
• Lee Loughnane – trumpet
• James Pankow – trombone, horn arrangements
• Walter Parazaider – woodwinds
• Danny Seraphine – drums

Additional personnel

• David Foster – keyboards, synth bass, synthesizer programming, rhythm and vocal arrangements
• John Van Tongeren – synthesizer programming
• Erich Bulling – synthesizer programming
• Marcus Ryle – synthesizer programming
• Michael Landau – guitar
• Paul Jackson, Jr. – guitar
• Paulinho da Costa – percussion
• Gary Grant – trumpet
• Greg Adams – trumpet
• David Foster and Jeremy Lubbock – orchestration

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1984) Peak position Canada Top Singles (RPM)[18] 5 Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[19] 1 Guatemala (UPI)[20] 9 Ireland (IRMA)[21] 3 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[22] 17 UK Singles (OCC)[23] 8 US Billboard Hot 100[24] 3 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[25] 3

Year-end charts Chart (1984) Position Canada Top Singles (RPM)[26] 52 US Billboard Hot 100[27] 45

Cover versions

Puerto Rican singer Glenn Monroig recorded a Spanish-language cover version entitled "El Vicio Que No Puedo Romper" for his album Apasionado (1986). All-4-One also recorded a cover version on their compilation album Greatest Hits (2004).