Remembering Olivia Newton-John

Published by Hellenic Moon on September 18, 2022September 18, 2022

A 4-time grammy award winner with global sales of over 100 million records, Olivia Newton-John was one of the bestselling artists of the 2nd half of the 20th century to today. Olivia Newton-John was an iconic figure in the entertainment world, celebrated for her remarkable versatility as a singer, actress, and activist. Her career, which spanned more than five decades, left an indelible mark on popular culture.

Known primarily for her role as Sandy in the 1978 blockbuster musical film Grease, she also achieved significant commercial success in the music industry. But one of the more unusual and unique aspects of her career was her role in the 1980 fantasy musical film Xanadu, a project that drew heavily from Greek mythology and influenced the artistic and cultural trends of the early 1980s.

Born in Cambridge, England, on September 26, 1948, Olivia Newton-John moved with her family to Melbourne, Australia, when she was six. Music was in her blood from a young age, and she won a singing talent contest on an Australian television show, which launched her musical career. By the 1960s, Olivia was already gaining recognition in the pop music scene, and in 1971, her single “If Not For You” became her first international hit. Newton-John’s popularity in the music industry continued to rise throughout the decade, culminating in her smash hit single “I Honestly Love You,” which won her two Grammy Awards in 1974.

While her music career flourished, Olivia Newton-John’s transition into acting came in the late 1970s. Her performance as Sandy Olsson in Grease remains one of the most beloved roles in cinematic history. Paired alongside John Travolta, she became a global superstar, her wholesome, girl-next-door persona in the first half of the film contrasting sharply with the edgier, rebellious version of her character in the second half. Songs like “You’re the One That I Want” and “Hopelessly Devoted to You” from Grease became cultural touchstones and launched her into an elite status as both an actress and a pop star.

However, after the overwhelming success of Grease, Olivia Newton-John faced the challenge of finding projects that would both appeal to her large fanbase and provide new dimensions for her artistic abilities. This led her to Xanadu in 1980, a movie that, while not initially successful, would later become a cult classic and an important part of her career. Xanadu is a surreal, genre-defying film that combined elements of romance, music, fantasy, and dance, all while drawing inspiration from Greek mythology.

Xanadu: The Movie

Xanadu is set in a modern-day Los Angeles and follows a struggling artist named Sonny Malone, played by Michael Beck, who becomes disillusioned with his career painting large album covers for a record company. After a mysterious encounter with Kira, played by Olivia Newton-John, Sonny’s life is forever altered. Kira is not just any woman—she is actually Terpsichore, one of the nine muses of Greek mythology. According to legend, the muses were divine beings who inspired creativity in art, music, literature, and science. Kira’s mission is to help Sonny realize his artistic dreams by helping him open a roller disco club, which they call “Xanadu.”

The title of the film, Xanadu, is a reference to a mythical place of artistic and cultural beauty, originally immortalized in the Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem “Kubla Khan,” where the poet describes a majestic, otherworldly palace. In the film, the roller disco club they establish becomes a symbolic representation of this mythical Xanadu—an earthly paradise where creativity, art, and joy thrive in perfect harmony.

The film is notable for its eclectic and dazzling visuals, which blend classical themes with contemporary styles, including roller skating and 1980s fashion. Musically, Xanadu was also a fascinating fusion of old and new. The film’s soundtrack was a collaboration between Olivia Newton-John and the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), blending classic pop sounds with modern rock and orchestral elements. Songs like “Magic,” “Suddenly,” and the titular track “Xanadu” became hits, with “Magic” reaching No. 1 on the Billboard charts. Despite the initial lackluster reception of the film, the soundtrack itself was a massive success and remains one of Olivia Newton-John’s most enduring musical achievements.

The Inspiration from Greek Mythology

Xanadu is deeply intertwined with Greek mythology, primarily through Olivia Newton-John’s character Kira, who is revealed to be Terpsichore, the Muse of dance and chorus in ancient myth. In Greek mythology, the nine muses are the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (the goddess of memory), and each is responsible for inspiring human creativity in specific fields of the arts and sciences. Terpsichore’s domain is dance, and her presence in Xanadu ties the film to classical traditions of storytelling, where divine beings descend from the heavens to influence the course of human history and creativity.

The muses are meant to inspire mortals to create works of lasting beauty, and in Xanadu, Kira/Terpsichore serves this purpose by motivating Sonny to pursue his dreams and open the nightclub. By blending ancient mythology with modern elements such as roller discos, Xanadu creates a hybrid world where the past and the present meet, a reflection of the late 1970s and early 1980s fascination with both nostalgic and futuristic trends. The concept of muses guiding and inspiring artists throughout time gives the movie a timeless quality, even if the aesthetics are rooted in the early 80s.

The roller disco, as a modern reinterpretation of Xanadu, serves as a metaphor for the utopian ideals that creativity can achieve. The film’s closing scenes—where the roller disco opens to great fanfare and joy—are a triumphant climax, where creativity, collaboration, and artistic inspiration come to life in a tangible, joyful way. This interplay between mythology and modernity helped define the film as something unique, even if it was misunderstood upon its release.

The Impact of Xanadu on Olivia Newton-John’s Career

Xanadu marked a pivotal point in Olivia Newton-John’s career. While Grease had solidified her as a mainstream, wholesome icon, Xanadu allowed her to explore a more ethereal and imaginative side of her persona. The film’s portrayal of her as a mystical, otherworldly muse was a sharp contrast to the more grounded character of Sandy in Grease. It gave her the opportunity to be both glamorous and unattainable, adding an additional layer of depth to her public image.

While Xanadu initially received poor reviews from critics and underperformed at the box office, the film has since achieved cult status, revered for its campy charm and its role in encapsulating the spirit of the early 80s. Over time, the film’s soundtrack proved to be one of the key elements that kept Xanadu in public consciousness. The success of singles like “Magic” and “Xanadu” contributed to the continuing popularity of Olivia Newton-John as a pop artist, even as the film itself struggled critically. Her versatility in moving between genres—from pop music to disco to rock—was further cemented by her work on the Xanadu soundtrack.

Beyond the music, Xanadu also helped Olivia Newton-John establish herself as a performer willing to take risks and embrace unique projects. Despite the initial critical backlash, she embraced the film’s legacy, often speaking fondly of the project and the creative freedom it allowed her. The blending of mythology, music, and contemporary pop culture was ahead of its time in some respects, making the film an early pioneer in blending retro and modern influences, something that would become more popular as the decade progressed.

Olivia’s subsequent album, Physical (1981), marked a departure from her Xanadu persona, introducing a more overtly sexual and modern image. The album’s title track became one of the defining pop songs of the 1980s and solidified her position as a major figure in the music world. Nevertheless, Xanadu remains a unique chapter in her career—a point where she was willing to step outside the commercial formula and engage in a fantastical, musically rich film that was misunderstood at the time but later appreciated by fans for its creative ambition.

Olivia Newton-John : A Lasting Legacy

The importance of Xanadu to Olivia Newton-John’s career cannot be overstated. The film and its accompanying soundtrack were integral in helping her transition from the 1970s into the new, more experimental pop culture of the 1980s. It allowed her to move away from the clean-cut, girl-next-door image and embrace a more diverse range of artistic expressions. While it didn’t achieve the same level of success as Grease, Xanadu provided a stepping stone to her next major career shift, allowing her to reimagine her image in ways that would pay off in the years to come.

Additionally, the film’s blend of mythology and modernity has ensured that it remains a fascinating cultural artifact, one that is revisited time and again by fans and scholars alike. Olivia Newton-John’s role as Kira/Terpsichore, the muse of dance, also serves as a perfect metaphor for her own life—constantly inspiring others through her art, be it music, film, or her later activism in areas such as environmentalism and cancer research.

In retrospect, Xanadu encapsulates much of what made Olivia Newton-John such an enduring and beloved figure: her ability to inspire joy, creativity, and a sense of magic in all those who experienced her work. Even after her passing in 2022, her legacy continues to shine, with Xanadu standing as one of the most distinctive and important chapters in her storied career. Visit her official website for more.