Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta – Your’e the One That I Want

“You’re The One That I Want” plays at the finale of the movie Grease as John Travolta (Danny) and Olivia Newton-John (Sandy) overcome the social constraints of high school and declare their lust for each other. Like the title track, it was not in the original stage musical of Grease, but was written specifically for the movie. Also like the title track, it was a #1 hit in America, reaching the top spot on June 10, 1978. This is very impressive considering the movie was not released until June 16, making the song a hit on its own merits and providing tremendous anticipation for the film. The title track rode the movie’s momentum to #1 on August 26, and stayed there for two weeks.

Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta were an interesting pairing for the film. Newton-John was a global singing star but had little acting experience and was nervous about playing a high-school girl at age 29. Travolta was a rising film star whose starring role in the 1977 movie Saturday Night Fever made him a sensation. He had done some singing, most successfully with his 1976 single “Let Her In,” which went to #10 in the US.

“You’re the One That I Want” – Single by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John from the album Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture
B-side “Alone at a Drive-In Movie” (instrumental)
Released March 1978 (US), May 1978 (UK)
Songwriter John Farrar
Charted No.1 US, No.1 UK, No.1 Australia, No.1 Belgium, No.1 Ireland, No.1 Netherlands, No.1 West Germany, No.2 Canada, No.3 Italy