The world has lost a human sunbeam, with Olivia Newton-John dying at the age of 73. While her philanthropic work and cancer research fundraising through the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre is her greatest legacy, she also leaves behind an abundant catalogue of music from a singing career that spanned six decades.
Trying to distil Newton-John’s vast and varied archive into a listicle is like trying to avoid the Grease Megamix at every wedding, Christmas party and birthday celebration you’ve ever attended. Grease was a defining moment of Newton-John’s career; for many, she will for ever be remembered for her good-girl-gone-bad transformation as Sandy. But like Sandy, Newton-John was constantly reinventing herself and each of her albums shows insight into different stages of her life. This is a top 10 of Newton-John’s greatest (and some perhaps underappreciated) songs that are not from Grease.
