4 (1981)
1. Night Life
2. Jukebox Hero
3. Break it Up
4. Waiting for a Girl Like You
5. Luanne
6. Urgent
7. I'm Gonna Win
8. Woman in Black
9. Girl on the Moon
10.Don't Let Go
By 1981, Foreigner was riding high. Three albums in, a string of hit singles under their belt, and a solid grip on rock radio, expectations for their fourth release were straightforward: keep the formula intact—three or four radio-ready tracks, surround them with serviceable filler, and repeat. What no one quite expected was 4 (yes, that’s the title), a record that didn’t just meet expectations—it rewrote them.
Trimmed down from a six-piece to a tighter, more focused quartet, the band seemed to benefit from the streamlined lineup. Gone were the auxiliary players whose roles felt more supplementary than essential. What remained was the core: Lou Gramm’s powerhouse vocals, Mick Jones on guitar (and now keyboards as well), plus a rhythm section that understood its job and did it well. With fewer cooks in the kitchen, Foreigner suddenly sounded like a band with clarity—both in lineup and in purpose.
Helping matters significantly was the decision to bring in Robert John “Mutt” Lange to produce. Lange had just come off back-to-back triumphs with AC/DC (Highway to Hell and Back in Black), and while Foreigner was an entirely different animal, his meticulous, layered production style translated beautifully. He gave the band a cleaner, punchier sound—arena rock with polish, without sacrificing muscle.
The result is what many consider Foreigner’s finest moment. There’s not a single track on 4 that feels like filler. Every song has intention, presence, and—perhaps most impressively—lasting power. The hits are, of course, legendary. Urgent, with its driving synth hook and a scorching saxophone solo from Junior Walker, sounds as sharp now as it did then. Waiting for a Girl Like You is one of rock’s most enduring power ballads—slick but sincere. And Jukebox Hero, while not a top 40 juggernaut at the time, has since taken on a life of its own as the band’s unofficial anthem.
But it’s not just about the singles. Deep cuts like Night Life, Break It Up, and Luanne could have easily been hits in their own right. They carry the same energy and craftsmanship, bolstered by Lange’s tight production and Gramm’s always-commanding vocals. Unlike earlier records where the momentum would sag between the hits, 4 keeps the energy steady from start to finish.
And that’s the difference here. Earlier albums hinted at greatness in short bursts. 4 sustains it. It’s not just a high point in Foreigner’s catalog—it’s one of the quintessential examples of early ’80s arena rock done right. Big, bold, and unapologetically melodic, it makes no effort to be cool or underground, and that’s exactly why it works. In short, this isn’t just an album with a few hits. It’s the album. The one to own if you’re only owning one. The band's commercial peak and creative apex, all rolled into one tight, gleaming, radio-conquering package. If Foreigner ever had a moment of perfection, this was it.
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