Discover the story of the song > Follow Me – Olivia Newton-John

"Physical" is a hit song performed by the Australian-British singer Olivia Newton-John for her eleventh studio album released in 1981. Written by Steve Kipner and Terry Shaddick, the song was originally intended for Rod Stewart, but was eventually given to Olivia by her manager, Roger Davies. It was produced by John Farrar and, when it was released in September of that year, it became the first single from the album. Although it was offered to Tina Turner, who turned it down, the song became a huge hit for Olivia, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and staying there for ten weeks. It also earned Olivia a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.