Drop the Pilot

"Drop the Pilot"
"Drop the Pilot"
Single by Mandy Moore
from the album Coverage
Released	28 October 2003
Length	3:43
Label	Epic
Songwriter	Joan Armatrading
Producer	John Fields
Mandy Moore singles chronology
Audio video
	"Drop the Pilot" on YouTube

"Drop the Pilot"
"Drop the Pilot"
Single by Joan Armatrading
from the album The Key
B-side	"Business Is Business"
Released	22 January 1983
Length	3:41
Label	A&M
Songwriter	Joan Armatrading
Producer	Val Garay
Joan Armatrading singles chronology

"Drop the Pilot" is a song written and performed by English singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading. It was the first single to be released from Armatrading's 1983 album, The Key, and was her third and final UK top 40 hit as of 2025. It reached number 11 in the UK Singles Chart, and spent a total of ten weeks in the Top 40.^[2] The song was a hit in Australia and New Zealand, peaking at number six on both national charts, and in South Africa, where it reached number one. The single was Armatrading's only appearance on the Billboard Hot 100, where it spent six weeks, peaking at number 78 on 25 June 1983.^[3]

B-side

The original song "Business is Business" is featured as its B-side, a track that remains unreleased on any album.^{[citation needed]}

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1983)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[4]	6
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[1]	35
Ireland (IRMA)^[5]	12
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[6]	6
South Africa (Springbok Radio)^[7]	1
UK Singles (OCC)^[2]	11
US Billboard Hot 100^[3]	78
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)^[8]	33

Year-end charts

Chart (1983)	Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[9]^[10]	27
South Africa (Springbok Radio)^[11]	8

Mandy Moore version

"Drop the Pilot" was covered by American singer Mandy Moore for her third studio album, Coverage (2003).^[12] Moore's version was released as the second single from her third album on 28 October 2003 through Epic Records. The song was produced by John Fields.

Music video

A video was produced as a demo for Kodak's Vision2 500T series motion picture film. It is included on the demo DVD for the Vision2 line of stocks and used as a product example projected from a print at Kodak product screenings. The video was directed by Nick DiBella.^[13]

References

^ ^a ^b "Joan Armatrading – Drop the Pilot" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
^ ^a ^b "Joan Armatrading: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
^ ^a ^b "Joan Armatrading Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St. Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 19. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Drop the Pilot". Irish Singles Chart.
^ "Joan Armatrading – Drop the Pilot". Top 40 Singles.
^ "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 29 June 2020.
^ "Joan Armatrading Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
^ "Kent Music Report – National Top 100 Singles for 1983". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 22 January 2023 – via Imgur.com.
^ "AMR Top Singles of 1983". www.top100singles.net. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
^ "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1983". www.rock.co.za. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
^ "Mandy Moore". MTV. Archived from the original on 30 August 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
^ "New 35mm Film 'Pops'!" (PDF). On Location. 15 (1). Rochester/Finger Lakes Films & Video Office Inc. Spring 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 4 June 2011.

External links

"Drop the Pilot" lyrics from Joan Armatrading's official website

[bel-1] "Joan Armatrading – Drop the Pilot" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.

[UK-2] "Joan Armatrading: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.

[Billboard-3] "Joan Armatrading Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.

[4] Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St. Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 19. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

[sc_Ireland2_-5] "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Drop the Pilot". Irish Singles Chart.

[sc_New_Zealand_Joan_Armatrading-6] "Joan Armatrading – Drop the Pilot". Top 40 Singles.

[7] "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 29 June 2020.

[sc_Billboardmainstreamrock_Joan_Armatrading-8] "Joan Armatrading Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.

[aus83-9] "Kent Music Report – National Top 100 Singles for 1983". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 22 January 2023 – via Imgur.com.

[10] "AMR Top Singles of 1983". www.top100singles.net. Retrieved 29 June 2020.

[11] "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1983". www.rock.co.za. Retrieved 29 June 2020.

[12] "Mandy Moore". MTV. Archived from the original on 30 August 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2014.

[13] "New 35mm Film 'Pops'!" (PDF). On Location. 15 (1). Rochester/Finger Lakes Films & Video Office Inc. Spring 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 4 June 2011.

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v t e Joan Armatrading
Studio albums	Whatever's for Us (1972) Back to the Night (1975) Joan Armatrading (1976) Show Some Emotion (1977) To the Limit (1978) Me Myself I (1980) Walk Under Ladders (1981) The Key (1983) Secret Secrets (1985) Sleight of Hand (1986) The Shouting Stage (1988) Hearts and Flowers (1990) Square the Circle (1992) What's Inside (1995) Lovers Speak (2003) Into the Blues (2007) This Charming Life (2010) Starlight (2012) Not Too Far Away (2018) Consequences (2021) How Did This Happen and What Does It Now Mean (2024)
Live albums	Steppin' Out (1979) Live: All the Way from America (2004) Live at the Royal Albert Hall (2011)
EPs	How Cruel (1979)
Compilation albums	Track Record (1983) The Very Best of Joan Armatrading (1991)
Singles	"Dry Land" "Love and Affection" "Down to Zero" "Rosie" "Me Myself I" "The Weakness in Me" "I'm Lucky" "When I Get It Right" "No Love" "Drop the Pilot" "Temptation" "Love by You" "Kind Words (And a Real Good Heart)" "The Shouting Stage" "Living for You" "More than One Kind of Love" "Wrapped Around Her" "True Love" "Shapes and Sizes" "Everyday Boy"
Related articles	Discography

v t e Mandy Moore
Discography Awards and nominations
Studio albums	So Real (I Wanna Be with You) Mandy Moore Coverage Wild Hope Amanda Leigh Silver Landings In Real Life
Compilation albums	The Best of Mandy Moore Candy
Singles	"Candy" "Walk Me Home" "I Wanna Be with You" "So Real" "In My Pocket" "Crush" "Cry" "Have a Little Faith in Me" "Drop the Pilot" "Senses Working Overtime" "Extraordinary" "I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week" "When I Wasn't Watching"
Other songs	"I See the Light" "Someday We'll Know" "Stupid Cupid" "When Will My Life Begin?" "I've Got a Dream"
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