"Can't We Try" is a 1987

duet A duet is a musical composition for two performers in which the performers have equal importance to the piece, often a composition involving two singers or two pianists. It differs from a harmony, as the performers take turns performing a solo ...

performed by Dan Hill and

Vonda Shepard Vonda Shepard (born July 7, 1963) is an American singer, songwriter, music director and actress. She appeared as a regular in the television show '' Ally McBeal'', as a resident performer in the bar where the show's characters drank, danced and c ...

. The

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or '' ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

was ''Billboard''s No. 1 Adult Contemporary Song of the Year for 1987. "Can't We Try" was released as a single from Dan Hill's 1987 self-titled album. The song reached No. 6 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and also on '' Cash Box'', making it Dan Hill's second-biggest hit behind " Sometimes When We Touch", which hit No. 3 back in 1978, and was

's only Top 10 Pop hit. It also reached No. 2 for three weeks on the ''Billboard''

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet ...

chart (behind " I Wanna Dance with Somebody" by

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Voice", she is Whitney Houston albums discography, one of the bestselling music artists ...

and " Moonlighting" by Al Jarreau). In Canada, the song reached No. 14.

Track listing

;7" single

Chart positions

Year-end charts

Rockell and Collage version

In 1998, Rockell covered the song as a duet with Collage. It was her third single from her 1998 debut album, '' What Are You Lookin' At?'' and third single overall. This song reached No. 59 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 as well as No. 11 on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart.

Track listing

;CD single ; Promo CD single ;US Remixes CD single

Chart positions

In popular culture

The original Dan Hill version from 1987 was used for the Kelly and Jeffrey characters on the American soap opera '' Santa Barbara''.

References

{{authority control 1987 songs 1987 singles 1998 singles Dan Hill songs Rockell songs Collage (American duo) songs Columbia Records singles Male–female vocal duets Pop ballads Songs written by Dan Hill