''Stronger Than Pride'' is the third studio album by English band Sade, released by

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...

in the United Kingdom on 3 May 1988 and in the United States on 10 May 1988. In September 2018, ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

'' placed the album at number 37 on its list of "The 200 Best Albums of the 1980s". The album spawned five singles.

Critical reception

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

of ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...

'' stated, "I'm glad this self-made aristocrat has a human side, but I prefer her image: now that she's singing billets-doux, she's even further from rewarding the concentration she warrants than she used to be. Touching your beloved with a few true cliches is hard enough. For an audience you have to come up with something that doesn't fade into the background like the new age jazz she went pop with." Kristine McKenna of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' wrote, "The nine songs on ''Stronger Than Pride'' add up to one long plea of desire, and as the album makes its way up the charts—as it surely will—armies of love-struck men will no doubt dream of losing themselves in Sade's quiet storm of passion."

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

's Ron Wynn commented that "Sade demonstrated some intensity and fire on her third release. Whether that was just an attempt to change the pace a bit or a genuine new direction, she had more animation in her delivery on such songs as 'Haunt Me,' 'Give It Up,' and the hit 'Paradise.' Not that she was suddenly singing in a soulful or bluesy manner; rather, Sade's dry and introspective tone now had a little more edge, and the lyrics were ironic as well as reflective. This was her third consecutive multi-platinum album, and it matched the two-million-plus sales level of her debut."

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Stronger Than Pride''.

Sade

* Stuart Matthewman – guitars, saxophone *

Sade Adu Helen Folasade Adu ( ; born 16 January 1959), known professionally as Sade Adu or simply Sade ( or ), is a British-Nigerian singer and songwriter who is the lead vocalist of her band Sade. One of the most successful British female artists in ...

– vocals * Andrew Hale – keyboards * Paul S. Denman – bass * Sade – arrangements

Additional personnel

* Leroy Osbourne – vocals * Martin Ditcham – drums, percussion * James McMillan – trumpet * Jake Jacas – trombone * Gordon Hunte – guitar * Nick Ingman – string arrangements * Gavyn Wright – solo violin

Technical

* Sade – production * Mike Pela – engineering, co-production * Ben Rogan – engineering, co-production * Melanie West – engineering assistance * Vince McCartney – engineering assistance * Franck Segarra – engineering assistance * Olivier de Bosson – engineering assistance * Alain Lubrano – engineering assistance * Jean-Christophe Vareille – engineering assistance * Herb Powers Jr. – mastering at Frankford/Wayne Mastering Labs (New York City)

Artwork

* Levon Parian – cover photograph * Toshi Yajima – inner photograph * Graham Smith – design

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control 1988 albums Albums recorded at Compass Point Studios Epic Records albums Sade (band) albums