"What Kind of Fool Am I" is a song written by

Rick Springfield Richard Lewis Springthorpe (born 23 August 1949), known professionally as Rick Springfield, is an Australian-American musician and actor. He was a member of the pop rock group Zoot from 1969 to 1971, then started his solo career with his debut ...

that was released on his 1982 album ''

Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet ''Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet'' is the sixth studio album by Australian rock musician Rick Springfield, released by RCA Records in 1982. The album was certified platinum in the United States, and produced three top 40 singles: " Don't Talk to ...

''. It was also released as the 2nd single from the album, following up on " Don't Talk to Strangers", which reached #2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. "What Kind of Fool Am I" did not repeat the success of its predecessor, peaking at #21. According to Springfield, the lyrics of "What Kind of Fool Am I" are about his then-girlfriend Barbara Porter, who he married in 1984. ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' described the song as starting "as a ballad but kicks in soon enough to the punchy power pop" that had generated previous hits for Springfield. But ''Billboard'' also said that the song is not "as cohesive and irresistable" as "Don't Talk to Strangers". ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' similarly said that "Following an MOR-ish intro that begins to sound suspiciously like a bit from

Gordon Lightfoot Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. (November 17, 1938 – May 1, 2023) was a Canadian singer-songwriter who achieved worldwide success and helped define the singer-songwriter era of the 1970s. Widely considered one of Canada's greatest songwriters, ...

’s '

If You Could Read My Mind "If You Could Read My Mind" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. Lightfoot wrote the lyrics while he was reflecting on his own divorce. It reached 1 on the Canadian Singles Chart on commercial release in 1970 and charted in ...

,' Springfield cracks into his by now familiar hook-laden pop/rock." ''Cash Box'' characterized the song as "adult

power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a subgenre of rock music and form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, ...

". Music journalist John Borack described the song as "superb" and "regret-tinged". Released as a single, "What Kind of Fool Am I" reached #21 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the US. It reached that spot on July 3, 1982, and remained there for six consecutive weeks. The single also reached #41 in Canada. "What Kind of Fool Am I" was later released on several of Rick Springfield's

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...

s, including ''

Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...

'' in 1989, '' We Are the '80s'' in 2006 and '' The Essential Rick Springfield'' in 2011.

References

{{authority control 1982 singles 1982 songs Rick Springfield songs Songs written by Rick Springfield Song recordings produced by Keith Olsen RCA Records singles