I Don't Think Love Ought to Be That Way

"I Don't Think Love Ought to Be That Way"
"I Don't Think Love Ought to Be That Way"
Single by Reba McEntire
from the album Feel the Fire
Released	February 1981
Genre	Country
Length	2:40
Label	PolyGram/Mercury
Songwriter(s)	Layng Martine Jr.; Richard Mainegra;
Producer(s)	Jerry Kennedy
Reba McEntire singles chronology

"I Don't Think Love Ought to Be That Way" is a song written by Richard Mainegra and Layng Martine Jr., and recorded by American country music artist Reba McEntire. It was released in February 1981 as the third single from the album Feel the Fire. The song became a top 20 hit on the American country music chart.

Background and content

After signing a recording contract with PolyGram/Mercury Records in 1975, McEntire released a series of unsuccessful singles. However, her career gained more momentum by 1980 following two top 20 hits and her first top ten country hit, "(You Lift Me) Up to Heaven". It was followed in by several top 20 charting singles including "I Don't Think Love Ought to Be That Way".^[2] The track was composed by Layng Martine Jr. and Richard Mainegra. It was recorded by McEntire in March 1980 at the Sound Stage Studio in Nashville, Tennessee. The session was produced by Jerry Kennedy. Two additional sides were cut during the same session.^[3]

Release and chart performance

"I Don't Think Love Ought to Be That Way" was first released on McEntire's third studio album titled Feel the Fire.^[1] It was the third and final single spawned from the album. PolyGram/Mercury released it as a single in February 1981 and was issued as a 7" vinyl single. It was backed by "Tears on My Pillow" on the B-side.^[3] It spent a total of 16 weeks on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, eventually reaching number 13 in May 1981. It became McEntire's fifth top 20 single in her career.^[4]

Track listing

7" vinyl single^[3]

"I Don't Think Love Ought to Be That Way" – 2:40
"Tears on My Pillow" – 2:33

Charts

Chart performance for "I Don't Think Love Ought to Be That Way"
Chart (1981)	Peak position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)^[5]	13

References

^ ^a ^b "Feel the Fire: Reba McEntire: Songs, reviews, credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Reba McEntire: Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c McEntire, Reba (February 1981). ""I Don't Think Love Oughta Be That Way"/"Tears on My Pillow" (7" vinyl single)". PolyGram/Mercury Records. 57046.
^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. ISBN 0-89820-177-2.
^ "Reba McEntire Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2021.

[Allmusic-1] "Feel the Fire: Reba McEntire: Songs, reviews, credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 November 2021.

[2] Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Reba McEntire: Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 November 2021.

[Liner_Notes-3] McEntire, Reba (February 1981). ""I Don't Think Love Oughta Be That Way"/"Tears on My Pillow" (7" vinyl single)". PolyGram/Mercury Records. 57046.

[Joel_Whitburn-4] Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. ISBN 0-89820-177-2.

[sc_Billboardcountrysongs_Reba_McEntire-5] "Reba McEntire Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2021.

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v t e Reba McEntire singles
Albums Singles Videos
1970s	"I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" (with Jacky Ward) "Sweet Dreams"
1980s	"(You Lift Me) Up to Heaven" "I Can See Forever in Your Eyes" "I Don't Think Love Ought to Be That Way" "Today All Over Again" "Only You (And You Alone)" "I'm Not That Lonely Yet" "Can't Even Get the Blues" "You're the First Time I've Thought About Leaving" "Why Do We Want (What We Know We Can't Have)" "There Ain't No Future in This" "Just a Little Love" "He Broke Your Memory Last Night" "How Blue" "Somebody Should Leave" "Have I Got a Deal for You" "Only in My Mind" "Whoever's in New England" "Little Rock" "What Am I Gonna Do About You" "Let the Music Lift You Up" "One Promise Too Late" "The Last One to Know" "Love Will Find Its Way to You" "A Sunday Kind of Love" "I Know How He Feels" "New Fool at an Old Game" "Cathy's Clown" "'Til Love Comes Again" "Little Girl"
1990s	"Walk On" "You Lie" "Rumor Has It" "Fancy" "Fallin' Out of Love" "For My Broken Heart" "Is There Life Out There" "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" "The Greatest Man I Never Knew" "Take It Back" "The Heart Won't Lie" (with Vince Gill) "It's Your Call" "Does He Love You" (with Linda Davis) "They Asked About You" "Why Haven't I Heard from You" "She Thinks His Name Was John" "Till You Love Me" "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter" "And Still" "On My Own" "Ring on Her Finger, Time on Her Hands" "Starting Over Again" "You Keep Me Hangin' On" "The Fear of Being Alone" "How Was I to Know" "I'd Rather Ride Around with You" "What If It's You" "If You See Him/If You See Her" (with Brooks & Dunn) "Forever Love" "Wrong Night" "One Honest Heart" "What Do You Say"
2000s	"I'll Be" "We're So Good Together" "I'm a Survivor" "Sweet Music Man" "I'm Gonna Take That Mountain" "Somebody" "He Gets That from Me" "My Sister" "You're Gonna Be (Always Loved by Me)" "Love Needs a Holiday" "Because of You" (with Kelly Clarkson) "The Only Promise That Remains" (with Justin Timberlake) "Every Other Weekend" (with Kenny Chesney or Skip Ewing) "Strange" "Consider Me Gone"
2010s	"I Keep On Loving You" "Turn On the Radio" "If I Were a Boy" "When Love Gets a Hold of You" "Somebody's Chelsea" "Going Out Like That" "Until They Don't Love You" "Just Like Them Horses" "Softly and Tenderly" "Back to God" "God and My Girlfriends" "Freedom"
2020s	"Does He Love You" (with Dolly Parton) "I Can't"
Other singles	"Mind Your Own Business" (with Hank Williams Jr.) "Oklahoma Swing" (with Vince Gill) "Cowgirls Don't Cry" (with Brooks & Dunn) "Forever Country" (with Various artists) "Be a Light" (with Thomas Rhett) "What If"