"Calling America" is a song by the rock music group Electric Light Orchestra

Electric Light Orchestra

Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones...

 released as a single from their 1986 (see 1986 in music

1986 in music

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1986.-January-June:*January 23 – The first induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame takes place...

) album Balance of Power

Balance of Power (Electric Light Orchestra album)

Balance of Power is an album by the Electric Light Orchestra released in 1986.-Overview:Balance of Power was the last studio album by the Electric Light Orchestra for a period of over 15 years...

. It became the band's first hit in three years. The song is, like most of the songs on Balance of Power, musically upbeat and bright but lyrically darker, concerning a dishonest lover. Released as a single in 1986, the song peaked at number eighteen on the Billboard singles chart

Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

, making it their final hit single in the US.

There was also a UK 12 inch EPIC 3 Track version with the "Destination Unknown" on the B-Side.

Track listing

7"

1. "Calling America" (Jeff Lynne
   Jeff Lynne
   Jeffrey "Jeff" Lynne is an English songwriter, composer, arranger, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer who gained fame as the leader and sole constant member of Electric Light Orchestra and was a co-founder and member of The Traveling Wilburys together with George Harrison, Bob...
   
   ) – 3:28
2. "Caught In A Trap" (Lynne) – 3:43

12"

1. "Calling America" (Lynne) – 3:28
2. "Caught In A Trap" (Lynne) – 3:43
3. "Endless Lies" (Lynne) – 2:54

Vinyl non-standard

1. "Calling America" (Lynne) – 3:28
2. "Caught In A Trap" (Lynne) – 3:43
3. "Destination Unknown" (Lynne) – 4:10

Chart positions

• released in January 1986 in the UK and reached #28.
• charted February 1, 1986 for 15 weeks in the U.S. and reached #18.
• charted 17 March 1986 for 11 weeks in Australia and reached #47.

Chart (1986)	Peak Position
Australian ARIA ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... Singles Chart	47
Austrian Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann...	22
French SNEP Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... Singles Chart	10
German Media Control Singles Chart	31
Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...	16
UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...	28
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	18
U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue...	22
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary	20
U.S. Cash Box Top 100 Singles	26

Video

The video was shot in Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

 and contains shots of Centre Georges Pompidou

Centre Georges Pompidou

Centre Georges Pompidou is a complex in the Beaubourg area of the 4th arrondissement of Paris, near Les Halles, rue Montorgueil and the Marais...

; the band plays in front of Pompidou.