Just an Illusion

❧

Wikipedia

"Just an Illusion"
Single by Imagination
from the album In the Heat of the Night
Released19 February 1982[1]
Genre
Length
  • 8:12 (12" version)
  • 6:27 (album version)
  • 3:55 (single version)
LabelR&B
Songwriters
Imagination singles chronology
"Flashback"
(1981)		 "Just an Illusion"
(1982)		 "Music and Lights"
(1982)
Audio video
"Just an Illusion" on YouTube

"Just an Illusion" is a song by the British trio Imagination. Co-written by Steve Jolley, Tony Swain, Ashley Ingram and Leee John, the song was a major European hit, peaking at number 2 in the group's native UK. In the United States, "Just an Illusion" went to number 27 on the Black chart.[2] The song also peaked at number 15 on the dance charts.[2]

Track listing

7" single

  1. "Just an Illusion" – 3:55
  2. "Just an Illusion" (Instrumental) – 3:40

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1982) Peak
position
Australian (Kent Music Report)[3] 64
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[4]6
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[5]9
France (IFOP)[6] 3
Ireland (IRMA)[7]8
Italy (FIMI)[8] 2
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[9]8
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10]12
Norway (VG-lista)[11]5
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[12] 3
Spain (AFYVE)[13] 1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[14]3
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[15]2
UK Singles (OCC)[16]2
US Billboard Hot Black Singles[2] 27
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[2] 15
West Germany (GfK)[17]7

Year-end charts

Chart (1982) Position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[18] 65
France (IFOP)[19] 7
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[20] 87
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[21] 83
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[22] 9
UK (OCC)[23] 25

Certifications and sales

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
France (SNEP)[24] Gold 500,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[25] Silver 250,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Sample

"Get Your Number", co-written by Mariah Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Johntá Austin and Bryan-Michael Cox and recorded by Carey for her album The Emancipation of Mimi (2005), samples the song.[26]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Imagination: Scandalous World Tour 83/84, September 1983, retrieved 24 February 2021 – via Flickr
  2. 1 2 3 4 "In the Heat of the Night – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  3. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 148. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  4. ↑ "Imagination – Just An Illusion" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  5. ↑ "Imagination – Just An Illusion" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  6. ↑ "Accès direct aux Artistes (I)". InfoDisc (in French). Select "Imagination" from the artist drop-down menu. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  7. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Just an Illusion". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 31 June 2013.
  8. ↑ "SINGOLI – I NUMERI UNO (1959-2006) (parte 3: 1980-1990)". It-charts.150m.com (in Italian). Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
  9. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 21, 1982" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  10. ↑ "Imagination – Just An Illusion" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  11. ↑ "Imagination – Just An Illusion". VG-lista. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  12. ↑ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (I)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  13. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  14. ↑ "Imagination – Just An Illusion". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  15. ↑ "Imagination – Just An Illusion". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  16. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  17. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Imagination – Just An Illusion" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  18. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1982" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  19. ↑ "TOP – 1982". Top-france.fr (in French). Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  20. ↑ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1982" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  21. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1982" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  22. ↑ "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1982". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  23. ↑ "The Official Top 50 best-selling songs of 1982". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
  24. ↑ "French single certifications – Imagination – Just an Illusion" (in French). InfoDisc. Select IMAGINATION and click OK. 
  25. ↑ "British single certifications – Imagination – Just an Illusion". British Phonographic Industry.
  26. ↑ Walters, Barry (21 April 2005). "Mariah Carey – The Emancipation of Mimi". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 29 January 2014.