About The Song
Released on November 11, 1985, as the third single from Dolly Parton’s album Real Love, “Think About Love” gave the singer her sixteenth solo number-one hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. The album had arrived on January 21, 1985, through RCA Victor and was produced by David Malloy. Recorded in January 1985 at Rumbo Recorders in Canoga Park, California, the three-minute-twenty-seven-second uptempo track featured “Come Back to Me” on the B-side and stood out for its polished pop-country sound during a transitional period in Parton’s career.
By 1985 Parton had already enjoyed major crossover success with pop-leaning material while maintaining strong country roots. Real Love served as her final studio album for RCA before she signed with Columbia the following year. The project included the Kenny Rogers duet “Real Love” as another chart-topper, and sessions reflected Malloy’s approach of blending synthesizers and contemporary flourishes with Parton’s distinctive voice to appeal across formats.
The song came from writers Richard “Spady” Brannan and Tom Campbell, who had previously seen Kenny Starr take an earlier version to number two on the country chart in 1975. Parton recorded her take fresh for the album, delivering it as track one with an energetic delivery that highlighted her vocal range. Malloy handled production, creating an arrangement that leaned into pop elements while keeping the core country appeal intact.
The single climbed to number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of March 8, 1986, spending one week at the top and a total of fourteen weeks on the survey. It also reached number one on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart and crossed over modestly to number 74 on the Billboard Hot 100. The track finished the year at number 35 on the U.S. country year-end list, adding to Parton’s tally of consistent hits in the mid-1980s.
In the lyrics Parton sings of being unable to forget someone since the moment they met, with that person constantly on her mind. She urges the listener to think about love and, in doing so, to think about her, framing the message as a straightforward and affectionate reminder of shared feelings. The upbeat melody carries the sentiment lightly, turning personal reflection into an inviting declaration rather than heavy emotion.
A remixed version prepared specifically for radio featured slightly hotter drums in the mix and later became the title track for Parton’s 1986 compilation album Think About Love, which collected remixed and alternate takes of earlier material. This pop-infused production helped the song stand out amid the era’s shifting country sounds, even as it marked the close of her long RCA chapter.
The release reinforced Parton’s ability to balance commercial pop elements with her established country identity during a time of label transition. It remained a live favorite in later years and illustrated how outside material could fit seamlessly into her catalog, bridging her mountain roots with the broader audience she continued to reach across decades.
Video
Lyric
I can’t forget you
Ever since the moment that I met you
You’ve been on my mind
And I need to somehow let you know
That I think about you all the time
So when you think about love, think about me
I can give you more than you’ll ever need
Sooner or later every heart needs some company
When you think about love, think about me
When you think about love, think about me
We were strangers
Now I’m already wrapped around your finger
Oh what’s a heart to do
‘Cause it lingers
And the thought of you
Wantin’ me as much as I want you
So when you think about love, think about me
I can give you more than you’ll ever need
Sooner or later every heart needs some company
When you think about love, think about me
When you think about love, think about me
Makes me blue
I’m not holding you tonight
‘Cause only you can satisfy
This heart of mine
So when you think about love, think about me
I can give you more than you’ll ever need
Sooner or later every heart needs some company
When you think about love, think about me
When you think about love, think about me