The 1980 soundtrack for The Jazz Singer stands as a monumental success in Neil Diamond's career, outperforming the film itself to become his best-selling album in the United States with over 5 million copies sold. While the movie marked a polarizing acting debut for Diamond—earning him the first-ever Razzie for Worst Actor—the music resonated deeply, spawning three Top 10 hits and cementing its status as an adult contemporary classic.
Diamond co-wrote many of the tracks with French composer Gilbert Bécaud , including "Love on the Rocks" and "Songs of Life". The song "America" was particularly personal for Diamond, inspired by his own grandparents' journey from Russia to find freedom.
Released on November 10, 1980, through Capitol Records, the soundtrack peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. It was a rare instance where a soundtrack was released on a different label than the artist's usual one (Columbia) because the film was produced by EMI Films, Capitol's parent company.
The album's massive success was driven by three iconic singles: