I'm selling my personal record collection in preparation for moving.
Superman Cover of CD booklet  by  ReleasedJune 1977RecordedMarch - April 1977Length36:41,  (track 6)

Superman (1977) is the nineteenth studio album by American singer . The lead single "" became a hit in 1977, peaking at #4 on the . The title track was released as a follow-up but did not chart as highly as its predecessor. The album peaked at number 3 on the Top 200 LP Billboard album chart and on the UK Albums Chart at number 32. It has sold 2 million copies in United States and was certified 2× Platinum. Streisand co-wrote two songs on the album - "Don't Believe What You Read" and "Answer Me". The latter is also featured on her 2023 compilation album Evergreens: Celebrating Six Decades.

Background and production

The album was released after the success of Streisand's movie , from 1976. At that time the movie soundtrack was the singer's best-selling album with 4.1 million copies sold worldwide and a platinum certificate in the United States, for more than 1 million copies sold. According to , the album brings sounds from what they called "the second transition in Streisand's career", which began with the  album, in 1970, in which the singer experimented contemporary pop rock sounds and left aside "old‐fashioned" and "theatrical diva" from her early LPs, and that in Superman she confirms as a "a credible interpreter of contemporary songs".

Two songs were written for the movie A Star Is Born but not used in the picture — "Answer Me" by Streisand,  and ; and "Lullaby for Myself" by . It also includes cover versions of contemporary singer-songwriters ' "Love Comes from Unexpected Places" from her album  and 's "" from . According to Joel, Streisand's recording resulted in his mother looking at his career with newfound respect: "Certainly my mom looked at me with fresh eyes--finally, a real singer had picked up on her errant son's efforts."

Critical reception Review scoresSourceRatingfavorableFavorable

The album received good reviews from music critics. William Ruhlmann from  website gave the album three out of five stars and wrote that even though the album "seemed to be an unusually personal album for the singer, reflecting her feelings and viewpoints" it is not one of her best. Dave Marsh from  magazine, wrote that the album was Streisand's best effort since her  (1970) album, and that it's an "ample evidence that Streisand actually can get away with singing whatever she chooses". He also wrote that even though there are some mannerisms, like her phrasing, "the material is chosen skillfully enough to transcend that". In his review for , Stephen Holden wrote that Superman "ranks among the finest of Barbra Streisand's 30plus LP's", and that her "voice is in amazing shape today—stronger, more controlled and more confident than ever".

Commercial performance

The album repeated the success of the singer's previous album, the movie soundtrack A Star Is Born, and as of November 1977, it had sold 1.6 million copies in the United States, three times more than the two previous studio albums:  (1974) and  (1975). The album peaked at number 3 on the  album chart and on the  at number 32. On November 14, 1994, it was certified double platinum by the  (RIAA), for 2 million copies sold in the United States.

Track listing "Superman" (Richie Snyder) – 2:47 "Don't Believe What You Read" (, Ron Nagle, Scott Mathews) – 3:37 "Baby Me Baby" (Roger Miller) – 4:26 "I Found You Love" () – 3:50 "Answer Me" (Streisand, , ) – 3:16 "" () – 3:21 "Cabin Fever" (Ron Nagle) – 3:14 "Love Comes from Unexpected Places" (, Dave Ellingson) – 4:10 "" () – 4:44 "Lullaby for Myself" () – 3:17 Personnel  – vocals ,  (track 6) – producers  – photography Alan Broadbent, , , David Wolfert, , , Eddie Karam, , , Gary Coleman, Gayle LeVant, Harry Bluestone, , Israel Baker, , , John Bahler, John McClure, , , , , , , Ralph Grierson, Reine Press, , Scott Mathews, Steve Paietta, , Virginia Berger – musicians Augie Johnson, , , John Lehman, Julia Tillman Waters,  – background vocals