That's The Way

That's The Way: Katrina and the Waves Return to the American Charts

Katrina and the Waves had established themselves as a genuine transatlantic pop phenomenon with their 1985 breakthrough "Walking on Sunshine," which reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the most recognizable and joyful pop songs of the entire decade. The track's infectious optimism and irresistible rhythmic energy secured the band a place in pop history, but sustaining that commercial momentum proved difficult, as it did for many acts whose initial success rested heavily on a single track of unusual and unrepeatable commercial vitality. By 1989, the band was actively working to re-establish American commercial presence, and "That's the Way" represented their most significant Hot 100 showing since their breakthrough four years earlier.

The group was fronted by American-born vocalist Katrina Leskanich, who had grown up in various locations due to her military family's postings before settling in Cambridge, England where she joined the band. The songwriting core was provided by British guitarist Kimberley Rew, who had previously been a member of the influential post-punk group the Soft Boys. This Anglo-American combination gave the band a somewhat distinctive character within the British Invasion framework through which American radio typically processed British acts, as Leskanich's vocal style had a directness and full-voiced power that read differently from the more specifically British inflections of many of their contemporaries in the pop market.

The single was released in 1989 on SBK Records, a new label that had been founded by executives Stephen Backer and Martin Bandier after successful careers in the publishing and record businesses. SBK had a strong and well-funded promotional infrastructure and was investing significantly in mainstream radio promotion for all its releases, which gave its singles better access to the program directors and music directors whose decisions drove Hot 100 performance. The label's commitment to systematic radio promotion was a key structural factor in "That's the Way" achieving its sustained chart presence.

The single debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 22, 1989, entering at number 86. Over the following weeks it climbed with notable and steady consistency, reaching its peak position of number 16 on September 16, 1989. The twelve-week chart run and the top-twenty peak represented a substantial commercial achievement by any measure, placing the track far above the performance of the band's intervening releases and demonstrating convincingly that their core pop appeal remained very much intact four years after "Walking on Sunshine."

The production on "That's the Way" reflected the sonic conventions of 1989 mainstream pop, with polished and professionally calibrated arrangements, prominent synthesizer elements integrated with live rhythm section playing, and the kind of commercial sheen that distinguished major-label pop production from more independent or underground recordings of the same period. Leskanich's vocal performance remained the track's central and most distinctive commercial asset, delivering the melody with the bright, full-voiced approach that had characterized "Walking on Sunshine" and that translated effectively and naturally to the radio formats driving Hot 100 performance in the late summer months.

The late summer chart run placed the song in direct and challenging competition with strong pop and rock releases from several well-established acts. Reaching number 16 in this competitive late-1980s environment confirmed that "That's the Way" had genuine commercial strength based on its own merits rather than simply benefiting from an unusual promotional advantage or a weak competitive field during its chart weeks.

The band went on to win the Eurovision Song Contest in 1997 with "Love Shine a Light," again performed by Leskanich, which gave them a final and significant international commercial moment thirteen years after their original breakthrough. But "That's the Way" stands as their most substantial American chart achievement in the decade between "Walking on Sunshine" and the end of their active recording career, a clear and welcome reminder that the pop instincts that had produced their career-defining single had not been exhausted by that track's enormous initial success.