1983 Tearjerker Climbed Charts Thanks to a Popular Soap Opera Moment Fans Never Forgot
When the tearjerker song "Think of Laura" by Grammy-award winner Christopher Cross comes across the overhead speakers at the grocery store, it's normal to feel a little wistful. With Cross's soulful voice, that mellow melody, and the laid-back groove, few songs capture heartbreak quite like it. However, the emotional ballad really gained iconic '80s love song status, thanks to an unforgettable moment on the soap opera General Hospital.
Back in the early '80s, the General Hospital love story between the characters Luke Spencer (played by Anthony Geary) and Laura Spencer (formerly Collins; played by Genie Francis) was serious business. Mobs of soap fans were obsessed! In fact, the couple's 1981 double-episode TV wedding, complete with an Elizabeth Taylor guest appearance, earned 30 million viewers.
So you can imagine how upset fans were when Laura was abducted and went missing in 1981 (because Francis quit the show, claiming inequitable treatment alongside Geary) and left poor Luke heartbroken. And perhaps then, you can also understand how excited fans were when the couple was then reunited (because Francis returned!) in a very dramatic episode that aired on November 24, 1983.
And in the backdrop of that emotional Luke and Laura reunion scene, "Think of Laura" by Christopher Cross played.
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Following the song's surge in popularity on General Hospital, "Think of Laura" was released in December 1983, as the lead single from Christopher Cross's second studio album, Another Page. That same month, the song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100, and it peaked at No. 9 on February 4, 1984. The song stayed on the charts for 17 weeks.
All that soap opera popularity would have probably been fine except that Cross wrote the song in memory of a Denison University college student named Laura Carter, who was also a friend of Cross's then girlfriend. Carter was killed when she was struck in the backseat of her parents' car by a stray bullet from nearby gang violence.
When it comes to the song "Think of Laura," this real-life tragedy is the one that should really be remembered.
All that said, the easy-listening track "Think of Laura" is still making its mark out there. To date, Christopher Cross's 1983 hit song now has over 86.1 million streams on Spotify.
Watch General Hospital's Luke and Laura reunite to Christopher Cross's "Think of Laura":
Watch the official Christopher Cross "Think of Laura" music video:
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This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 6:11 AM.