Calvin Harris' '18 Months' Turns 14

The Album That Redefined His Career

Calvin Harris' 18 Months turns 14 today. Released in 2012, the album paired his production with Rihanna, Florence Welch, Ellie Goulding, Ne-Yo, Kelis, and Example. It sent nine singles into the UK Top 10 and marked a shift from his earlier vocal-driven work on I Created Disco and Ready for the Weekend.

The album title reflected the 18-month period during which Harris focused on DJing, touring, and producing for other artists. Guest singers became central to his sound. We Found Love with Rihanna became the biggest success of his career at the time, arriving months before 18 Months was released. Harris later said the collaboration changed "absolutely everything" for him, opening doors with artists who had previously passed on working together.

Nine UK Top 10 Singles, One Record

Calvin Harris became the first artist to score nine UK Top 10 singles from one album. Bounce featuring Kelis and Feel So Close both peaked at No. 2. We Found Love with Rihanna reached No. 1. Let's Go featuring Ne-Yo and We'll Be Coming Back with Example followed, both reaching No. 2. Sweet Nothing featuring Florence Welch gave Harris another UK No. 1, while I Need Your Love with Ellie Goulding reached No. 4. Drinking From the Bottle with Tinie Tempah peaked at No. 5, and Thinking About You featuring Ayah Marar completed the run at No. 9.

With several singles already successful before the album came out, the 18 Months era had started long before release week. New singles then continued reaching the UK Top 10 throughout the following year, keeping Harris on the charts as one release followed another.

Fourteen years later, 18 Months remains closely associated with the early-2010s period when electronic music was crossing into pop on a much larger scale.