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Think of Laura

1983 song by Christopher Cross

Manuscripts, fine bindings, an engraving plate and preserved performance ephemera
Arts and lettersInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionAug 17, 2026
Entity authorityQ7784547
Source-derived summary

"Think of Laura" is a song by American singer-songwriter Christopher Cross. Released as a single in mid 1983 from Cross's second studio album Another Page, "Think of Laura" became the singer's fourth and, to date, final single to reach the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it peaked at No. 9 in early 1984. The song spent eleven weeks in the top 40 (Cross's final top 40 hit).

The song became Cross's third single to hit No. 1 on the adult contemporary chart, following "Never Be the Same" and "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)". "Think of Laura" remained at No. 1 on this chart for four weeks. The song was written by Cross and produced by Michael Omartian.

Background

Cross wrote the song to mourn the death of Denison University college student Laura Carter, who was killed in Columbus, Ohio, when she was struck by a stray bullet during gunfire in a gang war.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Think of Laura” as 1983 song by Christopher Cross. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Think, Laura and song.

Editorial reviewA useful identification and reception guide that helps separate the work itself from editions, performances, ownership and later interpretation. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1983, 1984—that can be checked directly. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 1983-11-16. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Think, Laura and song providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Think of Laura”, the useful work is to connect “1983 song by Christopher Cross” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 17, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7784547. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1983 and 1984.

Critical limits

Rights, attribution and provenance may remain disputed even when a general reference summary presents a stable account. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.

Best used for
  • Identifying works and editions
  • Tracing reception history
  • Finding collection records
Verify next

The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Think of Laura”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Think of Laura primary sources, Think of Laura archive and Think research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Think of Laura”?
  2. Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
  3. How did later circulation or interpretation alter the work’s reception?
Subject index

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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from Think of Laura” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.