"Take It on the Run" is the fifth track on the REO Speedwagon album Hi Infidelity. It was released as a single in 1981 and reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also reached #19 in the UK Singles Chart. The song was written by lead guitarist Gary Richrath. "Take It on the Run" was the follow-up single behind the group’s #1 hit, "Keep on Loving You". The single went gold on April 17, 1989. "Take It on the Run" has appeared on dozens of 'various artists' compilation albums, as well as several REO Speedwagon greatest hits albums.

This is technically the ninth video played on MTV's first day, August 1, 1981. However, the video went to black just a few seconds into the song and did not finish.

This song was released as a downloadable add-on for the Rock Band video game franchise on April 21, 2009. The cover band Me First and the Gimme Gimmes covered this song as a punk version for their live album Ruin Jonny's Bar Mitzvah.

The song was most recently sampled in "Messin' Around", released by American rapper Pitbull in 2016.

Chicago radio personality Steve Dahl recorded a parody version called "Better Get a Gun", which made light of then Chicago mayor Jane Byrne moving into the Cabrini–Green public housing development.

REO Speedwagon

^{^}shipments figures based on certification alone

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