Editing Bee Gees (section)

===1980–1986: Outside projects, band turmoil, solo efforts and decline===
Robin co-produced [[Jimmy Ruffin]]'s ''[[Sunrise (Jimmy Ruffin album)|Sunrise]]'' released in May 1980, but the songs were started in 1979; the album contains songs written by the Gibb brothers, including the single "Hold On To My Love".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/beegees/80.html |title=Gibb Songs: 1980 |last=Brennan |first=Joseph |access-date=1 December 2014}}</ref>

In March 1980, Barry Gibb worked with [[Barbra Streisand]] on her album ''[[Guilty (Barbra Streisand album)|Guilty]]''. He co-produced, and wrote or co-wrote all nine of the album's tracks (four of them written with Robin, and the title track with both Robin and Maurice). Barry also appeared on the album's cover with Streisand and duetted with her on two tracks. The album reached No.&nbsp;1 in both the US and the UK, as did the single "[[Woman in Love]]" (written by Barry and Robin), becoming Streisand's most successful single and album to date. Both of the Streisand/Gibb duets, "[[Guilty (Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb song)|Guilty]]" and "[[What Kind of Fool]]", also reached the US Top 10.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.sony.com/content/sony/en/en_us/SCA/company-news/press-releases/sony-music-entertainment/2005/new-barbra-streisandbarry-gibb-collaborative-album-guilty-pleasures-to-be-released-as-cd-and-dualdisc-on-tuesday-september-20.html|title=New Barbra Streisand-Barry Gibb Collaborative Album, 'Guilty Pleasures,' to be Released as CD and DualDisc on Tuesday, September 20|work=[[Sony Music Entertainment]]|date=29 August 2005|access-date=22 January 2024}}</ref>

In 1981, the Bee Gees released the album ''[[Living Eyes (Bee Gees album)|Living Eyes]]'', their last full-length album release on RSO. This album was the first CD ever played in public, when it was played to viewers of the BBC show ''[[Tomorrow's World]]''.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bilyeu|first1=Melinda|first2=Hector |last2=Cook |first3=Andrew Môn |last3=Hughes |publisher=Omnibus Press|year=2004|isbn=978-1-84449-057-8|title=The Bee Gees: tales of the brothers Gibb|page=519}}</ref> With the disco backlash still running strong, the album failed to make the UK or US Top 40—breaking their streak of Top 40 hits, which started in 1975 with "[[Jive Talkin']]". Two singles from the album fared little better—"[[He's a Liar]]", which reached No.&nbsp;30 in the US, and "[[Living Eyes (song)|Living Eyes]]", which reached No.&nbsp;45.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}}

In 1982, [[Dionne Warwick]] enjoyed a UK No.&nbsp;2 and US [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|Adult Contemporary No.&nbsp;1]] hit with her comeback single, "[[Heartbreaker (Dionne Warwick song)|Heartbreaker]]", taken from her [[Heartbreaker (Dionne Warwick album)|album of the same name]], written largely by the Bee Gees and co-produced by Barry Gibb. The album reached No.&nbsp;3 in the UK and the Top 30 in the US, where it was certified Gold.

A year later, [[Dolly Parton]] and [[Kenny Rogers]] recorded the Bee Gees-penned track "[[Islands in the Stream (song)|Islands in the Stream]]", which became a US and Australian No.&nbsp;1 hit and entered the Top 10 in the UK. Rogers' 1983 album, ''[[Eyes That See in the Dark]]'', was written entirely by the Bee Gees and co-produced by Barry. The album was a Top 10 hit in the US and was certified Double Platinum.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country-lists/kenny-rogers-10-essential-songs-970871/islands-in-the-stream-1983-970879/|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=21 March 2020|first1=Stephen L.|last1=Betts|first2=Jon|last2=Freeman|title=Kenny Rogers: 10 Essential Songs|access-date=24 January 2024}}</ref>

The Bee Gees had greater success with the [[Staying Alive (soundtrack)|soundtrack]] to ''[[Staying Alive (1983 film)|Staying Alive]]'' in 1983, the sequel to ''[[Saturday Night Fever]]''. The soundtrack was certified platinum in the US, and included their Top 30 hit "[[The Woman in You]]".{{citation needed|date=September 2019}}

Also in 1983, the band was sued by Chicago songwriter [[Selle v. Gibb|Ronald Selle]], who claimed the brothers stole melodic material from one of his songs, "Let It End", and used it in "How Deep Is Your Love". At first, the Bee Gees lost the case; one juror said that a factor in the jury's decision was the Gibbs' failure to introduce expert testimony rebutting the plaintiff's expert testimony that it was "impossible" for the two songs to have been written independently. However, the verdict was overturned a few months later.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/beegees/83.html |title=Gibb Songs: 1983 |last=Brennan |first=Joseph |access-date=1 December 2014}}</ref>

In August 1983, Barry signed a solo deal with MCA Records and spent much of late 1983 and 1984 writing songs for this first solo effort, ''[[Now Voyager]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/beegees/84.html |title=Gibb Songs: 1984 |last=Brennan |first=Joseph |access-date=1 December 2014}}</ref> Robin released three solo albums in the 1980s, ''[[How Old Are You? (album)|How Old Are You?]]'', ''[[Secret Agent (Robin Gibb album)|Secret Agent]]'' and ''[[Walls Have Eyes]]''. Maurice released his second single to date, "[[Hold Her in Your Hand]]", the first one having been released in 1970.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hughes |first=Andrew |title=The Bee Gees – Tales of the Brothers Gibb |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KugbDQHX0R8C&q=i%27ll+kiss+your+memory+bee+gees&pg=PT571 |year=2009 |publisher=Omnibus Press |isbn=9780857120045 |access-date=7 January 2014}}</ref>

In 1985, [[Diana Ross]] released the album ''[[Eaten Alive (album)|Eaten Alive]]'', written by the Bee Gees, with the title track co-written with [[Michael Jackson]] (who also performed on the track). The album was again co-produced by Barry Gibb, and the single "[[Chain Reaction (Diana Ross song)|Chain Reaction]]" gave Ross a UK and Australian No.&nbsp;1 hit.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/kerry/lifestyle/the-top-ten-this-week-in-1986-dazzling-diana-ross-leads-star-studded-line-up/40205314.html|title=The top ten this week in 1986: dazzling Diana Ross leads star studded line-up|work=[[Irish Independent]]|first=Jim|last=Hayes|publisher=[[Independent News & Media]]|date=17 March 2021}}</ref>