You’d have to go back decades to find a classic-rock artist who had a song that topped the Billboard Hot 100. Fifty years ago, though, it wasn’t uncommon for veteran rock acts to find themselves at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart. In 1976, quite a few classic rock artists who went on to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame landed atop the Hot 100. That being said, the majority of these tunes seemed to skew towards lighter pop love songs or introspective ballads.
[RELATED: 4 Classic Rock Artists Who Scored No. 1 Hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977]
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Here’s a look at four classic rock legends who had No. 1 hits in 1976.
Paul McCartney and Wings’ “Silly Love Songs”
By 1976, Paul McCartney had found great success again with his post-Beatles band Wings. That being said, some fans and critics had derided McCartney for producing tunes that didn’t quite carry the weight of the material he recorded as a member of the Fab Four.
In response to this criticism, Paul wrote “Silly Love Songs,” which became his fifth post-Beatles single to top the Billboard Hot 100 on May 22, 1976. The tune appeared on Wings’ fifth studio effort, At The Speed Of Sound.
“Silly Love Songs” had two stints at No. 1 on the Hot 100. It knocked The Sylvers’ disco smash “Boogie Fever” from the top of the chart, and then was replaced by Diana Ross’ “Love Hangover” after a week. Two weeks later, “Silly Love Songs” bumped “Love Hangover” from the No. 1 spot, where it enjoyed an additional four-week stint. The song’s chart-topping run was ended on July 10 by Starland Vocal Band’s “Afternoon Delight.”
According to Billboard, “Silly Love Songs” was the best-selling single in the U.S. in 1976.
McCartney reflected on the inspiration behind the catchy pop gem in his 2021 book The Lyrics: 1956 To The Present.
“I’d been given that reputation [of writing silly love songs], and I had to stand up for it,” he explained. “Instead of abandoning songs about love, just get on with it, get into it and don’t be embarrassed, because even though you might say this is a soppy subject, it’s actually the opposite: this thing people can feel for each other that makes life better. I think that’s the crux of it, and if you want to be cynical, it’s easy, you can. … I think a lot of people who are cynical about love haven’t been lucky enough to feel it.”
Elton John and Kiki Dee’s “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”
Elton John was among the world’s biggest pop-rock stars in the mid-1970s. In June 1976, John released “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” a duet with British blue-eyed soul singer Kiki Dee.
The infectious pop tune topped the Hot 100 on August 7, becoming Elton’s sixth No. 1 hit on the chart. It knocked Philadelphia soul group The Manhattans’ ballad “Kiss And Say Goodbye” from the top of the chart and spent four weeks there. The Bee Gees’ “You Should Be Dancing” replaced “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” at No. 1 on September 4.
John and lyricist Bernie Taupin wrote “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” as an homage to Marvin Gaye’s classic 1960s Motown duets with singers such as Kim Weston and Tammi Terrell. John and Taupin were credited under the pseudonyms Ann Orson and Carte Blanche.
In 1977, Elton performed a humorous version of “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” with Miss Piggy on an episode of The Muppet Show.
Chicago’s “If You Leave Me Now”
Chicago scored its first No. 1 on the Hot 100 with “If You Leave Me Now” on October 23, 1976. The melodic love ballad was written and sung by bassist Peter Cetera.
“If You Leave Me Now” knocked radio DJ Rick Dees’ novelty tune “Disco Duck” from the top of the chart and spent two weeks there. It was replaced by the Steve Miller Band’s “Rock’n Me.”
“If You Leave Me Now” appeared on the horn-driven rock band’s eighth studio album and 10th album overall, Chicago X.
In 1977, the song won a Grammy in the Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus category. This is the only time Chicago has won a Grammy. “If You Leave Me Now” was also nominated for the Record of the Year prize that year.
Rod Stewart’s “Tonight’s The Night”
Rod Stewart scored his second No. 1 hit on the Hot 100 chart with “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)” on November 13, 1976. The song, which Stewart wrote, spent eight weeks at the top of the chart.
“Tonight’s the Night” knocked the Steve Miller Band’s “Rock’n Me” from No. 1 on the Hot 100. It finally was replaced at the pinnacle of the chart on January 8, 1977, by the Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. duet “You Don’t Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show).”
Stewart’s seductive ballad features his then-girlfriend, Swedish actress Britt Eklund, cooing lustfully in French at the end of the tune.
“Tonight’s the Night” was the first single released from Stewart’s 1976 album A Night on the Town. The song was certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of 500,000 copies in the U.S.
The single’s eight-week stay at No. 1 on the Hot 100 was the longest run at the top of the chart since “Hey Jude” by The Beatles enjoyed a nine-week stand in the fall of 1968. It was also Stewart’s most successful single ever on the Hot 100.
In addition, “Tonight’s the Night” was the best-selling single in the U.S. in 1977.
Songfacts: Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart once had a job as a screen printer designing wallpaper. When his bosses discovered he was color blind, he was laid off.
(Photo by Richard E. Aaron/Redferns; Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)