Southern Nights (song)
| "Southern Nights" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Glen Campbell | ||||
| from the album Southern Nights | ||||
| B-side | "William Tell Overture" | |||
| Released | January 17, 1977 | |||
| Format | 7" | |||
| Recorded |
October 2, 1976 Los Angeles, California | |||
| Genre | Country pop | |||
| Length | 3:00 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Writer(s) | Allen Toussaint | |||
| Producer(s) | Gary Klein | |||
| Certification | Gold (RIAA) | |||
| Glen Campbell singles chronology | ||||
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"Southern Nights" is a song written by Allen Toussaint and most famously recorded by American country music singer, Glen Campbell. It was the first single released from Campbell's 1977 album, Southern Nights, and reached No. 1 on various country and pop charts.
Song history
The lyrics of "Southern Nights" were inspired by childhood memories the track's songwriter, Allen Toussaint, had of visiting relatives in the Louisiana backwoods which often entailed storytelling under star-filled nighttime skies.[1] When Campbell heard Toussaint's version, he immediately identified with the lyrics which reminded him of his own youth growing up on an Arkansas farm. In October 1976, Campbell recorded the song with slightly modified lyrics.[2]
Chart performance
Released as a single in January 1977, "Southern Nights" immediately caught on with both country and pop audiences. The song featured a unique guitar lick that Campbell had learned from friend Jerry Reed. In late March, "Southern Nights" spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart marking it Campbell's fifth and final No. 1 country hit.[3]
In late April, the track reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart marking Campbell's second and last No. 1 pop hit.
The song also spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Adult Contemporary chart marking Campbell's seventh hit on the chart.[4]
Chart positions
| Chart (1977) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Kent Music Report | 36[5] |
| Belgian VRT Top 30 | 8 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 2 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 12 |
| Euro Hit 50 | 29 |
| French Singles Chart | 30 |
| German Media Control Charts | 18 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 3 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 10 |
| U.K. Singles Chart | 28 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
Year-End Chart
| Chart (1977) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 14 |
| U.S. Cashbox Top 100 | 20 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 22 |
Awards
"Southern Nights" was certified gold in the United States for sales of 1 million units by the Recording Industry Association of America. In 1977, the song was nominated for Song of the Year by the Country Music Association.[6]
References
- ↑ Hogan, Ed, "Southern Nights" on Allmusic
- ↑ Hogan.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 67.
- ↑ The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition, 1996
- ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ↑ Country Music Association Awards database - 1977 nominees and winners.
External links
| Preceded by "Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born)" by Barbra Streisand "Sam" by Olivia Newton-John |
Billboard Easy Listening Singles number-one single February 26, 1977 (2 weeks:first run) March 26, 1977 (2 weeks:second run) |
Succeeded by "Sam" by Olivia Newton-John "Don't Give Up on Us" by David Soul |
| Preceded by "She's Just an Old Love Turned Memory" by Charley Pride |
Billboard Hot Country Singles number-one single March 19-March 26, 1977 |
Succeeded by "Lucille" by Kenny Rogers |
| Preceded by "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Thelma Houston |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single April 30, 1977 |
Succeeded by "Hotel California" by The Eagles |
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