Star Baby

"Star Baby"
Single by The Guess Who
from the album Road Food
B-side "Musicione"
Released February 1974
Format 7"
Recorded 1974
Genre Rock
Power pop
Length 2:42
Label RCA Victor 0217
Writer(s) Burton Cummings
Producer(s) Jack Richardson
The Guess Who singles chronology
"Glamour Boy"
(1973)		 'Star Baby'
(1974)		 "Clap for the Wolfman"
(1974)

"Star Baby" was a 1974 hit by The Guess Who. It was written by Burton Cummings who also provided the lead vocals. It is classified in the genre of Power pop and was included on the group's LP entitled, Road Food as well as The Guess Who - Greatest Hits in 1999 and The Guess Who - Anthology in 2003.

"Star Baby" reached #39 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100[1] and #30 on the Cash Box Top 100.[2]

In Canada, the song spent three weeks at #9.[3] The song is ranked as the 92nd biggest Canadian hit of 1974.[4]

Although The Guess Who had a dozen higher-charting songs in the U.S., "Star Baby" remained on the chart longer than any of their other hits. It stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 for 19 weeks which was 4 weeks longer than their number one hit "American Woman".[5]

Chicago radio superstation WLS, which gave the song much airplay for years, ranked "Star Baby" as the 37th most popular hit of 1974.[6] It reached as high as #3 for two weeks.[7]

Chart performance

Weekly singles charts

Chart (1974) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 39
U.S. Cash Box Top 100 [8] 30
Canadian RPM [9] 9
WLS survey (Chicago) [10] 3

Year-end charts

Chart (1974) Position
Canada [11] 92
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [12] 238
WLS survey (Chicago) [13] 37

Chart runs

US Billboard Hot 100:[14] (19 weeks, entered February 16): 99, 89, 82, 78, 71, 62, 54, 49, 43, 39, 47, 52, 57, 57, 52, 46, 55, 55, 57. Peaked at #39 in the week ending April 20, and exited June 29.

US Cashbox Top 100:[15] (17 weeks, entered March 2): 89, 79, 72, 65, 62, 56, 48, 45, 42, 40, 38, 37, 34, 31, 30, 47, 62. Peaked at #30 the week ending June 8, and exited June 22.

Canadian RPM: (21 weeks, entered February 2): 91, 78, 64, 52, 40, 23, 24, 19, 23, 10, 14, 9, 9, 9, 14, 13, 14, 18, 19, 26, 34, 51. Peaked at #9 during the weeks of April 20 through May 4, and exited June 29.

WLS survey: (12 weeks, entered May 11): 14, 4, 3, 3, 4, 6, 10, 12, 17, 20, 19, 21. Peaked at #3 on their surveys of May 25 and June 1, and exited July 27.

References

  1. ↑ The Guess Who, "Star Baby" U.S. Chart Position Retrieved March 7, 2015
  2. ↑ http://50.6.195.142/archives/70s_files/19740608.html
  3. ↑ The Guess Who, "Star Baby" Canadian Chart Position Retrieved March 7, 2015
  4. ↑ The Top 200 Singles of 1974 from the RPM 100 Charts Retrieved March 7, 2015
  5. ↑ Whitman, Joel (2003). Top Pop Singles 1955-2002. Record Research. p. 294. ISBN 0-89820-155-1.
  6. ↑ The WLS Big 89 Countdown!: 1974 Retrieved March 7, 2015
  7. ↑ The Guess Who, WLS Music Survey Vol. 14, No. 34: June 1, 1974 Retrieved March 7, 2015
  8. ↑ http://50.6.195.142/archives/70s_files/19740608.html
  9. ↑ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.5033a&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=98q6tcgku7546lsrfi3gr83pp7
  10. ↑ http://www.oldiesloon.com/il/wls060174.htm
  11. ↑ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.3893a&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=0fad54otv4cfnjo8gahusf0il4
  12. ↑ http://www.bullfrogspond.com/whitburn/1974wye.htm
  13. ↑ The WLS Big 89 Countdown!: 1974 Retrieved March 7, 2015
  14. ↑ http://www.top40db.net
  15. ↑ Hoffmann, Frank (1983). The Cash Box Singles Charts, 1950-1981. Metuchen, NJ & London: The Scarecrow Press, Inc. p. 92.

External links