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Listen to the Music

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"Listen to the Music"
Side A of the US single
Single by the Doobie Brothers
from the album Toulouse Street
B-side"Toulouse Street"
ReleasedJuly 19, 1972 (1972-07-19)
Recorded1971–1972
StudioWarner Bros., North Hollywood, California
GenreRock
Length4:44 (album version)
3:47 (single edit)
3:26 (45 version)
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)Tom Johnston
Producer(s)Ted Templeman
The Doobie Brothers singles chronology
"Nobody"
(1971) 		"Listen to the Music"
(1972) 		"Jesus Is Just Alright"
(1972)

"Listen to the Music" is a song by American rock band the Doobie Brothers, released on their second album, Toulouse Street (1972). The song was written by Tom Johnston and was the band’s first major hit. In 1994, it received a remix by Steve Rodway a.k.a. Motiv8 in 1994, which eventually peaked at No. 37 in the UK.[1]

Background

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Writer Tom Johnston described the inspiration for the song as a call for world peace:

"The chord structure of it made me think of something positive, so the lyrics that came out of that were based on this utopian idea that if the leaders of the world got together on some grassy hill somewhere and either smoked enough dope or just sat down and just listened to the music and forgot about all this other bullshit, the world would be a much better place. It was very utopian and very unrealistic (laughs). It seemed like a good idea at the time."[2]

The studio recording used both a banjo and a prominent flanging effect, audible from the bridge until the fadeout. When released as a single by Warner Bros. Records, the song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1972.[3]

The commercial success of "Listen to the Music" helped the album Toulouse Street rise on the charts. The song remains a staple of adult contemporary and classic rock radio. The band also uses it as an encore song during live shows. Patrick Simmons, the second guitarist and vocalist in the group, sings the bridge of the song.

Upon the release of the single, Cash Box said that it's "the group's mellowest rockin' mood yet; one that could see them through to chart territory with AM play."[4]

Ultimate Classic Rock critic Michael Gallucci rated "Listen to the Music" as the Doobie Brothers fourth-greatest song, praising the smooth, "soft, shuffling rhythm" and Johnston's vocal performance.[5] The staff of Billboard rated it even higher, considering it the Doobie Brothers' best song, saying that it "ranks high in the pantheon of rock n’ roll feel-good hits" and should "get your foot tapping and bring a bit of a smile to your face."[6]

In June 2020, four members of the band released an acoustic version of the song on YouTube,[7] with each performing from his home during the COVID-19 pandemic; the recording included a more prominent banjo part, but no lead electric guitar or drums. At the end of the recording, lead singer Tom Johnston noted that it was a benefit performance, of sorts, for Feeding America, and gave the organization's URL, encouraging fans to donate.

Personnel

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The Doobie Brothers

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Additional personnel

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Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[17] 5× Platinum 150,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[18] Gold 400,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Cover versions

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"Listen to the Music" was covered by Sonny & Cher on their 1973 LP Mama Was a Rock and Roll Singer, Papa Used to Write All Her Songs, and by The Isley Brothers on their 1973 LP 3 + 3.

References

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  1. ^ Zywietz, Tobias (March 22, 2005). "Chart Log UK: Dio - Dyverse". Chart Log UK. The Official Zobbel Website.
  2. ^ a b Mastropolo, Frank (November 29, 2012). "Doobie Brothers' Tom Johnston Reflects on 'Listen to the Music' at 40". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  3. ^ "The Doobie Brothers - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  4. ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. August 5, 1972. p. 14. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  5. ^ Gallucci, Michael (February 12, 2013). "Top 10 Doobie Brothers songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  6. ^ Graff, Gary (November 6, 2020). "The Doobie Brothers' 10 Best Songs: Staff Picks". Billboard. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  7. ^ "The Doobie Brothers - Listen To The Music (Live in Isolation)". The Doobie Brothers. June 10, 2020. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2021 – via YouTube.
  8. ^ Templeman, Ted; Renoff, Greg (2020). Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer's Life in Music. ECW Press. p. 154. ISBN 978-1770414839.
  9. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 92. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  10. ^ a b "The Doobie Brothers - Listen to the Music". Dutch Charts. Retrieved June 30, 2019 – via Google Translate.
  11. ^ "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. July 17, 2013. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  12. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Listen to the Music". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  13. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  14. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, November 11, 1972". Tropicalglen.com. November 11, 1972. Archived from the original on May 11, 2018. Retrieved June 30, 2019.
  15. ^ "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). April 23, 1994. p. 4. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  16. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
  17. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Doobie Brothers – Listen to the Music". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  18. ^ "British single certifications – Doobie Brothers – Listen to the Music". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
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