"If You Leave Me Now" is the title of a popular hit ballad by the American rock group Chicago, from their album Chicago X. It was written and sung by bass guitar player Peter Cetera and released as a single on July 31, 1976.
It is also the title of a compilation album released by Columbia Records (Columbia 38590) in 1983.
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The single topped the US charts on October 23, 1976, and stayed there for two weeks, making it the first number one hit for the group as well as hitting number one on the Easy Listening charts. It also reached number one in the UK on November 13, 1976, maintaining the position for three weeks.
"If You Leave Me Now" was also Chicago's biggest hit worldwide, topping the charts in other countries such as Australia. It won Grammy Awards for Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) and Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus. In addition, by August 1978 it had sold 1.4 million copies in the United States alone.
The song has been featured in some several television series and movies such as Three Kings, Shaun of the Dead, A Lot Like Love, Sex and the City and the video game Grand Theft Auto V.
According to Billboard chart statistics, Chicago is second only to the Beach Boys as the most successful American rock band of all time, in terms of both albums and singles. Judged by album sales alone, as certified by the R.I.A.A., the band does not rank quite so high, but it is still among the Top Ten best-selling U.S. groups ever. If such statements of fact surprise, that's because Chicago has been singularly underrated since the beginning of its long career, both because of its musical ambitions — to the musicians, rock is only one of several styles of music to be used and blended, along with classical, jazz, R&B, and pop — and because of its refusal to emphasize celebrity over the music. The result has been that many critics have consistently failed to appreciate its music and that its media profile has always been low. At the same time, however, Chicago has succeeded in the ways it intended to. From the beginning of its emergence as a national act, it has been able to fill arenas with satisfied fans. And beyond the impressive sales and chart statistics, its music has endured, played constantly on the radio and instantly familiar to tens of millions.
ReplyDeleteChris! Thanks for your comment
DeleteI read a story about how Chicago's record company originally wasn't going to release this as a single. They thought it was too musically complex and wouldn't be a hit. They had to be convinced to release it . It's a good thing they did!
ReplyDeleteChicago's best song!
ReplyDeleteThis makes me think of slow dancing with my first GF in jr. high school!
ReplyDelete