"Southern Nights" is a song written and performed by American musician

Allen Toussaint Allen Richard Toussaint (; January 14, 1938 – November 10, 2015) was an American musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer. He was an influential figure in New Orleans rhythm and blues from the 1950s to the end of the century, descr ...

, from his 1975 album, '' Southern Nights'', and later recorded by American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

singer

Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American country musician and actor. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting ''The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour'' on CBS television from ...

. It was the first single released from Campbell's 1977 album, '' Southern Nights'', and reached No. 1 on three separate US charts.

Song history

The lyrics of "Southern Nights" were inspired by childhood memories Allen Toussaint had of visiting relatives in the

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

backwoods, which often entailed

storytelling Storytelling is the social and cultural activity of sharing narrative, stories, sometimes with improvisation, theatre, theatrics or embellishment. Every culture has its own narratives, which are shared as a means of entertainment, education, cul ...

under star-filled nighttime skies. When Campbell heard Toussaint's version, he immediately identified with the lyrics which reminded him of his own youth growing up on an

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

farm. In October 1976, Campbell recorded the song with slightly modified lyrics.

Accolades

In 1977, "Southern Nights" song was nominated for Song of the Year by the

Country Music Association The Country Music Association (CMA) is an American trade association with the stated aim of promoting and developing country music throughout the world. Founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee, it originally consisted of 233 members and was the f ...

Chart performance

Released as a single by Campbell 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 Jerry Reed Hubbard (March 20, 1937 – September 1, 2008), known professionally as Jerry Reed, was an American country singer, guitarist, composer, songwriter and actor who appeared in more than a dozen films. His signature songs included " Gui ...

. In late March, "Southern Nights" spent two weeks at No. 1 on the ''

Billboard magazine ''Billboard'' (stylized in lowercase since 2013) is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events and styles related to th ...

Hot Country Singles Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data along with digital sales and streaming. ...

chart marking it Campbell's fifth and final No. 1 country hit. 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 Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...

chart marking Campbell's seventh hit on the chart.

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

In popular culture

The song is featured in the 1978 film ''

Convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

'' and is featured in the film’s soundtrack. The song is featured in the 2017 film ''

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ''Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'' is a 2017 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team Guardians of the Galaxy (2008 team), Guardians of the Galaxy, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios M ...

'' and further included on the film's soundtrack album.

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1975 songs 1975 singles 1977 singles Glen Campbell songs Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles Songs written by Allen Toussaint RPM Top Singles number-one singles Capitol Records singles Song recordings produced by Gary Klein (producer) Songs about the American South Songs about nights