Leader of the Band

Last updated
"Leader of the Band"
Single by Dan Fogelberg
from the album The Innocent Age
B-side "Times Like These"
ReleasedDecember 1981
Genre
Length4:15 (single version)
4:48 (album version)
Label Full Moon/Epic
Songwriter(s) Dan Fogelberg
Producer(s) Dan Fogelberg, Marty Lewis
Dan Fogelberg singles chronology
"Hard to Say"
(1981)
"Leader of the Band"
(1981)
"Run for the Roses"
(1982)
Music video
Dan Fogelberg - Leader of the Band (from Live: Greetings from the West) on YouTube

"Leader of the Band" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg for his 1981 album The Innocent Age . The song was written as a tribute to his father Lawrence Fogelberg, a musician and leader of a band who was still alive when the song was released. [1] [2] Before Lawrence's death in August 1982, he granted many media interviews because of the song. [3]

Contents

The single was released in late 1981 and peaked at no. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart [4] in March 1982. [5] It became Fogelberg's second no. 1 song on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, following his 1980 hit "Longer". [6] On the Radio & Records charts, "Leader of the Band" peaked at no. 2 on the CHR/Pop chart, and hit no. 1 on the AC chart.

Charts

Chart (1982)Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100 [7] 9
US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) [8] 1
Year-end chart (1982)Rank
US Top Pop Singles (Billboard) [9] 35

Other versions

See also

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References

  1. "Dan Fogelberg Official Website Frequently Asked Questions (As answered in 2003)". 2003. Retrieved 2010-07-11. "Leader of the Band" was written for my father Lawrence Fogelberg who was a musician, educator, and band leader. I was so gratified that I was able to give him that song before he passed on.
  2. A Song for the Ages: How Dan Fogelberg's 'Leader of the Band' Came to Be
  3. Fogelberg, Dan. "FAQ's". danfogelberg.com. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
  4. Whitburn, Joel (1996)
  5. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 1982-03-06. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  6. Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of #1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications)
  7. "Dan Fogelberg Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  8. "Dan Fogelberg Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  9. "Talent in Action : Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 94, no. 51. December 25, 1982. p. TIA-20.