"Shining Star" | ||||
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Single by Earth, Wind & Fire | ||||
from the album That's the Way of the World | ||||
B-side | "Yearnin' Learnin'" | |||
Released | January 21, 1975 | |||
Recorded | Autumn 1974 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 2:50 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
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Earth, Wind & Fire singles chronology | ||||
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"Shining Star" is a song by Earth, Wind & Fire's album That's the Way of the World, issued as a single in January 1975 on Columbia Records. [4] The song rose to No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart, becoming their first single to top both charts (and only single to top the former). [5] [6] It has also been certified Gold in the US by the RIAA. [7]
"Shining Star" was produced by Maurice White and composed by White, Larry Dunn and Philip Bailey.
The concept for the song came to Maurice White while strolling at night during the band's recording of That's the Way of the World at Caribou Ranch. He became inspired by looking up at the starry sky and took his ideas about the song to the other band members. [8]
Vibe called Shining Star a "treasure". [9] Alex Henderson of Allmusic described the song as "sweaty funk". [2] Gordon Fletcher of Rolling Stone wrote that the song "glow(s) with an incendiary charge that once moved record producer Sandy Pearlman to term EW&F 'the closest thing to a black heavy-metal band'." [10] Daryl Easlea of the BBC found that "Shining Star can be seen as much an influence on Prince as anything by James Brown". [11] Stephen Curwood of The Boston Globe noted that the tune "shows off the fabulous range and coordination of this nine-man vocal ensemble and instrumental choir. [12]
"Shining Star" also won a Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. [13]
Chart (1975–1976) | Peak position |
---|---|
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles | 1 |
Dutch Singles (Dutch Charts) | 14 [14] |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA) [15] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Pause & Play | U.S. | Songs Inducted into a Time Capsule, One Album per Week[ citation needed ] | 2008 | * |
The Recording Academy | U.S. | Grammy Hall of Fame [ citation needed ] | 2007 | * |
Dave Marsh | U.S. | The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made[ citation needed ] | 1989 | 433 |
Bruce Pollock | U.S. | The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944-2000[ citation needed ] | 2005 | * |
(*) designates lists that are unordered.
"Shining Star" was featured in the soundtrack for Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed , sung by American Idol winner Ruben Studdard.
"Shining Star" was the song played when Elaine Benes did the infamous "little kicks" for the first time on the namesake Seinfeld episode "The Little Kicks".
"Shining Star" was featured in the opening scene of the pilot episode of Glee .
"Shining Star" was featured during the introductory scene of the character ‘’Doctor Strange (2016) (2016)
"Shining Star" was featured in the ending scene and credits of the movie Meet Dave (2008).
"Shining Star" was featured in Donkey Konga (US version; 2004) for the renew cover version of Jump5.
A remix of "Shining Star" was featured in the trailer for The Continental: From the World of John Wick .
Earth, Wind & Fire are an American musical group. Their style and sound span various music genres such as jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin, and Afro-pop. They are among the best-selling music artists of all time, with sales of over 90 million records worldwide.
All 'n All is the eighth studio album by the American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in November 1977 by Columbia Records. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart. All 'n All has also been certified Triple Platinum in the US by the RIAA, Gold in Canada by Music Canada and Silver in the UK by the BPI.
Maurice White was an American singer, musician, songwriter, bandleader, and record producer. He was best known as the founder, leader, main songwriter and chief producer of the band Earth, Wind & Fire, also serving as the band's co-lead singer with Philip Bailey.
That's the Way of the World is the sixth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released on March 3, 1975, by Columbia Records. It was also the soundtrack for a 1975 motion picture of the same name. The album rose to No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and Top Soul Albums charts. That's the Way of the World has also been certified Triple Platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA. In 2002, the band released live version of the album, recorded in 1975 – That's the Way of the World: Alive in '75.
Gratitude is a double live album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, issued in November 1975 by Columbia Records. The album spent six weeks atop the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and three weeks atop the Billboard 200 chart. Gratitude has also been certified Triple Platinum in the US by the RIAA.
"After the Love Has Gone" is a single by Earth, Wind & Fire released in 1979 on ARC/Columbia Records. The song reached No. 2 on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the US Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart, No. 4 on the UK Pop Singles chart, and No. 3 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary Songs chart. "After the Love Has Gone" was certified gold in the US by the RIAA and silver in the UK by the BPI.
Spirit is the seventh studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released on September 28, 1976, by Columbia Records. The album rose to No. 2 on both the Billboard 200 and Top Soul Albums charts. Spirit has also been certified Double Platinum in the US by the RIAA.
Open Our Eyes is the fifth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released on March 25, 1974 on Columbia Records. The album rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 15 on the Top Pop Albums chart. Open Our Eyes has been certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA.
I Am is the ninth studio album by the American band Earth, Wind & Fire released in June 1979 on ARC/Columbia Records. The LP rose to number 1 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and number 3 on the Billboard 200 chart. I Am has been certified Double Platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA, Platinum in the UK by the BPI and Platinum in Canada by Music Canada.
"September" is a song by the American band Earth, Wind & Fire released as a single in 1978 on ARC/Columbia Records. Initially included as a track for The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1, "September" was very successful commercially and reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart, No. 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart. The song remains a staple of the band's body of work and has been sampled, covered, remixed, and re-recorded numerous times.
Head to the Sky is the fourth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in May 1973 on Columbia Records. The album rose to No. 2 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 27 on the Billboard 200 chart. Head to the Sky has also been certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA.
Powerlight is the twelfth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in February 1983 by Columbia Records. The album rose to No. 4 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart and No. 12 on the Billboard 200 chart. Powerlight was also certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.
Touch the World is the fourteenth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in November 1987 on Columbia Records. The album reached No. 3 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart and No. 33 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart. Touch the World was certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.
In the Name of Love is the seventeenth studio album by Earth, Wind & Fire, released in July 1997 on Rhino Records. The album reached No. 19 on the UK R&B Albums chart and No. 25 on the Japanese Oricon Albums Chart.
"That's the Way of the World" is a song recorded by the band Earth, Wind & Fire, released as a single in June 1975 on Columbia Records. The song reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart and No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Flowers is a studio album by the American girl group The Emotions, released in 1976 by Columbia Records. The album reached No. 5 on the Billboard Top R&B albums chart. Flowers has been certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.
Maurice White is the debut album by American singer and musician Maurice White released in September 1985 on Columbia Records. The album rose to number 12 upon the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart and No. 35 on the Dutch Album Top 100.
Earth, Wind & Fire: Live is a DVD released by the band Earth, Wind & Fire in 2001 on Image Entertainment, and Polygram Video. The DVD has been certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.
Electric Universe is the thirteenth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in November 1983 on Columbia Records. The album rose to No. 8 on the US Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 40 on the US Billboard 200 chart. Electric Universe also reached No. 17 on the Swedish Pop Albums chart, No. 18 on the UK Blues & Soul Top British Soul Albums chart, No. 20 on the Japanese Pop Albums chart and No. 22 on both the Dutch Pop Albums and Swiss Pop Albums charts.
"Guiding Lights" is a song by the band Earth, Wind & Fire, released as a single in 2012 by Sony Music/Legacy. The song reached No. 16 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs chart and No. 30 on the Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart.
"Shining Star"...[is] probably the most new-age hit in disco-funk history.