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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"
Released	July 19, 1972 (1972-07-19)
Recorded	1971–1972
Studio	Warner Bros., North Hollywood, California
Genre	Rock
Length	4:44 (album version) 3:47 (single edit) 3:26 (45 version)
Label	Warner 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.

Background

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."

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.

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."

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. 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."

In June 2020, four members of the band released an acoustic version of the song on YouTube, 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

The Doobie Brothers

• Tom Johnston – guitars, lead vocals, backing vocals
• Patrick Simmons – guitars, banjo, lead vocals (bridge), backing vocals
• Tiran Porter – bass, backing vocals
• John (Little John) Hartman – drums, tambourine
• Michael Hossack – drums, steel drums

Additional personnel

• Ted Templeman – percussion

Charts

Certifications

Cover versions

"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. The song was also copied and used as the theme song of AIR FM in 1996 sung by Shibani Kashyap.

References

1. Zywietz, Tobias (March 22, 2005). "Chart Log UK: Dio - Dyverse". Chart Log UK. The Official Zobbel Website.
2. ^ 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. "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. "The Doobie Brothers – Listen To The Music" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
14. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
15. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
16. "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.
17. "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). April 23, 1994. p. 4. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
18. "RPM's Top 100 Singles of '72". RPM. January 13, 1973. p. 20.
19. Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
20. "New Zealand single certifications – Doobie Brothers – Listen to the Music". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
21. "British single certifications – Doobie Brothers – Listen to the Music". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
22. "The Iconic All India Radio Theme Song We All Love Is A Direct Copy Of This English Song!". ScoopWhoop. July 5, 2016. Retrieved November 14, 2024.

External links

• The Doobie Brothers - Listen to the Music (Live at Wolf Trap) on YouTube

• 1972 songs
• 1972 singles
• The Doobie Brothers songs
• The Isley Brothers songs
• Songs written by Tom Johnston (musician)
• Song recordings produced by Ted Templeman
• Songs about music
• Warner Records singles