On This Day in 1978, This Blue-Eyed Soul Singer Hit No. 1 in America With His Hit Song Featured in ‘Grease’

The legendary musical movie Grease yielded quite a few hits for various musicians involved. One such musician was Frankie Valli, best known for his work in the pop-rock group The Four Seasons. And his contribution to the 1978 motion picture might just be the most famous song to come out of the cult classic film.

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Frankie Valli’s contribution to the soundtrack was the film’s title track, “Grease”. This funk-meets-disco pop tune was originally released in May 1978 and was accompanied by an instrumental version of the song as its B-side.

Within no time, the song was a massive hit once Grease dropped in theaters in June of 1978. Valli’s title tune appeared in the movie twice, as both its opening song and its closing song. They really used the song well, and it’s a little surprising that this tune wasn’t part of the original stage production that the film was based on. It’s just that good.

The Enduring Success of Frankie Valli’s “Grease”

“Grease” was written by Barry Gibb (of The Bee Gees) for the 1978 film Grease. The song is an out-and-proud celebration of the greaser lifestyle. And once the song appeared in the blockbuster movie, it became a massive hit on the charts.

“Grease” sold more than seven million copies across the globe. It hit No. 1 in the US and also charted well on the R&B charts. Today, “Grease” is still considered Frankie Valli’s most recent Top 40 song as a soloist outside of The Four Seasons. And, honestly, it’s still a bop today.

Funnily enough, the song was recorded separately from and later than the rest of the songs put together for the film. The production effort was packed with stars, too. Frankie Valli offers his vocal talents, Barry Gibb sings backup, and The Sweet Inspirations provide backing vocals as well. Peter Frampton can be heard on the lead guitar, with George Terry (known for his work with Eric Clapton) providing a guitar track as well. Beloved jazz artist Gary Brown plays the saxophone. Other talented musicians provide their magic to the song, too.

In the end, the song’s success was a truly collaborative effort. But I can’t imagine it would sound as good without Frankie Valli’s iconic vocals.

Photo by Paramount Pictures/Fotos International/Getty Images