What are America’s 5 Biggest US Hits?

Nobody did soft rock in the early 70s any better than the trio known as America. And then, when people had long since counted them out as a commercial force, they rallied again with a few hits in the 80s. Which of their songs did the best work on the charts in the US? Let’s go back through the catalog of America to find out.

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5. “You Can Do Magic” – No. 8 in 1982

Down to two members in 1982 and without a hit for several years, America accepted the help of Russ Ballard. Not only did Ballard write “You Can Do Magic”, but he also produced the track and played all the instruments. All Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell had to do on the track was sing. It was an arrangement that they didn’t particularly love and one that quickly began to chafe at them when it was repeated on their next album. But the track nonetheless made the veteran duo hot again at a time when most early 70s soft-rock acts were floundering.

4. “Lonely People” – No. 5 in 1974

George Martin worked with America more steadily than with any other band aside from The Beatles. That relationship started with the album Homecoming in 1974. Coincidentally, that LP also included “Lonely People”, which songwriter Dan Peek imagined as a response to the refrain of “Eleanor Rigby”. Peek, who wrote the song with his wife Katherine, speaks directly to those who are hurting. Nice instrumental touches like a braying harmonica and a saloon-style piano dress up a melody that’s already pretty strong to start.

3. “Tin Man” – No. 4 in 1974

When they were cooking, America could come at you with three different singer-songwriters operating at the top of their game, each with their own distinct style. Dewey Bunnell tended to take the band in a more folky direction, trusting that the song would create an entrancing effect even without any in-your-face hooks. That’s certainly the case on “Tin Man”, the Wizard of Oz-inspired track that began the George Martin collaboration. It saunters and flutters about, makes you think a little, and generally leaves you in a calmer state than when the song began.

2. “Sister Golden Hair” – No. 1 in 1975

And here we have the Gerry Beckley side of the America equation. Beckley generally came through with a style that was a little bit more pop and easily accessible, even without a close listen. “Sister Golden Hair” jumps out and grabs you immediately with the strummed acoustic guitar, which is followed up in a hurry by the high-arching steel guitar (played by Beckley). As for the lyrics, they tell a tale of a guy who’s enchanted by the titular character, although he keeps it on the breezy and noncommittal side. This was the second of the band’s two chart-toppers.

1. “A Horse With No Name” – No. 1 in 1972

America earned accolades as the rare band to start off their career with a No. 1 hit. And what an unconventional one that it was. “A Horse With No Name” had already been released on the band’s debut album when it was then cherry-picked as a single after the fact. Just the title alone promises something mystical, which is something you often associate with a long journey in an arid location. Dewey Bunnell’s lyrics tell a kind of sideways tale that doesn’t offer an easy explanation. But when you get lost in the narrative, the “la-la” chorus always comes around again to orient you.

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