Shining Star (Earth, Wind & Fire song)

"Shining Star"
File:Shining Star Earth, Wind & Fire.jpg
Single by Earth, Wind & Fire
from the album That's the Way of the World
B-side	"Yearnin' Learnin'"
Released	January 21, 1975
Format	7", 45 RPM
Recorded	Autumn 1974
Genre	Funk
Length	2:51
Label	Columbia
Writer(s)	Maurice White, Larry Dunn, Philip Bailey
Producer(s)	Maurice White
Certification	Gold (RIAA)
Earth, Wind & Fire singles chronology
"Hot Dawgit" (1974) "Shining Star" (1975) "Sun Goddess" (1975)

"Shining Star" is a 1975 song by Earth, Wind & Fire from their album That's the Way of the World. The song was written by Maurice White, Larry Dunn and Philip Bailey and produced by White. "Shining Star" was Earth, Wind & Fire's first major hit, hitting No. 1 on both the U.S. Hot 100 and R&B charts from 1976.

Shining Star is considered a prime example of funk music that attained mainstream success. The concept for the song came to White while strolling at night during the band's recording of "That's the Way of the World". He was inspired by looking up at the starry sky and took his ideas about the song to the other band members. The song is noted for the way the instruments drop out during the last repeated choruses with the group singing the final lines a cappella followed by the song's abrupt end.

Reception

"Shining Star" won Earth, Wind & Fire a Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. The single was very successful commercially, selling over a million copies. It has been certified gold as up until the RIAA lowered the sales levels for certified singles in 1989, a Gold single equaled 1 million units sold.

Earth, Wind & Fire performed Shining Star on the TV series The Midnight Special.

Covers

• In 1977, the cast performed the song on an episode of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour.
• In 1990, Christian glam metal band Stryper covered the song on their album Against the Law.
• In 2003, Jump5 covered the song in Disney's "Lizzie McGuire" movie soundtrack.
• In 2005, trumpeter Rick Braun covered the song for the album Yours Truly.
• Robert Randolph & the Family Band covered the song on their Live in Concert release in October 2011.

Chart positions

Chart (1975-1976)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	1
U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles	1

Accolades

The information regarding accolades attributed to "Shining Star" is adapted from AcclaimedMusic.net and awards on earthwindandfire.com.

Publication	Country	Accolade	Year	Rank
Pause & Play	U.S.	Songs Inducted into a Time Capsule, One Album per Week	2008	*
The Recording Academy	U.S.	Grammy Hall of Fame Albums and Songs	2007	*
Dave Marsh	U.S.	The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made	1989	433
Bruce Pollock	U.S.	The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944-2000	2005	*

(*) designates lists that are unordered.

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

Preceded by "He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)" by Tony Orlando and Dawn	Billboard Hot 100 number one single May 24, 1975	Succeeded by "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" by Freddy Fender
Preceded by "Supernatural Thing" (Part 1) by Ben E. King	Billboard's Hot Soul Singles number one single March 22–29, 1975	Succeeded by "Shoeshine Boy" by Eddie Kendricks