If You Leave Me Now – Chicago | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning

Chart Performance: Pop (#1) & Adult Contemporary (#1); 1976

Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne

After several years of success, with 20 charting singles including 12 that reached the Top 15, Chicago had yet to seize the Holy Grail of Rock ‘n’ Roll – a national #1 hit.

Another Rainy Day In New York City, the first single released from the Chicago X album, failed to scale the chart heights, stalling at #32. Then in August of 1976, almost six years to the day that their first single debuted on the Hot 100, If You Leave Me Now made its entry at #60.

Written by long-time bassist, Peter Cetera, Leave Me moved quickly into the Top 10 in its sixth week, and confidently slid into the #1 position a month later.

The industry duly honored If You Leave Me Now, awarding it Grammies for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus and for Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s). Ironically, after racking up five straight #1 albums, Chicago X peaked at #3.

This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.

Produced by:

• James William Guercio

Lyrics Written by:

• Peter Cetera

Awards:

• “If You Leave Me Now” won a Grammy Award for Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) in 1977 for arranger Jimmie Haskell and producer James William Guercio 
• “If You Leave Me Now” won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus in 1977
• “If You Leave Me Now” was nominated for the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1977