Lead Me On – Maxine Nightingale | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#5); 1979
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
The biggest adult contemporary hit of 1979 belonged to a young Englishwoman who released her first single while still in her teens, then went on to fame in some of the decade’s most popular stage shows.
Early 1970’s theater goers thrilled to Maxine Nightingale’s vocals in productions of Jesus Christ Superstar, Godspell, and Hair, and it was only a matter of time before she was back on vinyl. Right Back Where We Started From was the perfect showcase for Maxine’s exciting style, and it kept her in the Top 10 for two months in 1976.
Maxine failed to follow up on Right Back‘s success, and seemed destined to join the “one-hit-wonder” club. Three years passed. Then, in 1979, Maxine released a gorgeous love ballad called Lead Me On.
After a slow climb into the Top 10, Lead Me On reached #5 in its 17th week. Fans of adult contemporary music embraced Lead Me On even more, keeping it on top for seven weeks.
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:
- Denny Diante
Lyrics Written by:
- Allee Willis
- David Lasley
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).