Still – Commodores | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#1); 1979
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
The Commodores only two hits of 1979 were both written by pianist-turned-lead-vocalist Lionel Richie who based each on real-life stories of couples in distress. The first, Sail On, came out of the break up of the marriage of Richie’s boyhood buddy William Smith.
The second, Still, was also inspired by two other friends whose marriage wasn’t working. Their courageous choice to split and, thus, salvage their
friendship impressed Richie, who composed Still as a tribute to them. Sail On and Still flowed in the same smooth soul ballad groove of Easy and Three Times A Lady, which had made them favorites of R&B, pop, and adult contemporary fans, and extended the Commodores crossover success.
Sail On reached the Top 10 on all three charts in the fall, and was still at #4 pop when Still took over the #10 slot. Four weeks later Still hit #1 on the Hot 100, then did likewise at R&B, and reached #6 at AC.
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 Anthony Carmichael
- Commodores
Lyrics Written by:
- Lionel Richie
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).