Easy (1977) 9/13/20

Lionel Ritchie wrote a lot of great songs—first for his group, The Commodores, and later for himself as a solo artist (and for others as well).

In 1977, The Commodores recorded and released one of his best (with Lionel himself singing lead, of course): “Easy.”

This “Great Song of the '70s” was a breakup song--with a twist. Instead of being upset and depressed, the singer is feeling calm and “easy”—like an early Sunday morning in a small town, such as Lionel's hometown of Tuskegee, Alabama.

The song was a hit on 3 Billboard charts: #1 on the Soul Chart, #4 on the Hot 100 and #14 on the Adult Contemporary Chart. It also reached #12 on Canada's Top 40.

“Easy” was the beginning of a great run of ballads that included “Three Times a Lady,” “Still,” and many others.

In 1992, the group Faith No More released a cover that ended up going Top 5 in 7 countries, including #1 in Australia. In the US, unfortunately, it stalled at #58 on the Hot 100.

“Easy:” a “Great Song of the 70s?” (and '90s)

Commodores:

Faith No More: