I Saw the Light - Todd Rundgren (1972) 7/14/21

Back in the 60s, Motown Records developed a tradition (and marketing strategy) of putting a hit single at the beginning of every album. In theory, if you liked the very first track, you'd like what came after it, which would quite possibly lead to MORE hit singles from the album.

Motown was quite successful at this--a fact that was not lost on Todd Rundgren.

When Todd released his 1972 album, "Something/Anything," he led things off with a tune that turned out to be a "Great Song of the '70s."

To coin a pun, "I Saw the Light" was a "Todd-de-Force!" Todd wrote, produced, sang and played EVERY SINGLE INSTRUMENT on the track--and then released it on his own record label (Bearsville).

The song reached #12 on Billboard's Easy Listening Chart and #16 on the Hot 100. It also made the recording industry sit up and take notice, and Todd became a "go-to" producer for acts like Badfinger, Grand Funk Railroad and Meat Loaf, just to name a few.

Not only that, he later pioneered electronic music, progressive rock, music videos, computer software for musicians and producers, and internet music delivery. He is a certified musical genius, and is a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class of 2021!

Obviously, Todd "Saw the Light" and the light continues to shine on his talents and career.

(TRIVIA: Todd is also known for writing songs very quickly--a fact he has attributed to his use of Ritalin. I kid you not!)

(TRIVIA #2: In case you're wondering, leading off the album with a hit, led to another hit single: "Hello It's Me" a "Great Song" (with an interesting history) that we'll highlight in the future.)

"I Saw the Light" by Todd Rundgren: a "Great Song of 1972!"