Right Down the Line - Gerry Rafferty (1978) 3/30/21

When your first hit after going solo is a "Great Song of the '70s," spending 4 weeks at #1 in Canada and 6 weeks at #2 in the US...selling millions of copies...and driving countless woodwind players to learn the iconic saxophone solo...it's hard to follow up!

Unless you're Gerry Rafferty.

Of course, I'm talking about his first hit after leaving Stealers Wheel: 1978's "Baker Street," which we highlighted back on 12/30/19. (You can read about it here: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelCuuuk/posts/128162895323833

While Gerry still had everybody's attention, he released "Right Down the Line," and once again he topped the charts. THIS time, he reached #5 on Canada's Top 40 and Adult Contemporary charts...and in the US, he hit the top of Billboard's AC chart for 4 non-consecutive weeks. (There was a one-week interruption when John Paul Young's "Love is in the Air" took the top spot.)

In 2012, Bonnie Raitt covered the song, and reached #17 on Billboard's Adult Alternative Chart. (This is a "niche format" chart that tracks airplay on stations that play smooth, melodic adult-oriented music by alternative artists like Adele, Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello, Dave Matthews, and...Bonnie Raitt.)

"Right Down the Line:" An exceptional follow-up to "Baker Street" for Gerry Rafferty and a "Great Song of 1978," and a hit all over again in 2012 for Bonnie Raitt!

Gerry:

Bonnie: