The 10 Best Bee Gees Songs of All-Time
Before the Bee Gees were famous in the U.S., some of their songs, such as “Massachusetts” were already major hits in the U.K. However, it wasn’t until the release of their soundtrack, Saturday Night Fever, that the band became one of the most famous on the planet. The band has occasionally been referred to as “The Disco Kings” due to their ability to produce major hits for themselves and other artists. Bee Gees was formed in 1958 and was initially composed of three brothers — Maurice, Barry, and Robin Gibb.
Throughout their distinguished musical career, the band sold over 200 million records. Most of the band’s success was in the late 1960s and the early 1970s, after which they became famous in the disco era of the mid-1970s. In the early part of their career, their tracks featured clear vibrato lead vocals from Robin. During the late 1970s and 80s, the band switched their signature sound to an R&B falsetto from Barry. Although the Gibb brothers were born in the U.K, the family relocated to Queensland, Australia, where they achieved their initial success as Bee Gees.
Return to England
However, they would later return to England in 1967 after their producer thought it was time to promote them worldwide. The major turning point of their career came after the release of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, which won them five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. Although jealousy between the brothers would eventually hit the band, they always remained a cohesive unit when writing songs and developing new ideas.
The band’s massive popularity also marked their eventual downfall since people got tired of Bee Gees music which used to be played all day. There was also a huge backlash against the commercialization of disco music, which Bee Gees were at the center. Even they couldn’t understand how they had become the face of something that was becoming quite unpopular. After the band fell out of the limelight, they wrote numerous number one hits for other artists such as Dolly Parton, Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, and Dionne Warwick. In this article, we will cover some of the best Bee Gees songs of all time.
10. Massachusetts
The number 10 song in our list of the best Bee Gees songs is the hit song “Massachusetts,” which was not originally written to be a Bee Gees song. The song was meant to be written for The Seekers, but they decided to record it themselves after unsuccessfully reaching The Seekers. According to Robbin Gibb, the band wrote the song while in New York as a challenge to themselves.
9. Too Much Heaven
“Too Much Heaven” had more of an R&B style, and the track is well known for its role in the band’s contribution to the United Nation’s International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF). The song comes from the band’s album “Spirits Having Flown,” which was recorded in 1978.
8. Tragedy
Many people never appreciate Bee Gees until they listen to every hit after hit which they produced. “Tragedy” was written simultaneously as “Too Much Heaven” after the band had finished filming the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The song peaked at number one in the UK and reached the top spot in the US Billboard Hot 100.
7. New York Mining Disaster 1941
This song marked the arrival of Bee Gees to the American scene. The song was produced in 1967 and was inspired by The Beatles. The song was written by Barry and Gibb and marked the introduction of Colin Petersen as the band’s new drummer.
6. Words
“Words” was a single that was released in 1968 with vocals from Barry only. The song’s words are quite beautiful and will touch your heart every time you listen to them. The track was written after Barry had been involved in an argument and the words spoken during the argument ended up being just words that can make one happy or sad.
5. Night Fever
According to Maurice Gibb, the connection between the legendary film “Saturday Night Fever” and the song was rare but one of the most important aspects of their music. This track made its debut on the Billboard 100 at position 76 and went on to peak at the top position, where it stayed for five weeks.
4. I’ve Got to Get a Message to You
This track displays the incredible storytelling capabilities of Bee Gees. The track is about an inmate about to face the hang. He then asks his executioner to send a letter to his lover before he dies. The great message in the song is told behind great vocals and amazing sounds, which make the song one of their best ever.
3. More Than a Woman
“More Than a Woman” is another soundtrack written by the Gibbs brothers as a soundtrack for the film “Saturday Night Fever.” The track plays in the background during a dance between Travolta and his love interest with the song’s emotional lyrics, “My only chance for happiness, And if I lose you now I think I would die,” creating the perfect moment between the two.
2. You Should Be Dancing
Missing out narrowly on top spot is a single from Bee Gees’ 1976 album Children of the World. The song has been described as the band’s best singing since “Jive Talkin.” It was also the first track where Barry employed his signature falsetto as a lead vocal, and the song topped the charts. The song was also one of five other songs to feature in the movie “Saturday Night Fever.”
1. How Deep Is Your Love
“How Deep Is Your Love” is one of the most liked Bee Gees songs ever. The song, released in 1977, signified the coming of age of Barry, who took the role of lead vocalist. Robin sang the melodious chorus while Maurice is barely audible in the song though he is there. The song was ranked position 375 in Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In an interview with Billboard, Barry claimed that the song was their most favorite.
You can also read:
- The 10 Best Maroon 5 Songs of All Time
- The 10 Best Joe Walsh Songs of All-Time
- The 10 Best of Frank Zappa Songs of All-Time
- The 10 Best Whitesnake Songs of All-Time
- The 10 Best Andrew Lloyd Webber Songs of All-Time
