The Logical Song

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"The Logical Song"
File:The Logical Song actual single cover.JPG
Single by Supertramp
from the album Breakfast in America
B-side "Just Another Nervous Wreck"
Released April 1979
Recorded
Genre Progressive pop[1]
Length 4:11
Label A&M
Writer(s)
Producer(s) Supertramp, Peter Henderson
Certification Platinum (CRIA, Canada)[2]
Supertramp singles chronology
"From Now On"
(1977)		 "The Logical Song"
(1979)		 "Breakfast in America"
(1979)
Music sample
"The Logical Song"
noicon

"The Logical Song" is a song by the English rock band Supertramp. The song was released as the lead single from their sixth studio album, Breakfast in America (1979), in March 1979 by A&M Records.

"The Logical Song" is Supertramp's biggest chart hit in both the United States, South Africa, and their native United Kingdom and is amongst their most widely recognised radio hits.[3][not in citation given] Roger Hodgson composed the song from an autobiographical point of view, from his experience of being sent away to boarding school for ten years.[4] It won the 1979 Ivor Novello Award for "Best Song Musically and Lyrically".[5]

Composition and lyrics

"The Logical Song" was mostly penned by Roger Hodgson; Rick Davies wrote the vocal harmony on the second chorus.[6] The song makes use of keyboards, castanets, and an instrumental section.[3] Among the contemporary sound effects in this song are the 'tackled' sound from a Mattel electronic football game[6] and the Trouble "Pop-o-matic" bubble – both popular at the time this song was released.

The lyrics are a condemnation of an education system focused on categorical jargon as opposed to knowledge and sensitivity.[7] The lyrics are notable for their use of consonance, with a repetition of the '-ical/ -able' endings of multiple adjectives.

Critical reception

Rolling Stone called the song a "small masterpiece" praising the "hot sax" and Hodgson's "wry humor".[7] The magazine also made comparisons between Hodgson and Ray Davies from The Kinks.[7]

Commercial performance

The song was a hit on its original release, reaching number 7 in the United Kingdom and number 6 in the United States.[3][8][9] The song also spent two weeks at number 1 on the Canadian RPM Singles Chart, was the top song of the year, and was certified Platinum in Canada.[2][10] It stayed for three months on the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1979.[3]

Personnel

  • Roger Hodgson – lead and backing vocals, Wurlitzer electric piano, electric and 12-string acoustic guitars
  • Rick Davies – Elka and Oberheim synthesisers, Hammond organ, Hohner Clavinet with wah-wah, backing vocal
  • John Helliwell – alto saxophone, siren whistle, backing vocal, intro breathing
  • Bob Siebenberg – drums, castanets, timbales, cowbell
  • Dougie Thomson – bass

Charts and certifications

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lister, David. "Pop ballads bite back in lyrical fashion". The Independent. 28 May 1994. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Buskin, Richard (July 2005). CLASSIC TRACKS: Supertramp's 'Logical Song', Sound on Sound.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Supertramp – The Logical Song" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
  13. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Supertramp – The Logical Song" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ "Officialcharts.de – Supertramp – The Logical Song". GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Supertramp – The Logical Song" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
  20. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Supertramp – The Logical Song". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ "Archive Chart: 1979-04-28" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
  24. ↑ "Supertramp – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Supertramp. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
  25. ↑ http://50.6.195.142/archives/70s_files/19790623.html
  26. ↑ David Kent's "Australian Chart Book 1970-1992"
  27. ↑ http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.6855a&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.6855a.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.6855a
  28. ↑ http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1979.htm
  29. ↑ http://50.6.195.142/archives/70s_files/1979YESP.html
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Select SUPERTRAMP and click OK
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ ChartsPlus.co.uk
  34. ↑ MacFarlane, Colin. The Real Gorbals Story: True Tales from Glasgow's Meanest Streets. p.224. Mainstream Publishing. 2007.
  35. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Scooter – The Logical Song". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  36. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Scooter – Ramp! (The Logical Song)" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  37. ↑ "Danishcharts.com – Scooter – Ramp! (The Logical Song)". Tracklisten. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  38. ↑ "Scooter: Ramp! (The Logical Song)" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  39. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Scooter – The Logical Song" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  40. ↑ "Musicline.de – Scooter Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  41. ↑ "Chart Track: Week 29, 2002". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  42. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Scooter – Ramp! (The Logical Song)". VG-lista. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  43. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Scooter – The Logical Song". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  44. ↑ Romanian peak
  45. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Scooter – Ramp! (The Logical Song)". Singles Top 60. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  46. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Scooter – Ramp! (The Logical Song)". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  47. ↑ "Archive Chart: 2002-07-06" UK Singles Chart.
  48. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  49. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  50. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter Ramp! The Logical Song in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Click Search
  51. ↑ March 18, 2013. Mindless Self Indulgence returns to Metropolis Records!, metropolis-records.com.
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