"Listen to the Music" is a song by American rock band the Doobie Brothers, released on their second album, Toulouse Street (1972). The song was written by Tom Johnston and was the band’s first major hit. In 1994, it received a remix by Steve Rodway a.k.a. Motiv8 in 1994, which eventually peaked at No. 37 in the UK.

Background

Writer Tom Johnston described the inspiration for the song as a call for world peace: "'The chord structure of it made me think of something positive, so the lyrics that came out of that were based on this utopian idea that if the leaders of the world got together on some grassy hill somewhere and either smoked enough dope or just sat down and just listened to the music and forgot about all this other bullshit, the world would be a much better place. It was very utopian and very unrealistic (laughs). It seemed like a good idea at the time.'" The studio recording used both a banjo and a prominent flanging effect, audible from the bridge until the fadeout. When released as a single by Warner Bros. Records, the song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1972. The commercial success of "Listen to the Music" helped the album Toulouse Street rise on the charts. The song remains a staple of adult contemporary and classic rock radio. The band also uses it as an encore song during live shows. Patrick Simmons, the second guitarist and vocalist in the group, sings the bridge of the song. Upon the release of the single, Cash Box said that it's "the group's mellowest rockin' mood yet; one that could see them through to chart territory with AM play." Ultimate Classic Rock critic Michael Gallucci rated "Listen to the Music" as the Doobie Brothers fourth-greatest song, praising the smooth, "soft, shuffling rhythm" and Johnston's vocal performance. The staff of Billboard rated it even higher, considering it the Doobie Brothers' best song, saying that it "ranks high in the pantheon of rock n’ roll feel-good hits" and should "get your foot tapping and bring a bit of a smile to your face." In June 2020, four members of the band released an acoustic version of the song on YouTube, with each performing from his home during the COVID-19 pandemic; the recording included a more prominent banjo part, but no lead electric guitar or drums. At the end of the recording, lead singer Tom Johnston noted that it was a benefit performance, of sorts, for Feeding America, and gave the organization's URL, encouraging fans to donate.

Personnel

The Doobie Brothers

Additional personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Cover versions

"Listen to the Music" was covered by Sonny & Cher on their 1973 LP Mama Was a Rock and Roll Singer, Papa Used to Write All Her Songs, and by The Isley Brothers on their 1973 LP 3 + 3. The song was also copied and used as the theme song of AIR FM in 1996 sung by Shibani Kashyap.