The Bee Gees’ No. 1 Songs From Worst to Best
The Bee Gees’ songs are some of the defining tunes of the disco era. In addition, they made classic rock songs. Here’s a look at all of the Bee Gees’ songs that reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
9. ‘Jive Talkin’’
“Jive Talkin’” is based around some appropriated lingo the Bee Gees shouldn’t have been using. There’s a reason you don’t hear it today. The fact that this song topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the 1970s with no controversy shows how much the world has changed since that time.
8. ‘Too Much Heaven’
One of the Bee Gees’ trademarks was their beautiful vocal harmonies. On “Too Much Heaven,” the band performs great harmonies without building a great melody to hang them on. It’s a passable song but it doesn’t live up to their best ballads, such as the Beatlesque tune “Lonely Days.”
7. ‘Love You Inside Out’
“Love You Inside Out” is one of the Bee Gees’ more neglected disco tracks. It’s also one of their more low-key songs. The line “Too many lovers in one lifetime / Ain’t good for you” makes the song a little bit prudish, which is unusual for a disco track. After all, this is the same genre that gave us “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” and “Love to Love You Baby.”
6. ‘You Should Be Dancing’
Not everyone wants to dance, even when they go to a club. The Bee Gees responded to this phenomenon well with the song “You Should Be Dancing,” which gently encourages all of the wallflowers of the world to try to get their groove on.
5. ‘How Can You Mend a Broken Heart’
“How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” shows off the band’s gift for melody. It’s a definitely one of the better soft-rock hits of its era. The song’s lyrical similarities to “How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?” from The Sound of Music only makes it better.
4. ‘Night Fever’
“Night Fever” is one of the best songs from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. That’s one of the highest compliments anyone can give a disco song. It’s impossible to listen to this song without thinking of John Travolta in his white suit at a New York City nightclub.
3. ‘How Deep Is You Love’
“How Deep Is Your Love” is undoubtedly the best of the Bee Gees’ chart-topping ballads. It’s also heavenly. 1970s soft rock has a reputation for being boring but every note of this track is perfect.
2. ‘Tragedy’
“Tragedy” serves as the bridge between late 1970s disco and the frenetic dance music of the 1980s. The track is melodramatic in the best way and its use of synthesizers shows the Bee Gees were innovators.
1. ‘Stayin’ Alive’
“Stayin’ Alive” isn’t just the Bee Gees’ masterpiece, it’s one of the most beloved songs in the history of popular music. It’s so ingrained in the popular consciousness it can be difficult to imagine a world without it.
Disco’s reputation has improved over the years and the Bee Gees are one of the acts that prove it is a great genre.
