Maggie May

"Maggie May" was a song written by Rod Stewart and musician Martin Quittenton and recorded by Stewart's band The Faces in 1971.

Related Topics:
Rod Stewart - The Faces - 1971

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It told the story of a younger man becoming obsessed with an older woman as his lover and was written from Stewart's own personal experiences.

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The song was initially released in the UK as a B-side to the single "Reason To Believe" but DJs became more fond of the flip-side and, after two weeks in the chart, the song was re-classified with "Maggie May" as the A-side. However, the single continued to be pressed with "Maggie May" designated the B-side.

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In October 1971, the song went to No.1 in the UK and simultaneously topped the charts in the USA. The corresponding album, Every Picture Tells A Story, achieved the same feat at the same time — to top the UK and US singles charts simultaneously is a rare achievement which has been achieved by only a handful of acts other than Stewart, notably The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel and, most recently, Beyonce Knowles.

Related Topics:
October - UK - USA - The Beatles - Simon and Garfunkel - Beyonce Knowles

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The song launched Stewart as one of the great rock 'n' roll superstars and launched him fully as a solo artist. While he has sold millions of records and had countless hits around the world, it is still "Maggie May" for which he arguably is best known.

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A famous live performance of the song on Top Of The Pops saw the Faces joined onstage by DJ John Peel who pretended to play the mandolin.

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The song re-entered the UK charts in December 1976 but only made No.31. No other act has released the song as a single, though both Blur and Wet Wet Wet have recorded versions of the song.

Related Topics:
December - 1976 - Blur - Wet Wet Wet

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