Yes! They Went To Number One!

As part of the progressive rock scene, British band Yes developed a significant following throughout the 1970s that, like many contemporaries in the genre, translated into some, but limited, success on the pop charts.  Over a span of just over a year between the Fall of 1971 and the winter of 1972, Yes hit Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart four times.  Three of those songs peaked in the 40s, including their first charting single, “Your Move,” which squeaked into the Top 40 by peaking at exactly number 40.  One of those four songs, their second to hit the charts during that time period, “Roundabout,” was their largest success, peaking at number 13 in the spring of 1972.

The band then went more than a decade before hitting the Hot 100 again, but they came back with a bang when the song that returned them to the chart, “Owner Of A Lonely Heart,” hit number 1 exactly 30 years ago.  The song would stay at number 1 for two weeks, and though Yes would hit the Top 40 three more times after that, “Owner Of A Lonely Heart” remains the band’s only Top 10 hit.