Peak
1
Weeks
17
Score
3,608
Chart Year
1975
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This disco classic contains the fewest unique words (six) of any non-instrumental Hot 100 chart topper. The chorus simply repeats "fly, robin, fly" three times, with an ending of "Up, up to the sky!" The song was written with very few lyrics because this German group couldn't speak English and therefore were unable to memorize a page of lyrics in a language unfamiliar to them. Producer Sylvester Levay wrote this tune based on a riff he had in his head one morning when walking. His fellow producer Michael Kunze remembered it and suggested they use it for the Silver Convention album they were recording. Levay confessed: "I didn't know if it should go on the album. But Kunze was convinced it would be a hit. He said, 'I'm going to call this song 'Run, Rabbit, Run.' I wasn't so happy about it because of the Volkswagen Rabbit, but I didn't want to criticize him. The next morning, somebody up there must have heard my plea. I heard on Armed Forces Network a song, 'Run, Rabbit.' It was just a half-hour before the girls were to come in and sing. I was very happy. I said to Michael that I had just heard a song called 'Run, Rabbit' and in 30 seconds he said, 'O.K., let's do 'Fly, Robin, Fly.'" It won the 1975 Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance. Silver Convention had another hit the next year with "Get Up And Boogie (That's Right)," which went to #2 in the US. They represented Germany in the 1977 Eurovision Song Contest, where they finished eighth with the song "Telegram." This was the first #1 US hit with a species of bird in the title. "Rockin' Robin" - both the Bobby Day original and Michael Jackson cover - stalled at #2. The next bird song to reach the top was "When Doves Cry" by Prince in 1984. We're not counting "Disco Duck" because "duck" is not a species.
Fly, robin fly Fly, robin fly Fly, robin fly Up, up to the sky Fly, robin fly Fly, robin fly Fly, robin fly Up, up to the sky Fly, robin fly Fly, robin fly Fly, robin fly Up, up to the sky
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 11, 1975 | 87 | 39 |
| 2 | Oct 18, 1975 | 48 | 78 |
| 3 | Oct 25, 1975 | 32 | 94 |
| 4 | Nov 1, 1975 | 25 | 101 |
| 5 | Nov 8, 1975 | 22 | 104 |
| 6 | Nov 15, 1975 | 16 | 110 |
| 7 | Nov 22, 1975 | 2 | 124 |
| 8 | Nov 29, 1975 | 1 | 125 |
| 9 | Dec 6, 1975 | 1 | 125 |
| 10 | Dec 13, 1975 | 1 | 125 |
| 11 | Dec 20, 1975 | 3 | 123 |
| 12 | Dec 27, 1975 | 9 | 117 |
| 13 | Jan 3, 1976 | 10 | 116 |
| 14 | Jan 10, 1976 | 29 | 97 |
| 15 | Jan 17, 1976 | 39 | 87 |
| 16 | Jan 24, 1976 | 57 | 69 |
| 17 | Jan 31, 1976 | 61 | 65 |