Top 10 America Albums

Photo: User:Reverend Mick man34, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Ranking the top 10 America albums is a masterclass in appreciating acoustic brilliance, because few bands in rock history ever captured the pure, sun-drenched magic of three-part vocal harmonies quite like Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and Dan Peek. America arrived on the scene in 1971 with their debut album entitled America. The band’s first big hit, “A Horse With No Name,” put them on the map instantly and made them household names around the world. The trio consisting of Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and Dan Peek would celebrate an incredible six-year run together, releasing a steady stream of hit albums and singles. In 1977, Dan Peek left the band after the release of the Harbor album to pursue a career in Christian music. Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell continued touring together as America and released eleven more studio albums, their latest, Lost & Found, released in 2015. Here are ten of our favorite America albums.

# 10 – Here And Now

We open our Top 10 America albums with one of the group’s most recent albums. America had not released a new studio album, Human Nature, since the late 1990s, so it did not make this list. Here and Now is a much stronger album. In fact, it’s the best album the band has released since the early 1980s. This is a stunning record that delivers beautiful songs in those rich American harmonies. Standout tracks include “Chasing The Rainbow,” “Always Love,” and “Ride On.” If you take a listen to the song ” Chasing The Rainbow below, the first thing you will notice is that legendary America guitar intro that is both sweet and iconic. And then the silk voices drop in, and it’s 1974 all over again. What a way to start out this list.

# 9 – Silent Letter

Continuing with our Top 10 America albums, we turn to the album Silent Letter. The album was released in 1979. America fans were unsure what to expect from this album, as it was the first America album released after Dan Peek left the band. America was now a duo as opposed to their long-running trio status. Silent Letter was also the last album produced by famed Beatles producer George Martin. Still, with all those finalities, this was a really good album that showed promise that America would continue on.

The first single released from the album was the record’s opening track, “Only Game In Town.” However, in my opinion, the real gem here is the song “All Around.” The way the songs shift from the song’s main major chord changes to that minor chord they hit on the chorus will leave you breathless. It does it to me every time.

# 8 – Harbor

Well, speaking of the departure of Dan Peek. The album Harbor is the last record to feature original America member Dan Peek. That was sad news because there was something special about the Harbor album despite its lack of big-time singles. This was a record filled with songs of hope that just made you feel good. The Harbor album was released in the winter of 1977. The album’s first single, ‘God Of The Sun,” always reminded me of The Beach Boys. It’s a wonderful exercise in late-1970s songwriting and 1960s Californian-style harmonies.

# 7 – View From The Ground

America’s View From The Ground was the third album to be released after the departure of Dan Peek. It had been five years since Dan Peek had left the band. In the early 1980s a new wave of very modern sounding bands were the big rave, bands like A Flock Of Seagulls, Men At Work, and Duran Duran had caused a music shift in the new MTV era. America was such an old-school 70s-sounding band. Yet View From The Ground sounded fresh. Sales were fueled by a major comeback single that was a big hit, entitled “You Can Do Magic.”

# 6 – Hat Trick

In 1973, America released their third album entitled Hat Trick. While not as successful as their first two albums, the record produced the big hit single “Muskrat Love.” The album featured Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and Dan Peek. The album featured Joe Walsh on guitar on the song “Green Monkey” and the Beach Boys’ Carl Wilson singing back up on the title track. There may have been only one hit single from the album, but overall, this was an excellent America album.

It’s fitting that members of The Beach Boys and the Eagles play on this record because these are the two bands that I always hear in the sound of America. “Muskrat Love” may have been the hit, but I always loved the track “Rainbow Song.” The sound of Dewey Bunnell’s voice always cuts right through me. No one ever sounded like Dewey Bunnell.

# 5 – Hideaway

Hideaway is easily one of our favorite America albums. There was just something special about this one. Beatles producer George Martin worked his magic on this album. Hideaway delivered the fantastic singles “Today’s The Day” and “Amber Cascades.” The song “Today’s The Day” became a number-one hit on Billboard Adult Contemporary Charts. Yet, almost every song on this album was filled with stunningly beautiful melodies and rich, wondrous harmonies. This is probably the most underrated America album of their career. The album was released in 1976. Every time I hear those opening piano notes of “Today’s The Day,” it brings me back to one of the most magical years in music. What a chorus!

# 4 – Homecoming

In 1972, America released its second album entitled Homecoming. This was an amazing record that, despite having only one hit single, remains an album every classic rock fan should have in their collection. That one hit single, “Ventura Highway,” was a stunning song for ages. It became a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972. It’s one of those songs you want to pop in the car 8-track player…Ooops, I mean USB stick and roll down the window. That goes for the rest of this fabulous album. Other standout songs included “To Each His Own, Don’t Cross The Rivers, Only In Your Heart, and California Revisited.” While I always like to showcase deep tracks, it’s hard to beat the big hit here in “Ventura Highway.” I mean, just think about how many people see the song for that highway for the first time, and the first thing that pops up in their mind is this song.

# 3 – Hearts

The Hearts album featured our favorite America song of all time in the single “Sister Golden Hair.” So maybe we are a little biased towards this album. However, many others felt the same, as the proof is on the charts. “Sister Golden Hair” went straight to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975. The follow-up single “Daisy Jane” became a top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and a dear fan favorite. Hearts was America’s fifth album, released, and one of their top 3 albums of all time, at least in our opinion. The album also did exceptionally well on the Billboard Album charts, peaking at number four in a year with so much competition from the great classic rock stars of the 1970s.

If I had to pick only one America song that I could listen to for the rest of my life, it would be “Sister Golden Hair.” This song captures the brilliance of this band better than any other in their catalog. This one was magical. I am getting teary-eyed as I listen to this song while I am writing. Wow!

# 2 – Holiday

1974 was a magical year in music. So many classic records and hit singles were released. America did their part in making that classic year what it was with their exceptional Holiday album. The album contained two of the band’s biggest songs in the hit singles “Tin Man” and “Lonely People.” Both songs were top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. “Tin Man” is one of Dewey Bunnell’s greatest songs, with the memorable lyric ” No Oz never did give nothing to the Tin Man, that he didn’t, didn’t already have.” A lyric one never forgets. And when he sings those lyrics with that voice of his, you just can’t help but get emotional.

# 1 – America

At number one on our Top 10 America Albums list is the grand album entitled America. This was the band’s debut album, which was released in 1971. The album contained multiple hit singles, including “I Need You” and the band’s signature song, “A Horse With No Name,” which was initially released as a single and was quickly added to the album. The America album became the band’s first and only album to hit number one on the Billboard Album Charts. The record is largely responsible for inspiring the soft rock movement of the early 1970s, along with artists such as James Taylor, Harry Chapin, and Jim Croce. If there was one song that so many of my friends used to talk about in high school from the band America, it was “I Need You.”