Feature Photo: Tema, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Our top 10 Graham Central Station songs list digs deep into the music of an American outfit that facilitated mainstream appeal for classic ‘70s funk music. The band’s establishment is credited to bass guitarist and vocalist Larry Graham after he quit Sly And The Family Stone in 1972. Larry would later be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 for his impactful role in his former band, Sly And The Family Stone. Graham Central Station might not have been critically acclaimed as Larry’s former band but its role in the funk scene remains notable. The band achieved instant success with its debut single “Can You Handle It?” releasing several other records including the chart-topping hit “Your Love.”
Graham Central Station’s Successful Beginnings and Album Releases over the Years
“Can You Handle It?” issued in 1974, marked a solid start for Graham Central Station, with the song making it to the top fifty on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was featured on Graham Central Station, the band’s debut album. Graham Central Station was a success rising to number forty-eight on the Billboard 200 while peaking at number twenty on the Billboard Top Soul Albums Chart. Other top songs by Graham Central Station from the band’s debut album include “Hair,” “People,” and a cover of Al Green’s hit “It Ain’t No Fun to Me.”
Motivated by the success of its debut album, Graham Central Station went on to release its sophomore studio album, Release Yourself in September 1974. Release Yourself saw the band issue an amalgam of funk and soul sounds on its songs. The band achieved mainstream success with Release Yourself peaking at number fifty-one on the Billboard 200. “Release Yourself,” “’Tis Your Kind of Music,” and a cover of “Feel the Need in Me” by The Detroit Emeralds are some of the best Graham Central Station songs from the album.
After achieving mainstream success with its debut and sophomore albums, Graham Central Station was ready to reach new feats with its third LP, Ain’t No ‘Bout-A-Doubt It. The album rose to the fourth spot on the Billboard Top Soul Albums Chart. It also settled for the twenty-second position on the Billboard 200, making it the band’s highest charting album on the Charts. Ain’t No ‘Bout-A-Doubt It guided the band to commercial success, granting Graham Central Station its first RIAA Gold certification. “Your Love,” “The Jam,” and “It’s Alright” are the most popular songs by the band from the album.
In 1976, Graham Central Station issued its fourth studio album, Mirror, hoping to replicate the success seen with its third LP. The band went on to feature former Cold Blood, Santana, and The Pointer Sisters drummer, Gaylord Birch as part of its lineup on this album. However, Mirror failed to match the success seen with Graham Central Station’s third studio album. The album settled for the seventh spot on the Billboard Top Soul Albums Chart, peaking at number forty-six on the Billboard 200. “Entrow,” “Love,” “Forever,” and the album title track are the top Graham Central Station songs from Mirror.
Now Do U Wanta Dance, issued in April 1977, marked the band’s fifth studio album. With this album, Graham Central Station added some disco elements to its staple funk and soul sound. The result was fairly impressive, with the album peaking at number sixty-two on the Billboard 200. “Now Do-U-Wanta Dance,” “Stomped Beat-Up and Whooped,” and a cover of Al Green’s hit “Love and Happiness” are the top musical gems from the album, Now Do U Wanta Dance.
In 1978, the band issued its sixth studio album, My Radio Sure Sounds Good to Me. The album marked the first record released by the band as Larry Graham & Graham Central Station. My Radio Sure Sounds Good to Me was fairly successful, rising to number one hundred and five on the Billboard 200. “Pow,” “Is It Love?” and the album titled single are the best Graham Central Station songs from the album.
By this time Graham Central Station issued its seventh LP, Star Walk, the funk scene’s mainstream visibility was already under attack by the increased commercialization of the rock sound. Nevertheless, the album managed to feature funk/soul classics like “(You’re A) Foxy Lady” and “Star Walk.” The band went on hiatus after the release of the album, Star Walk. During this time, Larry Graham pursued a solo career releasing his signature Gold-certified hit “One in a Million You” in 1980.
After almost two decades of hiatus, the band issued its album, GSC 2000. This 1998 album was shortly preceded by a Japanese release only entitled By Popular Demand. Graham Central Station teamed up with Chaka Khan and Prince on the hit “Free,” one of the best releases by the band from GSC 2000. Once again, the band went on hiatus, only to return in 2012, with the album, Raise Up. Raise Up, marks the last album issued by the band, and is home to funk classics including “Movin’,” “Higher Ground,” and “Throw-N-Down the Funk.”
While it might not have been among the best-selling funk acts, Graham Central Station played a significant role in keeping ‘70s funk music afloat in the mainstream. Here we present the ten best Graham Central Station songs of all time.
# 10 – Hair
Opening up our top 10 Graham Central Station songs list is the breathtaking hit “Hair.” The song was penned by Larry Graham and released on the band’s debut eponymous album. “Hair” is one of the two hits we pick from the album, Graham Central Station, only beaten on the list by the hit “Can You Handle It?” This might feel a little odd for funk lovers who root for the hit “People,” a song that was paid homage to by Dax EFX’s “Baknaffek,” Hocus Pocus’ “Beautiful Losers,” and Santana’s hit “The Calling.”
However, Larry’s slamming hot guitar bass riffs in “Hair” makes it quite an impressive record. “Hair” is more than just a funky hit, featuring a strong message that ‘You can’t judge nobody by hair.’ The song was later covered by the Belgian rock band X-Legged Sally and R&B icon Chaka Khan.
# 9 – My Radio Sure Sounds Good To Me
“My Radio Sure Sounds Good To Me,” the album title track to the band’s sixth studio album comes in closely at number nine. That’s not good news for lovers of the album’s title track, a song hailed for its magical classic acapella soul influences. Tina Graham, spouse to bassist and vocalist Larry Graham is featured on the song on the backing vocals. “My Radio Sure Sounds Good to Me” peaked at number eighteen on the Billboard Hot Soul Chart.
# 8 – Now Do-U-Wanta Dance
Number eight on our top 10 Graham Central Station songs list is the rhythmic hit “Now Do-U Wanta Dance.” The song serves as the album title track of the band’s fifth studio album, Now Do U Wanta Dance. Graham Central Station’s fame before this hit was solely built on the pillars of alluring soul-influenced funk music. However, on this record, the band sought to feature extra disco elements.
“Now Do-U-Wanta Dance” brings to life Graham Central Station’s disco music influences. However, this happens without compromising Larry Graham’s magical bass guitar riffs. Even without the voice box/vocoder effects, “Now Do-U-Wanta Dance” stands out as one of the best Graham Central Station songs thanks to its disco-funk fusion. “Now Do-U-Wanta Dance” was sampled in the 1990 song “I Can Make You Dance” by MC Shy D and the 1993 song “Pots & Pans” by Fila Brazillia. The song peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles Chart (Now the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart).
# 7 – Entrow
Without a doubt, no album by Graham Central Station has managed to replicate the mainstream and commercial success of its 1975 Gold-certified third studio album. However, songs like “Entrow” helped the band maintain influence in the funk scene. “Entrow” is the most popular hit from the band’s fourth studio album, Mirror. The song was sampled in the 1988 hit “On the Cut” by Bomb the Bass and the 1991 hit “Vibeology” by Paula Abdul. “Entrow” peaked at number twenty-one on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles Chart.
# 6 – Is It Love?
My Radio Sure Sounds Good to Me is home to some of the best slow yet funky hits by Graham Central Station including “Is It Love?” While some might contest, the song’s position on the list, “Is It Love?” edges out the album title track on our list, thanks to Larry Graham’s charming vocal wonders. His deep and laid-off vocal delivery matches the song’s slow tempo making “Is It Love?” the perfect anthem for the album My Radio Sure Sounds Good to Me. “Is It Love?” managed to rise to the sixty-fifth spot. The song was sampled in the 2007 hit “Still Got Love” by alternative hip-hop duo Blue Scholars.
#5- It’s Alright
Ain’t No ‘Bout-A-Doubt It, Graham Central Station’s best-selling and critically acclaimed album, is home to the fifth pick on our top 10 Graham Central Station songs “It’s Alright.” The song features a strong funk melody with its major takeaways being its thump-popping bass riffs. Larry Graham’s vocals on this song are also on point!
“It’s Alright” is the fourth highest-charting release by Graham Central Station on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at position ninety-two. The song also peaked at number four on the Billboard Dance Club Songs. “It’s Alright” managed to rise to the nineteenth spot on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles Chart. The song was sampled on the songs “Now Scream” by Travis Nelson and “Monotonously” by Like a Tim.
#4- Feel the Need
Most of the songs on our top 10 Graham Central Station songs list are originally released by the band. However, the fourth pick brings us to the band’s best-performing cover hit, “Feel the Need.” The song was written by Abrim Tilmon and issued in 1972 by the Soul/R&B ensemble The Detroit Emeralds with the title “Feel the Need in Me.” Three years later, in 1975, Graham Central Station released a cover of the song, featuring it on the album, Release Yourself.
Graham Central Station’s cover is among the few charting cover versions of the song, making it to the eighteenth spot on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Chart. While the song failed to enter the Billboard Hot 100, it is Graham Central Station’s only release to make it to the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number fifty-three. Other artists who have released successful covers to this Detroit Emeralds’ hit include Forrest, Shakin’ Stevens, Leif Garrett, Bryan Ferry, and Albert King.
#3- Can You Handle It?
The third pick on our top 10 Graham Central Station songs list is the ravishing hit “Can You Handle It?” “Can You Handle It?” was the first song ever released by Graham Central Station, issued in 1974. The song is featured on the band’s eponymous debut album. A good start in its music pursuits is what the band obtained with this song, which led Graham Central Station to mainstream success.
“Can You Handle It?” is the band’s first hit to make it to the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number forty-nine. The song also made it to the Billboard Hot Soul Singles Chart, peaking at number nine. “Your Love” is the only song by Graham Central Station to surpass “Can You Handle It?” on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles Chart.
#2- The Jam
“The Jam” is one of the most popular songs by Graham Central Station of all time. The song is featured on the band’s third studio album, Ain’t No ‘Bout-A-Doubt It. Thanks to its impressive funky groove, the song received critical acclaim. “The Jam” was a success on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles Chart, where it peaked at the fifteenth spot. The song is the band’s third highest-charting release on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number sixty-three.
“The Jam” contains samples of the 1973 hit “As the Moon Speaks (to the Waves of the Sea)” by the American rock supergroup, Captain Beyond. The song is the most sampled release by the band with multiple artists paying homage to its instrumental, especially the drums. Some of the notable hits that have sampled “The Jam” include “93 ‘Til Infinity” by Souls of Mischief, “Back to Life” by Soul II Soul, “Pickin’ Boogers” by Biz Markie, and “Friend of Mine” by The Notorious B.I.G.
#1- Your Love
Number one on our top 10 Graham Central Station songs list is the enthralling hit “Your Love.” This soul-influenced signature hit by the Graham Central Station is featured on the band’s album, Ain’t No’ Bout-A-Doubt It. “Your Love” is the band’s best-performing hit on the charts and the only song by Graham Central Station to make it to the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song peaked at number thirty-eight on the Billboard Hot 100. “Your Love” also managed to top the Billboard Hot Soul Singles Chart, making it the highest-charting hit by Graham Central Station on that chart too. This masterpiece has its sound evocative of the soul influences of Larry Graham’s former band Sly And The Family Stone.
Top 10 Graham Central Station Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2022
Classicrockhistory.com claims ownership of all its original content and Intellectual property under United States Copyright laws and those of all other foreign countries. No one person, business, or organization is allowed to re-publish any of our original content anywhere on the web or in print without our permission. All photos used are either public domain creative commons photos or licensed officially from Shutterstock under license with ClassicRockHistory.com. All photo credits have been placed at the end of the article. Any theft of our content will be met with swift legal action against the infringing websites.
![Rob De Luca of Spread Eagle, Sebastian Bach & UFO: 10 Albums That Changed My Life From humble East Coast origins to grandest stages worldwide, veteran bassist Rob De Luca has seen and done it all. De Luca first hit the local Boston rock and metal scene in the late 80s after meeting guitarist Paul DiBartolo, bonding over Van Halen before forming Bang. Regional success came quickly, but eventually, the members of Bang went their separate ways, with De Luca and drummer Tommi Gallo heading to NYC and hooking up with Ray West and, later, DiBartolo to form Spread Eagle. By 1990, Spread Eagle was on the fast track, with a contract through MCA Records and a self-titled debut album poised to crush skulls. But poor timing and MCA's sad indifference left Spead Eagle out in the cold despite being a hard-boiled answer to Guns N' Roses's West Coast sleaze. Spread Eagle's first chapter came to an end in '95. As for Rob De Luca, his nimble fingers and gift for melody and songwriting kept him moving forward. Soon, he found a gig with former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach and the legendary outfit UFO. And in 2010, after coupling up with Ray West and his cousin Rik De Luca, Spread Eagle retook flight. During a break from Spread Eagle's increasingly busy touring schedule, Rob De Luca dialed in with ClassicRockHistory.com to run through the ten albums that changed his life. But only after adding, "I made a playlist of these songs, including some I've written or co-written. Do you hear any of these albums' influence on me?" Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3LWJuhDrE8JmzhsmTeIDUq 10) Gentlemen by Afghan Whigs (1993) Here's an entry that was so important to me. This may be the darkest break-up album of all time. Greg Dulli has been in many projects, but I feel Gentlemen is his zenith. Somewhat undefinable at times but always profound and honest. Listen to "Gentlemen," "Fountain and Fairfax," and "What Jail Is Like." 9) In on the Kill Taker by Fugazi (1993) By this time, I had been sucked in and spit out by the major-label record industry. Glam came and went; grunge was history, too. I was searching for new sounds. When I heard Fugazi's twin guitar approach, I knew this was what was missing. Fugazi may be considered a less polished sound than the albums above; however, once you "get it," it hits you like a ton of bricks, and there's no going back. From the moment I heard Fugazi, I went to every NYC show after. It's easily some of the best concerts of my life, and possibly my favorite bassist in Joe Lally. And their DIY ethics refused to charge us more than $5 a show! In on the Kill Taker is a powerful album demonstrated in songs such as "Smallpox Champion," "Great Cop," and "Public Witness Program." 8) Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses (1987) I discovered many of these albums (sometimes long) after they were released. However, I was at the right place at the right time for this one. Steve Ostromogilsky had a Berklee College of Music lunch card and used to sneak out sandwiches for me. One day, he invited me to hang out at his place and listen to music. As we got off the train, he put Sony Walkman headphones on my ears and said, "Hey, check out this brand-new group." A song like "It's So Easy" was so different from the popular Sunset Strip sound at that time. Me and about 499 other informed rockers were lucky enough to see them on their first East Coast tour at the sold-out Paradise on Commonwealth Avenue, Boston (the same street Aerosmith started on). I saw Gn'R every tour after until I took a break when Buckethead joined. Gn'R is the band I've been lucky enough to see the most times live, almost 100! Everyone on this album is just stellar. Axl [Rose] had the tones, power, melodic sensibilities, and foresight to do what no other singer did then. Slash's playing was beyond memorable. Duff [McKagan] is one of the most underrated bassists in rock history, and learning his Appetite basslines is a masterclass. Steven [Adler] had the natural swing, and Izzy [Stradlin] was the secret weapon songwriter. Everything that's been heralded about this gem is deserved and true. Check out "It's So Easy," "Out Ta Get Me," and "Mr. Brownstone.' 7) Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd (1975) Another contender for my favorite album and band of all time. Using The Beatles machine (same recording studio, engineer, record label), Pink Floyd made what I feel is their strongest, most cohesive album (my second favorite of theirs would be Animals). This list mainly consists of bands with an instantly recognizable sound. Floyd is certainly no exception to that! This album included a solid handful of undeniable rock radio classics, bookended by two halves of the mind-blowing song "Shine on You Crazy Diamond.' That song was written about former band member and founder Syd Barrett. It would be hard to live in a world without this album. Check out "Welcome to The Machine," "Shine on You Crazy Diamond (parts 6-9),' or even better yet, listen to the whole thing in one sitting! 6) Decade by Neil Young (1977) About this time, I started playing guitar. As a beginner, it was comfortable jamming to this album because the chord changes were simple—a great "first ten years" retrospective of Neil's stunning, unique songwriting. Neil is a treasure who always writes from the heart and stands up for what's right. Check out "Southern Man," "A Man Needs a Maid," "Down by The River," and "After the Goldrush." 5) Highway to Hell by AC/DC (1979) When I heard this album, I was firmly "me." My life would be 100% focused on hard rock music forever. AC/DC are like air; they're ubiquitous. Everyone knows them and their incredible songs. However, as a young teen in Wilmington, Delaware, I only had WMMR 93.3 FM Philadelphia and a few friends to inform me about the world of Rock outside my bedroom. AC/DC had not gone mainstream, and their albums were available primarily in the USA as imports. To put things more in perspective, I only knew two people in the world who had heard of AC/DC. A friend had an import that we played in Steve Buckley's basement, which sounded ripping. When Highway to Hell was released, WMMR started spinning the title track, and I immediately bought the album, listening to it every single day after school. Then WMMR announced AC/DC was coming to the Spectrum in Philly, supporting Ted Nugent! I liked Ted but loved AC/DC, so my good friend Mick Cummins and I bought tickets, and he drove us up to the Spectrum (where we saw most of our concerts). Bon Scott was in fine form, and the band went over great. Although the crowd knew Ted better, Angus [Young] wouldn't let anyone upstage him. I'll never forget it! Unfortunately, Bon would be gone in 6 months. Check out "Walk All Over You," "Touch Too Much," "Shot Down in Flames," and "If You Want Blood (You Got It)." 4) Toys in the Attic by Aerosmith (1975) By the time I heard this, I was now in my teens. I had a childhood friend up the street, Jim Linberg (we're still good buddies). His older sister had a great album collection, including Toys in The Attic. Once I heard that groove, my taste changed. I lost interest in rock music that didn't have some sort of "swing" feel to it. I think Rocks is a slightly better Aerosmith album (and possibly my favorite album of all time), but both are perfect or very close. Check out "Uncle Salty," "Adam's Apple," "No More No More," "Round and Round," and "You See Me Crying." 3) Alive! by Kiss (1975) When I was still a little kid, I asked for Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke album for Christmas. The entire family came over for an enormous feast, and I dropped the needle. When my mother heard the content, she turned off the album and said I had to exchange it. My mom was cool, but I was young and knew much more about life than she suspected. Anyway, the next day, she drove me back to the store. In the music section, promoted on an "endcap" was a Kiss Alive! display. I had never heard of Kiss, but that cover picture told me I had to have it! My first foray into hard rock. Check out “Strutter.” I went through my Kiss phase very quickly, I believe in a matter of months because I discovered the previous entry, Aerosmith's Toys in the Attic. 2) Honky Chateau by Elton John (1972) When I was a wee lad, my parents bought a used Volkswagen camper van from my uncle Ozzie. My favorite Elton John album is Yellow Brick Road, but Honky Chateau is great and easily one of his best. It sent me down a lifelong rabbit hole of loving everything about the 1970s partnership between Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin. The simple beauty of voice, the master songwriting, the perfect backing band, the clear, unobtrusive recordings, and always Bernie's incredible lyrics. The day this album was released, Elton became an unstoppable force that conquered the music industry. Check out "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" and "Rocket Man." 1) Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles (1967) Another tape that was included in the VW Camper. The van had a bunch of music tapes, and one was Sgt Pepper. I was too young to understand the sophistication of the music, but that was one of the many skills of The Beatles. They attracted listeners at every level, even little kids. I still feel that immediate connection to Sgt Pepper; now, I hear so much more. It's an album that changed the world and the world of music. Check out "Lucy in The Sky with Diamonds," "A Day In The Life," and "Fixing a Hole."](http://www.classicrockhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Shutterstock_1815495569-1-300x200.jpg)
