Top 10 Stephen Bishop Songs

Photo: ABC Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Our Top 10 Stephen Bishop songs list looks at the songs of a brilliant singer-songwriter who scored major pop hits in the 1970s and 80s. Stephen Bishop’s career has been fueled by his ability to write the perfect soundtrack hit song many times as well as delivering a career full of stunning studio albums that have spawned some major hit singles. He has had hit singles with songs he has written and recorded himself, songs written for him by others, and songs of his own recorded by others. He has done it all with great success. He also must be an extremely likable guy to work with because one can find some of the biggest stars in the music business performing with Stephen Bishop on his studio albums consistently.

# 10 – Vagabond from Heaven

We open up our top 10 Stephen Bishop songs list with the perfect example of a great deep album track that is simply killer. The song “Vagabond from Heaven” was released on the 1978 album entitled Bish. The song sounds like a cross between Michael Franks and Steely Dan. It’s an uptempo jazz and r&b R&B-influenced track with some killer Steely Dan style guitar solos. The song also featured the great Michael McDonald on backing vocals. Bill Payne of Little Feat plays electric piano on the track.

# 9 – The Heart Is So Willing

Continuing with our top 10 Stephen Bishop songs list we take a listen to the great song entitled “The Heart Is So Willing.” This is the first of three soundtrack songs to appear on this Stephen Bishop songs list. The song was released on the soundtrack to the motion picture The Money Pit. The film starred Tom Hanks and Shelley Long. We always liked this song, it had sort of a Tubes feel to it. The classical overture in the middle of the song was surprising and yet so effective. Stephen Bishop wrote so many soundtrack songs we could probably do a Top 10 Stephen Bishop soundtrack songs list. We probably will.

# 8 – Walking On Air

If that drummer sounds familiar on this track it’s because it’s the legendary Phil Collins and that iconic 1980s big Phil Collins drum sound. In the number eight spot on our top 10 Stephen Bishop songs list we present the very upbeat song entitled “Walking On Air.” The song was released on the album entitled Bowling in Paris. The album was released in 1989. The song had originally been released in 1986 and featured in the film The Boy Who Could Fly. “Walking On Air,” was the first single released from the album. Bowling in Paris. The song was a hit on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary Charts reaching all the way up to number thirteen.

# 7 – Sinking In An Ocean Of Tears

In the number seven position on our top 10 Stephen Bishop songs list is the song entitled “Sinking In An Ocean Of Tears.” The song was released on the album entitled Careless. There were so many great songs released on Stephen Bishop’s brilliant debut album released in 1976. The album also featured an all-star cast of rock stars and studio musicians. Eric Clapton played slide guitar on the track, The record also featured guitarists such as Lee Ritenour and Larry Carlton who played on all those great Steely Dan albums like Gaucho and AJA as well as becoming legends in their own right.

# 6 – The Same Old Tears On a New Background

Landing in the number six spot on our top 10 Stephen Bishop songs list we present the song “The Same Old Tears On a New Background.” This is such a beautiful song. The song was released on the album entitled Careless. The album was released in 1976. It was placed as the last song on the album. However, the version we have included on this list is Art Garfunkel’s stunning recording. It was released on Art Garfunkel’s Breakaway album released in 1975 when both Garfunkel and Paul Simon released simultaneous solo albums while recording the track “My Little Town,” as a duo.

# 5 – Everybody Needs Love

At the halfway point on our top 10 Stephen Bishop songs list is probably the most underrated song of Stephen Bishop’s career entitled “Everybody Needs Love.” The song was issued on the album entitled Bish. The album was released in 1978. It was the first single released from the album. The song was a hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number thirty two. The song was a bigger hit on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary Charts reaching all the way up to number five. In Canada, it went even further up the charts hitting number two on the Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Charts.

# 4 – Save It for a Rainy Day

At the number four spot on our top 10 Stephen Bishop songs list we present the song “Save It for a Rainy Day.” The song was released on the album entitled Careless. The album was released in 1976. It was the first single released from the album. It also stands as Stephen Bishop’s first single release of his career. The song was a hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number twenty two. The song also was a hit on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary Charts reaching all the way up to number six. On the Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Charts, the song hit number three. The song also featured a couple of musical legends on the track. Chaka Khan sang some incredible backing vocals on the tune while the great Eric Clapton contributed that short iconic guitar solo in the middle of the song.

# 3 – Separate Lives (Love Theme From White Nights)

This was just one of those iconic movie soundtrack songs that in many ways had become bigger than the motion picture it was written for. Stephen Bishop’s “Separate Lives (Love Theme From White Nights),” is an incredibly beautiful haunting song that was performed by Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin for the motion picture White Nights. The film starred Gregory Hines and the legendary dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov. The song’s popularity was most definitely given a lift by how big Phil Collins was at the time in the mid-1980s. The song was a number one hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 making it Stephen Bishop’s only number one song of his career to hit number one on the Hot 100. The song was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song but lost out to Lionel Richie’s “Say You, Say Me,” which also appeared in the film

# 2 – It Might Be You

In the number two spot on our top 10 Stephen Bishop songs list we turn one more time to another classic movie soundtrack song entitled “It Might Be You.” The song was released on the soundtrack to the motion picture Tootsie. The film starred Dustin Hoffman, Bill Murray, and Jessica Lange. It would become one of the most successful films of the 1980s. It was such a great film and the chemistry between Hoffman and his two c0-stars was off the charts. The song was a hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number twenty five. However, the song hit number one on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary Charts. “It Might Be You,” was written by Dave Grusin and Alan & Marilyn Bergman.

# 1 – On And On

We close out our top 10 Stephen Bishop songs list with the songwriter’s highest charting single of his career entitled “On And One.” This was just one of those songs you fell in love with instantly. It has such a memorable chorus fueled by a wonderful vocal by this brilliant songwriter. This one will most definitely take you back to the year 1976. The song was released on the album entitled Careless. The album was Stephen Bishop’s debut album. It was the first single released from the album.

The song “On and On,” was a huge hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 just missing the top 10 and peaking at number eleven. The song also was a hit on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary Charts reaching up to number two. On the Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Charts, the song hit number three. Nashville session musician John Barlow Jarvis played the iconic electric piano part on the song. The great Andrew Gold played guitar on the track. Mac Cridlin’s bass line set the feel for the track.