Top 10 Three Dog Night Songs With Chuck Negron On Lead Vocals

Feature Photo: NBC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

With the passing of Chuck Negron, we celebrate the wonderful music and passionate vocals that Chuck recorded with Three Dog Night during their sensational 1970s period. I have published many articles on Three Dog Night on this site and will continue to write about one of the most loved bands of all time. This was a very special group.

Many of us were just kids in the 60s and 70s when we first heard these songs on the radio. For many of us, it was one of the first bands we fell in love with. As we grew older, we explored the deeper tracks and bought the albums. But I think it’s fair to say that, for many of us, the singles we heard first turned us on to this music.

This article was the first in a series about Three Dog Night featuring the individual vocal talents of the band’s three lead vocalists: Chuck Negron, Danny Hutton, and Cory Wells. With Chuck’s passing, this one is even harder to listen to.

We originally thought it was appropriate to open with Chuck Negron since he was, in many ways, the band’s face, with his long black hair and black mustache. He looked as rock and roll as you can get, and his face was plastered everywhere, in magazines, ads, and on TV. I hope you enjoy this series celebrating Three Dog Night’s lead vocalists.

# 10 – Sunlight

We open our Chuck Negron celebration with this little-known song called “Sunlight.” Of course, if you’re a big Three Dog Night fan, you know all the songs, but if not, you probably haven’t heard this one. The band released “Sunlight” on its 1970 album Naturally. This is a remake of the Jesse Colin Young song.

Three Dog Night opened side two with this track. Its laid-back groove fits perfectly with Negron’s soft touch.

Read More: Top 10 Jesse Colin Young Songs

# 9 – ‘Til the World Ends

We continue our Chuck Negron lead vocal songs list with the last Three Dog Night song to break into the Top 40. This fabulous ballad opened their 1975 album Coming Down Your Way.

Chuck Negron’s ability to blend tenderness with rock-and-roll spirit shines throughout this piece, where he delivers an emotional lead-vocal roller coaster. An excellent vocal performance and band performance can only really shine when a great song is underneath it all. Dave Loggins’ writing skills deserve a shout-out on this one.

Read More: Top 10 Three Dog Night Love Songs

# 8 – Happy Song

Every time we publish an article about Three Dog Night, a few people say things like, “Hey, they never wrote their own songs,” one of the stupidest comments we’ve ever read. The band was known for their interpretations, just like Frank Sinatra or Elvis Presley.

That’s what Three Dog Night did; they took other people’s songs and made them their own. But sometimes they wrote their own songs. This is one of those. The band’s guitarist, Mike Allsup, wrote it. The song opens up their 1973 album Cyan.

# 7 – Easy To Be Hard

Whenever I hear this song, I can’t help but think of the spectacular version Cheryl Barnes performed in the movie Hair. It was really an emotional moment in that film, which is still my favorite of all time.

That said, Chuck Negron just tears it up on this one. This is just a killer, emotion-packed performance by the legendary Chuck. Three Dog Night released the song on their 1969 album Suitable for Framing.

# 6 – The Show Must Go On

Three Dog Night Hard Labor Original ABC/Dunhill Records release DSD 50168 1970's Rock Vinyl (1974)

Leo Sayer’s fantastic song “The Show Must Go On” became a big-time fan favorite when Three Dog Night released their version on the band’s 1974 album Hard Labor. That record featured one of the most bizarre album covers I’ve ever seen.

It was the album’s first single and a huge success, peaking at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Hear Chuck roar on this one!

# 5 – Pieces Of April

What we have always loved about Chuck Negron is his ability to sing tenderly while still rocking out hard on the rockers. That’s especially apparent in the following five songs, starting with the beautiful, emotional ballad “Pieces of April.” This is another wonderful ballad written by Dave Loggins.

Three Dog Night recorded the song and released it on the Seven Separate Fools album. I wonder how many people remember that album and the giant cards inside. You don’t get that kind of stuff with a download, kiddies.

Read More: Top 10 Three Dog Night Albums

# 4 – One

Ladies and gentlemen, Three Dog Night! Although this wasn’t the band’s first single, it was their first Top 10 hit and the song that put them on the map. “One” was originally written, recorded, and released by the late, great Harry Nilsson. Everyone loves Harry.

Still, Chuck Negron’s power-packed vocals made everyone turn their heads and say, “Who’s that?” The band released the song in 1968 on their debut album, though they didn’t release the single until 1969. It was not only their first Top 10 hit, but also their first gold record.

# 3 – An Old Fashioned Love Song

We mentioned before that everybody loved Harry Nilsson, but everybody also loves Paul Williams. Every time we’ve written about Paul Williams, we’ve gotten a tremendous response. This man knew how to write songs, and this was one of his best.

Chuck Negron paid tribute to Paul Williams’ talent with one of his most spectacular vocal performances. This is just beautiful. The song was released on Three Dog Night’s album Harmony. Released in 1971, it peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. It also helped the band claim another gold record.

Read More: Top 10 Paul Williams Songs

# 2 – Joy To The World

For many people, the first time they heard Chuck Negron’s voice was on the massively successful song “Joy to the World.” I remember being a kid, only ten years old, and hearing this song nonstop on the radio. The line about the bullfrog always caught my attention.

Nonetheless, Chuck Negron hit a grand slam with his vocal performance on this song, helping the band win the World Series of music. It became another number-one single in their career. Hoyt Axton wrote the song, and it appeared on the band’s 1970 album Naturally before becoming a hit single in 1971.

Read More: Top 10 Hoyt Axton Songs

# 1 – Eli’s Coming

As we reach the end of our Top 10 Chuck Negron Songs list, I think it’s important to make the point that pretty much every song on this list, and every song that didn’t make the list, is just as wonderful and important to all of us who are Three Dog Night fans and to music in general. The voices of Chuck Negron, Cory Wells, and Danny Hutton filled our lives with such great joy as we grew up in the 60s, 70s, and beyond.

As we said in the intro, this is the first of three articles celebrating Three Dog Night’s voices. But it’s really important to remember that Three Dog Night was a band, and the musicians actually played their instruments fantastically.

Many people mistakenly thought the Wrecking Crew played on these recordings, but they didn’t. This was a band first and foremost, made up of great musicians who often didn’t get the credit they deserved because the three vocalists dominated the band’s sound and the success of these songs. And of course, there was the look, and Chuck Negron definitely defined it for Three Dog Night.

We should talk about this song. It was written by one of our favorite artists of all time, Laura Nyro, who left us far too soon. Many people have recorded this song, including Laura, but Three Dog Night’s version is the definitive one and a defining moment in Chuck Negron’s vocal career, leaving a legacy of cherished music.

One reason I chose this song to end the list is that it features a shared lead vocal. It’s shared pretty much between Chuck Negron and Cory Wells. Chuck Negron sings the opening, which blows everyone away, and then Cory Wells takes over before it goes back to Chuck Negron.

And of course, all the way through, Danny Hutton is singing in harmony with both of them. And that, my friends, was what Three Dog Night was all about.

Rest in peace, Chuck.

Read More: Top 10 Laura Nyro Songs