THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

175-Chic-Good Times

1979-Number 5 single.

Best Bit-At 3.14. I wouldn’t want to embarrass the great man, but it is a fairly well known fact that the legendary BBC Radio 1 DJ Tony Blackburn, when introducing Chic for the first time, referred to them as ‘Chick.’

Bernard Edwards (1952-1996) first met Nile Rogers in 1970 when both were working in New York City, United States, as session musicians, they formed as a duo playing Rock music, and calling themselves ‘The Boys,’ which would later become ‘The Big Apple Band.’ The duo first tasted chart success when joining the Soul group ‘New York City,’ and playing on their 1973 hit ‘I’m Doing Fine Now’ (Billboard Number 17 and UK Number 20 hit.) It was after the artist Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band had a 1976 hit with ‘A Fifth of Beethoven’ that Edwards and Rogers changed their stage name to ‘Chic,’ as to avoid confusion. Rogers chose the name ‘Chic’ after watching Brian Ferry perform live (see also best songs 721-316 and 57.) The original line up of Chic was completed in 1976 with the addition of Tony Thompson, (1954-2003) (drums) and the two female vocalists, Norma Jean Wright, and Luci Martin. Chic would remain active until 1983, but different line ups have performed as Chic between 1990-1992, and again from 1996 to the present day, with Nile Rogers being the bands one constant. They have issued nine studio Albums between 1977-2018, and 22 singles, with ‘Le Freak,’ and Good Times’ both reaching Number 1 on Billboard in America. In the UK their highest charting song is ‘I Want Your Love,’ which made Number 4 in 1978.

‘Good Times’ was co-written and co-produced by Bernie Edwards and Nile Rogers, and was the first single released from Chic’s third studio Album ‘Risque’ from 1979. ‘Good Times’ has become one of the most sampled, and influential songs in Pop Music history. The first ever Rap record to be a major hit,’Rappers Delight’ (see also best songs 17) borrows heavily from it, as does one of ‘Hip-Hop’s’ most influential songs,’The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel,’ by Grandmaster Flash (see also best songs 87.)

With ‘Good Times’ being a ‘Disco’ record, you could be forgiven for thinking that the songs message is about going out and dancing, but Nile Rogers who wrote the lyrics has stated that ‘These Great Depression-era lyrics were used as a hidden way to comment on the then current economic conditions in the United States.’ Rogers has also admitted referencing lyrics from Milton Ager’s 1929 song ‘Happy Days Are Here Again,’ and Harry Warren and Al Dubin’s 1935 song ‘About a Quarter to Nine.’ Nile Rogers has also stated that the 1974 song by Kool & The Gang ‘Hollywood Swinging’ was a major influence on ‘Good Times.’ Robert ‘Spike’ Mickens who died in 2010, was a member of Kool & The Gang, and was the cousin of Nile Rogers.

Happy days are here again, the time is right for makin’ friends. Let’s get together, how ’bout a quarter to ten, come tomorrow, let’s all do it again.’