"I Saw the Light"
Single by Todd Rundgren
from the album Something/Anything?
B-side"Marlene"
ReleasedMarch 1972[1]
RecordedLate 1971
Genre
Length2:59
LabelBearsville
Songwriter(s)Todd Rundgren
Producer(s)Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren singles chronology
"A Long Time, A Long Way to Go"
(1971) 		"I Saw the Light"
(1972) 		"Couldn't I Just Tell You"
(1972)

"I Saw the Light" is a song written and performed by American musician Todd Rundgren that was released as the opening track from his 1972 album Something/Anything? In the album's liner notes, Rundgren states that he intended the song to be the hit of the album, and copied the Motown tradition of putting hit songs at the beginning of albums.[6]

Rundgren wrote the track in 20 minutes, a feat he attributes to his reliance on stimulants such as Ritalin. "It caused me to crank out songs at an incredible pace. You can see why, too, the rhymes are just moon/June/spoon kind of stuff."[7]

Appearances

"I Saw The Light" features in the first episode of the Sex and the City spinoff And Just Like That..., and the films My Girl, Kingpin, American Hustle, A Very Murray Christmas, and Licorice Pizza, when the main character, Gary sees Alana, whom he has a crush on, with his former co-star Lance.

The song is also heard in season 3, episode 11 of Six Feet Under and season 4, episode 11 of Ozark. It is featured on Supernatural Season 10, episode 19.

In 2022, the song was featured in advertisements for the UK gambling website Gala Bingo.

"I Saw The Light" was featured twice on the Amazon Prime miniseries Daisy Jones & The Six, with the song being heard in Episode 2 and as the title of Episode 4.

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1972) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[8][9] 21
Canada RPM Top Singles[10] 15
UK Singles Chart[11] 36
US Billboard Hot 100[12][13] 16
US Billboard Easy Listening[14] 12
US Cash Box Top 100[15] 11

Year-end charts

Chart (1972) Rank
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [16] 88

Cover versions

References

  1. ^ "Pop". Billboard. Vol. 84, no. 13. March 25, 1972. p. 56. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  2. ^ Peter Buckley (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. p. 895. ISBN 978-1-84353-105-0.
  3. ^ Chabon, Michael. "Tragic Magic: Reflections on Power Pop". Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  4. ^ Zimmerman, Lee (May 4, 2015). "Todd Rundgren, Emil Nikolaisen, Hans-Peter Lindstrom: Runddans". PopMatters. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  5. ^ Stanley, Bob (September 13, 2013). "Progressive Rock (And Simpler Pleasures)". Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Faber & Faber. p. 368. ISBN 978-0-571-28198-5.
  6. ^ Something/Anything (Media notes). Bearsville Records. 1972. 2BX 2066.
  7. ^ "Todd Rundgren: Nothing but the truth - Features - Music". Independent.co.uk. September 24, 2015. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
  8. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 261. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  9. ^ Steffen Hung. "Forum - 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  10. ^ "RPM 100 Singles". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. June 24, 1972. Archived from the original on April 15, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  11. ^ "Todd Rundgren - I Saw the Light". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
  12. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  13. ^ "I Saw the Light - Todd Rundgren". Billboard. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
  14. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 212.
  15. ^ "Top 100 1972-06-17". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  16. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1972/Top 100 Songs of 1972". Musicoutfitters.com. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  17. ^ "RPM Country 100". RPM. Vol. 67, no. 8. May 18, 1998. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
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