"Silly Love Songs" is a song by the British–American rock band Wings that was written by Paul and Linda McCartney. The song first appeared in March 1976 on the album Wings at the Speed of Sound, then it was released as a single backed with "Cook of the House" on 1 April in the US, and 30 April in the UK. The song, which features disco overtones, was written in response to music critics accusing McCartney of predominantly writing "silly love songs" and "sentimental slush"; however, McCartney has since clarified that the song was actually directed to John Lennon who accused him of writing such songs.[1]
The song was McCartney's 27th American number one as a songwriter; the all-time record for the most number one hits achieved there by a songwriter.[n 1] With this song, McCartney became the first person to have a year-end No. 1 song as a member of two distinct acts. McCartney previously hit No. 1 in the year-end Billboard chart as a member of the Beatles with "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in 1964 and "Hey Jude" in 1968.[2][3]
"Silly Love Songs" has since appeared on multiple McCartney greatest hits compilations, including Wings Greatest, All the Best! and Pure McCartney. The song has also appeared on the "Hits" section of the compilation album Wingspan: Hits and History. Despite its popularity, McCartney has not performed the song live since the dissolution of Wings.
Background
"Silly Love Songs" was written as a rebuttal to music critics who had criticized McCartney for writing lightweight love songs.[4] Author Tim Riley suggests that in the song, McCartney is inviting "his audience to have a laugh on him," as Elvis Presley had sometimes done.[5]
But over the years people have said, "Aw, he sings love songs, he writes love songs, he's so soppy at times." I thought, Well, I know what they mean, but, people have been doing love songs forever. I like 'em, other people like 'em, and there's a lot of people I love -- I'm lucky enough to have that in my life. So the idea was that "you" may call them silly, but what's wrong with that?
The song was, in a way, to answer people who just accuse me of being soppy. The nice payoff now is that a lot of the people I meet who are at the age where they've just got a couple of kids and have grown up a bit, settling down, they'll say to me, "I thought you were really soppy for years, but I get it now! I see what you were doing!"
By the way, "Silly Love Songs" also had a good bass line and worked well live.
The song includes a build-up of multiple vocal parts sung in counterpoint, similar to the Beach Boys' "God Only Knows", a song that McCartney cited as his favourite of all time.[7] McCartney allowed the horn section to create their own parts for the song.[8]
Release
"Silly Love Songs" was released in the US on 1 April 1976[9] and spent five non-consecutive weeks at number 1 on the BillboardHot 100.[10][11] The song was the number 1 pop song in Billboard's Year-End Charts of 1976; it was also the group's second of three number ones on the Easy Listening chart.[12] The single was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of over one million copies.[13]Billboard listed "Silly Love Songs" as Paul McCartney's all-time biggest Hot 100 single.[14]
Upon release, "Silly Love Songs" generally received positive reviews from music critics,[18] despite a common criticism of the song lacking substance. AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine described the song, as well as its follow-up single, "Let 'Em In", as "so lightweight that their lack of substance seems nearly defiant".[19] Music critic Robert Christgau called the two tracks "charming if lightweight singles", while Rolling Stone critic Stephen Holden said "Silly Love Songs" was "a clever retort whose point is well taken".[20][21]Cash Box said that "the production is slick and the arrangement filled with drive" and that McCartney's "voice is as good as ever".[22]Record World said that "all the ingredients of a sure chart-topper are wrapped up in this delightful, fast moving number" with "awesome hooks."[23] John Bergstrom of PopMatters called the song "an exemplary piece of mid-‘70s pop production and a pure pleasure".[24]
In 2008, "Silly Love Songs" was listed at No. 31 on Billboard's Greatest Songs of All Time, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[4]
In 1999, New Zealand music group Ardijah released an R&B version of "Silly Love Songs". Their cover debuted at number 22 on New Zealand's RIANZ Singles Chart on 17 January 1999, rising to number nine the following week. It then moved up to number three, where it stayed for two weeks, and reached number one on 14 February, becoming the band's highest-charting single in their home country as well as their first top-10 hit since "Watchin' U" in 1988.[45] "Silly Love Songs" logged 17 weeks on the New Zealand chart in total and was certified gold for selling over 5,000 copies.[44]
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