That's the Way of the World is the sixth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released on March 3, 1975, by Columbia Records. This was also the soundtrack for a 1975 motion picture of the same name. The album rose to No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and Top Soul Albums charts.
That's the Way of the World has also been certified Triple Platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA.
Overview
That's the Way of the World was produced by both EWF leader Maurice White and Charles Stepney.
Singles
The single, "Shining Star", reached number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Soul Singles charts. "Shining Star" went on to win a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. The album's title track reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart and No. 12 on the Hot 100 chart.
Critical reception
Stephen Curwood of the Boston Globe said "these guys are great and this is a sound you shouldn't miss". Gordon Fletcher of Rolling Stone said "Lousy production works to this LP's detriment — Maurice White has surprisingly chosen to have the entire album sound hot." Fletcher added "Great tunes (particularly the dynamic "Africano") and great musicianship are not what this one lacks — hopefully the next time out White will be able to tone things down accordingly in the places where a little under-statement is appropriate."
In 2004, That's the Way of the World was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2012, Rolling Stone placed the album at 486 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, calling it "make-out music of the gods". For the 2020 update of the list, the album's rank climbed to number 420.
Track listing
Original issue
Source:
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Year-end charts
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Chart (1975)
!Peak<br />position
|-
|US Top Soul LPs (Billboard)
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Singles
|-
! Year
! Single
! Chart
! Position
|-
|rowspan="4"| 1975
|rowspan="2"| "Shining Star"
| Billboard Hot Soul Singles
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
|-
| Billboard Hot 100
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
|-
|rowspan="2"| "That's the Way of the World"
| Billboard Hot Soul Singles
| style="text-align:center;"| 5
|-
| Billboard Hot 100
| style="text-align:center;"| 12
|}
Certifications
{| class="wikitable sortable style="text-align:center"
|-
!Country
!Award
|-
|US (RIAA)
|Triple Platinum
| 2005
| style="text-align:center;"|*
|-
|rowspan=2|Rolling Stone
|rowspan=2|The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
| 2012
| style="text-align:center;"|486
|-
| 2020
| style="text-align:center;"|420
|-
| The Recording Academy
| Grammy Hall of Fame
| 2004
| style="text-align:center;"|*
|-
| Vibe Magazine
| 51 Albums representing a Generation, a Sound and a Movement
| 2004
| style="text-align:center;"|*
|-
| Rickey Vincent
| Five Star Albums from "Funk: The Music, The People, and The Rhythm of The One"
|
| style="text-align:center;"|*
|-
| National Association of Recording Merchandisers and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
| The Definitive 200
| 2007
| style="text-align:center;"|187
|-
| Soultracks.com
| The Greatest Soul albums of the 1970s
| 2009
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
| colspan="7" style="text-align:center; font-size:8pt;"| (*) designates lists that are unordered.
|}
See also
- List of number-one albums of 1975 (U.S.)
- List of number-one R&B albums of 1975 (U.S.)
- Billboard Year-End
References
External links
- That's the Way of the World on discogs.com