It was 43 years ago today (December 8th, 1979) that Styx scored its sole chart-topper today, with the Dennis DeYoung-written and sung, “Babe.” The tune, which knocked Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer's monster duet “No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)” out from Number One, enjoyed a two-week run at the top spot.
“Babe” was the lead single from the band's Cornerstone collection, which peaked at Number Two and spent 17 weeks in the Top 10.
Guitarist J.Y. Young is not alone in pining for the days in the '70s and '80s when a label like A&M Records was around to actually support the artists on its roster: “They showed such great sensitivity to so many great rock artists — Peter Frampton, Joe Cocker, Styx, the Police, Supertramp — y'know, that we loved recording for A&M Records. We took less money to be there. We just felt there was human beings operating there. . . Their offices were on Charlie Chaplin's old film lot, it wasn't in some giant, black, steel and glass, corporate Warner Brothers, CBS, what have you. . . It just was. . . This was a place where art was created and where art was celebrated. And to be part of it was just phenomenal for us after being with a subsidiary of RCA Records — and they gave us a chance — I'm always grateful for that, but A&M was a unique and special place.”