"That's the Way of the World"
Single by Earth, Wind & Fire
from the album That's the Way of the World
B-side"Africano"
ReleasedJune 17, 1975
RecordedAutumn 1974
GenreR&B, soul, funk
Length3:12 (single version)
5:45 (album version)
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Maurice White, Charles Stepney, Verdine White
Producer(s)Maurice White
Earth, Wind & Fire singles chronology
"Sun Goddess"
(1975)		 "That's the Way of the World"
(1975)		 "Sing a Song"
(1975)

"That's the Way of the World" is a song recorded by the band Earth, Wind & Fire, released as a single in June 1975 on Columbia Records.[1] The song reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart and No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.[2][3]

Overview

The song is the title track of Earth, Wind & Fire's 1975 album of the same name. The track was produced by bandleader Maurice White, who also wrote the song along with Charles Stepney and Verdine White.[1]

Covers

Soul artist Dwele covered of "That's the Way of the World" on the 2007 compilation album Interpretations: Celebrating the Music of Earth, Wind & Fire. With his rendition of the tune, Dwele earned a Grammy nomination in the category of Best Urban/Alternative Performance.[4][5]

Critical reception

Cash Box said that it was "clean, mindbending and soulful."[6] George Chesterton of The Guardian noted that the song is "touched with the epic, which emerges as the scope of its message of hope and soulful majesty unfold."[7] Alex Henderson of Allmusic called the song "unforgettable".[8] Stephen Curwood of the Boston Globe wrote "The title cut comes into your consciousness the way a cool air-conditioned breeze rushes over your face when you've been out in the sticky heat. Sometimes the cool goes too dry for our taste, but then, that's a form of sophistication."[9] Daryl Easlea of the BBC also said That's the Way of the World "remains irresistible: six minutes of ethereal, bossa nova-influenced soul."[10]

Chart history

Chart (1975) Peak
position
Canada RPM Top Singles 20
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[2] 12
U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles[3] 5

Accolades

Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
Rolling Stone U.S. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time[11] 2004 329
Bruce Pollock U.S. The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944–2000 2005 *
Mark Ellingham U.S. The Rough Guide Book of Playlists: 5,000 Songs You Must Download 2007 *

(*) designates lists that are unordered.

References

  1. 1 2 Earth, Wind & Fire: That's The Way Of The World. Columbia Records. June 1975.
  2. 1 2 "Earth, Wind & Fire: That's The Way Of The World (Hot 100)". billboard.com.
  3. 1 2 "Earth, Wind & Fire: That's The Way Of The World (Hot Soul Songs)". billboard.com.
  4. ↑ "Dwele". grammy.com. The Recording Academy.
  5. ↑ Takiff, Jonathon (March 27, 2007). "Rock, fusion, soul in the mix this week". inquirer.com. Philadelphia Inquirer.
  6. ↑ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. June 28, 1975. p. 20. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  7. ↑ Chesterton, George (April 2, 2012). "Old music: Earth, Wind & Fire – That's the Way of the World". The Guardian.
  8. ↑ Henderson, Alex. "Earth, Wind & Fire: That's the Way of the World". allmusic.com. Allmusic.
  9. ↑ Curwood, Stephen (July 18, 1975). "Records: Nelson, Earth etc., Bee Gees". newspapers.com. Boston Globe. p. 11.
  10. ↑ Easlea, Daryl (2010). "Earth, Wind & Fire: That's the Way of the World Review". bbc.co.uk. BBC.
  11. ↑ "Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. April 7, 2011. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
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