Who Wrote the Three Dog Night Hit “One”?

One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever doplays the late 1960s rock requirement, “One.” Made well-known by the boogie rock clothing Three Dog Night in 1969, the tune has actually because ended up being a popular culture staple, routinely utilized in movie and tv anytime a desolate state of mind requires to be set.

While Three Dog Night put the tune on the map, their variation frequently eclipses the initial, the tune that laid the structure for such lonesomeness to begin with.

Who Wrote It?

“One” was the item of cherished singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson, the brain behind other hits like “Coconut” and “Everybody’s Talkin’.” The tune appeared on his 3rd studio album, the 1968 launched Aerial Ballet.

Nilsson’s variation opens on a pensive secret, one constantly hammered on the piano, breaking the loud silence. According to Americana Highwaysthe concept for the tune concerned Nilsson throughout a call. He called somebody and when they didn’t respond to, he remained on the line listening to the hectic signal, that remote beep, beep, beep, beep and composed the tune. The piano opener, which ends up being the foundation of the whole tune, is implied to be similar to that tone.

The tune’s structure sounds simply as lonesome as the lyrics recommend. Crying strings sign up with that a person piano note, efficiently layering onto the tune’s desolation.

The Three Dog Night Version

When Three Dog Night tape-recorded “One” a year after Nilsson’s release, they didn’t adhere to the tune’s mournful plan. They rather let the despondent lyrics promote themselves versus a building rock aria.

“Nilsson’s ‘One’ was very melancholy, lacked passion,” among the group’s singers Chuck Negron informed antiMusic (by means of American Songwriter). “We turned that into a rock and roll song. So we were brilliant in what we did with the musicians … when I heard “One” on the playback I began sobbing … and I said, ‘This is a hit.’”

The something they did hold on to, nevertheless, was the faraway beep, beep, beep, beep tone similar to the telephone call that influenced the tune. For Three Dog Night, “One” turned into one of their numerous chart-topping hits, peaking at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Other Notable Covers

“One” has actually ended up being a staple in popular culture as it completely sets the scene for a melancholy montage to unfold. The band Filter tape-recorded a variation for the 1998 X-Files motion picture and the next year, Aimee Mann handled the tune for the 1999 movie Magnolia.

It has actually likewise been significantly utilized in The Simpsonssung by Lisa Simpson, and Shrek 2crooned by Eddie Murphy’s character, Donkey.

Watch Lisa get her point throughout with the renowned tune.

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images