Jump to content
 







Main menu
    


Navigation  


●Main page
 ●Contents
 ●Current events
 ●Random article
 ●About Wikipedia
 ●Contact us
 ●Donate
  



Contribute  


●Help
 ●Learn to edit
 ●Community portal
 ●Recent changes
 ●Upload file
  







Search  

































●Create account

●Log in
 









●Create account
 ● Log in
  



Pages for logged out editors learn more  


●Contributions
 ●Talk
  


















Contents

   



(Top)
  


1 Critical reception  




2 Track listing  




3 Charts  


3.1  Weekly charts  




3.2  Year-end charts  






4 Personnel  




5 Sales and certifications  




6 References  













Chain Lightning (album)







Add links
  








●Article
 ●Talk
  
















●Read
 ●Edit
 ●View history
  







Tools
    


Actions  


●Read
 ●Edit
 ●View history
  



General  


●What links here
 ●Related changes
 ●Upload file
 ●Special pages
 ●Permanent link
 ●Page information
 ●Cite this page
 ●Get shortened URL
 ●Download QR code
 ●Wikidata item
  



Print/export  


●Download as PDF
 ●Printable version
  















Appearance
    

 





From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  

Chain Lightning
Studio album by
Don McLean
ReleasedDecember 1978
RecordedJune 26 – August 23, 1978
GenreRock, country
Length37:43
LabelMillennium
ProducerLarry Butler
Don McLean chronology
Prime Time
(1977) 		Chain Lightning
(1978) 		Believers
(1981)
Singles from Chain Lightning

  1. "Since I Don't Have You"
    Released: 1978
  2. "Crying"
    Released: May 1980

Chain Lightning is an album by American singer-songwriter Don McLean. It was recorded in Nashville between June and August 1978 and featured many of that city's noted session players as well as backing vocals from the Jordanaires. It was first released in December 1978 in the UK and other markets, but not released for another two years in the US following its delayed success in European markets.[1] The lead single "Crying" became a major hit for McLean, reaching No.1 in the UK Singles Chart in June 1980. The album was subsequently repackaged and released in the US where it also became a success with "Crying" reaching the top five in early 1981. "Since I Don't Have You" was also released as a single, reaching #23.

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Rolling Stone[3]

The Boston Globe panned the "awful, sappy version" of "Your Cheatin' Heart".[4]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks composed by Don McLean, except where indicated.

  1. "Words and Music" - (3:06)
  2. "Crying" (Roy Orbison, Joe Melson) - (3:35)
  3. "It's Just the Sun" - (2:30)
  4. "Lotta Lovin'" (Bernice Bedwell) - (2:07)
  5. "Chain Lightning" - (7:48)
  6. "Your Cheatin' Heart" (Hank Williams) - (3:04)
  7. "Wonderful Night" - (3:01)
  8. "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" (Paul Anka) - (3:02)
  9. "Since I Don't Have You" (Wally Lester, Joe VerScharen, Janet Vogel, Lenny Martin, Joseph Rock, James Beaumont, Jackie Taylor) - (2:31)
  10. "Genesis (In the Beginning)" - (4:48)
  11. "It's a Beautiful Life" - (2:11)
  12. "If You Could Read My Mind" - (Gordon Lightfoot)

Charts[edit]

Personnel[edit]

Sales and certifications[edit]

Certifications for Chain Lightning
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Netherlands (NVPI)[9] Gold 50,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Chain Lightning". Don McLean Online. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  • ^ Chain LightningatAllMusic
  • ^ Rolling Stone review
  • ^ Morse, Steve (26 Mar 1981). "Why Don McLean Isn't Crying". Calendar. The Boston Globe. p. 1.
  • ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 187. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  • ^ "Don McLean | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  • ^ "Don McLean Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  • ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1981". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  • ^ "Dutch album certifications – Don McLean – Chain Lightning" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved July 16, 2022. Enter Chain Lightning in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1980 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".


    • Stub icon

    This 1970s rock album–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

  • t
  • e

    • Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chain_Lightning_(album)&oldid=1231530434"
    Categories: 
    ●Don McLean albums
     ●1978 albums
     ●Casablanca Records albums
     ●Albums arranged by Bill Justis
     ●Albums produced by Larry Butler (producer)
     ●1970s rock album stubs
     Hidden categories: 
    ●CS1 Dutch-language sources (nl)
     ●Articles with short description
     ●Short description is different from Wikidata
     ●Articles with hAudio microformats
     ●Album articles lacking alt text for covers
     ●Album chart usages for UK
     ●Album chart usages for Billboard200
     ●Certification Table Entry usages for Netherlands
     ●Pages using certification Table Entry with shipments figures
     ●Pages using certification Table Entry with shipments footnote
     ●Articles with MusicBrainz release group identifiers
     ●All stub articles
      


    ●This page was last edited on 28 June 2024, at 20:13 (UTC).
    ●Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.


    ●Privacy policy
    ●About Wikipedia
    ●Disclaimers
    ●Contact Wikipedia
    ●Code of Conduct
    ●Developers
    ●Statistics
    ●Cookie statement
    ●Mobile view


    Wikimedia Foundation
    Powered by MediaWiki