Loves Me Like a Rock
Encyclopedia
"Loves Me Like a Rock" is a 1973
song recorded by American singer-songwriter
Paul Simon
. Simon wrote the song, which appears on his solo album There Goes Rhymin' Simon
.
"Loves Me Like a Rock" features background vocals from The Dixie Hummingbirds
, a Southern
gospel
group. These vocals add a different texture to the song as compared to many of Simon's previous solo recordings ("Mother and Child Reunion
", "Kodachrome
") as well as those performed with his frequent collaborator, Art Garfunkel
, as the pop duo Simon & Garfunkel ("The Sounds of Silence", "Mrs. Robinson
"). Although the lyrics are not typical of those commonly associated with gospel music, The Dixie Hummingbirds were eager to record the song with Simon, and the gospel group recorded their own version of the song soon after.
Simon's version of "Loves Me Like a Rock" peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100
chart the week of October 6, 1973, kept from the summit by Cher
's hit, "Half-Breed
". It remained in the Top 40 for 14 weeks and was certified a gold record by the RIAA. It also spent two weeks atop the Billboard
easy listening chart in September 1973. It reached the Top 40 in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 39 on the UK Singles Chart
.
The gospel version of "Loves Me Like a Rock" by The Dixie Hummingbirds reached number 72 on the Billboard R&B chart
and won the group a Grammy Award in the category Best Soul Gospel performance
in 1974
. Paul performed this song with The Muppets
during his guest appearance on The Muppet Show
.
1973 in music
-January–April:*January 9 – Mick Jagger's request for a Japanese visa is rejected on account of a 1969 drug conviction, putting an abrupt end to The Rolling Stones' plans to perform in Japan during their forthcoming tour.*January 14...
song recorded by American singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
. Simon wrote the song, which appears on his solo album There Goes Rhymin' Simon
There Goes Rhymin' Simon
There Goes Rhymin' Simon is the third solo studio album by American musician Paul Simon rush-released on May 5, 1973. It contains songs covering several styles and genres, such as gospel and dixieland . It received two nominations at the Grammy Awards of 1974, including Best Male Pop Vocal...
.
"Loves Me Like a Rock" features background vocals from The Dixie Hummingbirds
The Dixie Hummingbirds
The Dixie Hummingbirds are an influential American gospel music group, spanning more than 80 years from the jubilee quartet style of the 1920s, through the "hard gospel" quartet style of Gospel's golden age in the 1940s and 1950s, to the eclectic pop-tinged songs of today.-History:Formed in 1928 in...
, a Southern
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
group. These vocals add a different texture to the song as compared to many of Simon's previous solo recordings ("Mother and Child Reunion
Mother and Child Reunion
"Mother and Child Reunion" is a song by Paul Simon on his album, Paul Simon , his first solo album after Bridge Over Troubled Water. It was released as a single on February 5, 1972, reaching #4 on the U.S...
", "Kodachrome
Kodachrome (song)
"Kodachrome" is a song written and recorded by Paul Simon. It appeared on his 1973 album There Goes Rhymin' Simon.-Description:The song is named after the Kodak 35mm film Kodachrome...
") as well as those performed with his frequent collaborator, Art Garfunkel
Art Garfunkel
Arthur Ira "Art" Garfunkel is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and actor, best known as being a member of the folk duo Simon & Garfunkel...
, as the pop duo Simon & Garfunkel ("The Sounds of Silence", "Mrs. Robinson
Mrs. Robinson
"Mrs. Robinson" is a song written by Paul Simon and first performed by Simon & Garfunkel. When released as a single in 1968, it hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US, for their second chart-topping hit after "The Sound of Silence"...
"). Although the lyrics are not typical of those commonly associated with gospel music, The Dixie Hummingbirds were eager to record the song with Simon, and the gospel group recorded their own version of the song soon after.
Simon's version of "Loves Me Like a Rock" peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart the week of October 6, 1973, kept from the summit by Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
's hit, "Half-Breed
Half-Breed (song)
"Half-Breed" is a song recorded by Cher and released as a single in 1973. On October 6, 1973, it became Cher's second U.S. number one hit as a solo artist, similarly becoming her second solo single to hit the top spot in Canada on the same date....
". It remained in the Top 40 for 14 weeks and was certified a gold record by the RIAA. It also spent two weeks atop the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
easy listening chart in September 1973. It reached the Top 40 in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 39 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
The gospel version of "Loves Me Like a Rock" by The Dixie Hummingbirds reached number 72 on the Billboard R&B chart
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
and won the group a Grammy Award in the category Best Soul Gospel performance
Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance was awarded from 1969 to 1977. In 1978 the award was divided into two new awards, the Grammy Awards for Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance, Traditional and Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance, Contemporary.Years reflect the year...
in 1974
Grammy Awards of 1974
The 16th Grammy Awards were held March 2, 1974, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1973.- Award winners :* Record of the Year...
. Paul performed this song with The Muppets
The Muppets
The Muppets are a group of puppet characters created by Jim Henson starting in 1954–55. Although the term is often used to refer to any puppet that resembles the distinctive style of The Muppet Show, the term is both an informal name and legal trademark owned by the Walt Disney Company in reference...
during his guest appearance on The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
.
Charts
| Chart (1973) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 19 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 5 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 27 |
| UK Singles Chart | 39 |
| US Hot 100 Singles Chart | 2 |