Run for the Roses (song)
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2008) |
| "Run for the Roses" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Dan Fogelberg | ||||
| from the album The Innocent Age | ||||
| B-side | "The Sand and the Foam" | |||
| Released | 1981 | |||
| Genre | Soft rock | |||
| Length | 4:20 | |||
| Label | Full Moon Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Dan Fogelberg | |||
| Producer(s) | Dan Fogelberg, Marty Lewis | |||
| Dan Fogelberg singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Run for the Roses" is a song written and recorded by singer/songwriter Dan Fogelberg in 1980.
Background
The chorus mentions "the chance of a lifetime in a lifetime of chance", at once describing the experience of horse racing and life itself. The song has since been used as an unofficial theme for the Kentucky Derby.
Chart performance
Released as a single from the album The Innocent Age the following year, it peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100.[1]
| Chart (1981–1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 18 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks[2] | 3 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 33 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 16 |
Popular culture
The song was commissioned by ABC for its telecast of the 106th running of the Derby in 1980, and premiered on the network's Derby preview special the night before. Fogelberg stated that it was written in two days.[3] The performance was broadcast from the Red Barn, the student activities building at the University of Louisville.[4]
References
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications)
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 95.
- ^ "Dan Fogelberg Prodigy Chat transcript Treehouse.org". Retrieved 2013-05-04.
- ^ "UofL's Red Barn marks 50 years as student hub". Retrieved 2022-08-04.
 | This 1980s single–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |