I Was Only Joking

"I Was Only Joking"
"I Was Only Joking"
Single by Rod Stewart
from the album Foot Loose & Fancy Free
B-side	"Born Loose"
Released	April 1978
Recorded	1977
Genre	Soft rock
Length	4:50 (single version)
Label	Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s)	Gary Grainger, Rod Stewart
Producer(s)	Tom Dowd
Rod Stewart singles chronology

"I Was Only Joking" is a song written by Gary Grainger and Rod Stewart. Stewart released it as a track on his 1977 album, Foot Loose & Fancy Free.^[1]

When released as a single, the song performed well, becoming a top 40 hit in various countries, including #5 in the UK and #22 in the US. In the United Kingdom, "I Was Only Joking" charted as part of a double A-side with "Hot Legs".^[2]

According to Billboard Magazine, Stewart is in "top form interpreting insightful lyrics over a rhythmic, semi -acoustic rock foundation," and Billboard also praised the string and mandolin playing.^[3]

The song is one of Stewart's most loved songs, containing some of his finest sets of lyrics. A heartfelt tale of youth, looked on from a now-mature perspective in regret and sorrow. A long guitar solo features, starting with acoustic then moving to electric. The solo is played by Stewart’s frequent collaborator and English guitarist Jim Cregan. It is seen as one of the best guitar solos in classic rock.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1978)	Peak position
Canada RPM Top Singles ^[4]	56
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary ^[5]	11
Germany	4
Ireland	4
Netherlands	8
New Zealand	35
UK	5
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 ^[6]	22
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary	31
U.S. Cash Box Top 100 ^[7]	19

Year-end charts

Chart (1978)	Rank
U.S. (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual)^[8]	144

References

^ "I Was Only Joking". allmusic. Rovi. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
^ http://www.uk-charts.top-source.info/top-100-1978.shtml
^ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. 29 April 1978. p. 80. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
^ RPM 100 Top Singles. 26 August 197.
^ RPM Adult Oriented Playlist 15 July 1978.
^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 20 March 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.

External links

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[1] "I Was Only Joking". allmusic. Rovi. Retrieved 15 February 2013.

[2] ttp://www.uk-charts.top-source.info/top-100-1978.shtml

[3] "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. 29 April 1978. p. 80. Retrieved 10 July 2020.

[4] RPM 100 Top Singles. 26 August 197.

[5] RPM Adult Oriented Playlist 15 July 1978.

[6] Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X

[7] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 20 March 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[8] Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.

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v t e Rod Stewart songs
Discography
1970s	"It's All Over Now" (1970) "Reason to Believe"/"Maggie May" (1971) "Every Picture Tells a Story"/"Reason to Believe" (1971) Spain only "(I Know) I'm Losing You"/"Mandolin Wind" (1971) "Handbags and Gladrags" (1972) "You Wear It Well" (1972) "Angel" (1972) "What's Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made a Loser Out of Me)" (1972) "Twistin' the Night Away" (1973, 1987) "Oh! No Not My Baby" (1973) "Farewell" / "You Send Me" (1973) "Mine for Me" (1974) "You Can Make Me Dance, Sing or Anything" (1974) Stewart/Faces "Sailing" (1975) "This Old Heart of Mine" (1975) "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)" (1976) "The Killing of Georgie" (1976) "Get Back" (1976) "The First Cut Is the Deepest" (1977) "I Don't Want to Talk About It" (1977, 1990) "You're in My Heart (The Final Acclaim)" (1978) "Hot Legs" (1978) "I Was Only Joking" (1978) "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" (1978, 1997) "Ain't Love a Bitch" (1979) "Blondes (Have More Fun)" (1979)
1980s	"(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" (1980) "Passion" (1980) "Somebody Special" (1981) "Gi' Me Wings" (1981) "Tonight I'm Yours (Don't Hurt Me)" (1981) "Young Turks" (1982) "How Long" (1982) "Baby Jane" (1983) "That's What Friends Are For" (1983) "Infatuation" (1984) "Some Guys Have All the Luck" (1984) "All Right Now" (1984) "People Get Ready" (1985, 1991, 1993) Stewart/Beck "Love Touch" (1986) "Every Beat of My Heart" (1986) "In My Life" (1987) "Lost in You" (1988) "Forever Young" (1988) "My Heart Can't Tell You No" (1988) "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)" (1989) Stewart/Isley "Downtown Train" (1989)
1990s	"It Takes Two" (1990) Stewart/Turner "Rhythm of My Heart" (1991) "The Motown Song" (1991) "Your Song" (1992) "Ruby Tuesday" (1993) "Have I Told You Lately" (1993) "Reason to Believe" (unplugged, 1993) "All for Love" (1993) Stewart/Adams/Sting "Leave Virginia Alone" (1995) "Ooh La La" (1998) "Rocks" (1998) "Cigarettes and Alcohol" (1998) "Faith of the Heart" (1999)
2000s	"These Foolish Things" (2002) "They Can't Take That Away from Me" (2003) "Time After Time" (2003) "What a Wonderful World" (2004) "Blue Moon" (2004) "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (2005) "I've Got a Crush on You" (2005) "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" (2006) "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" (2006)
2010s	"Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" (2012) "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (2012) "Everyday" (2015)