5 Essential Tracks From Hall & Oates In The 70s

Formed in 1970, Hall & Oates achieved their well-deserved fame in the mid-70s and they continued to enjoy popularity throughout the ’80s. They had a total of six singles that topped the US Billboard Hot 100. Let’s revisit some of their best works in the ’70s.

1. She’s Gone

Although this soul ballad only peaked at #60, it was a huge hit in Philadelphia. When Daryl Hall and John Oates wrote this, they were both having problems in their respective relationships.

“I sat down with the guitar and sang the chorus of ‘She’s Gone’ basically the way that it is,” Oates told Performing Songwriter. “Then I played it for Daryl because I didn’t have anything else. It just happened. I said, ‘Hey, I’ve got this really great chorus.’ And we wrote the verses together. ‘She’s Gone’ is a song that endures.”

2. Wait for Me

They dropped this before the decade wrapped up, and it’s a lovely fusion of pop, rock, and soul.

3. Sara Smile

It’s the pop duo’s breakthrough single, and was written for Hall’s then-girlfriend Sara Allen. The couple were together for 28 years, but they broke up in 2001. Hall admitted that it’s one of his favorite songs.

“That was a postcard to Sara Allen, who was my partner for many, many years, a ‘having a great time, wish you were here,’ kind of thing,” Hall told Entertainment Weekly. “I cannot tell you how many girls have told me they were named for it!”

4. Rich Girl

Surprisingly, this one’s actually not about a girl. Rumor had it that it was about the newspaper heiress Patty Hearst, but according to Hall, this was about a spoiled heir to a fast food fortune who was also Sara Allen’s ex-boyfriend.

“But you can’t write, ‘You’re a rich boy’ in a song,” Hall explained to Rolling Stone, “so I changed it to a girl.”

5. Back Together Again

As soulful as it can get, they delivered the goods with this cut.