"Lorelei" is a song from rock band Styx. It is on their 1975 album Equinox, and was released as a single in 1976.
| "Lorelei" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Styx | ||||
| from the album Equinox | ||||
| B-side | "Midnight Ride" | |||
| Released | February 1976 (US)[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1975 at Paragon Recording Studios, Chicago | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Dennis DeYoung James Young | |||
| Styx singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
The song peaked at #27 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in April 1976 and was the band's second top 40 hit single.[2] Lorelei also hit number six on the Canadian charts during the weeks of May 8 and 15, 1976.
Chicago radio superstation WLS, which gave the song much airplay, ranked "Lorelei" as the 77th most popular hit of 1976.[3] It reached as high as number eight (for two weeks) on their surveys of April 17 and 24, 1976.[4]
Record World described the song as "a hard rocking number with overtones of The Who and Raspberries in its fiery rhythms.[5]
"Lorelei" was one of the songs that Styx re-recorded for their Regeneration: Volume 1 EP in 2010 with James Young on lead vocals. It was re-recorded again for the 2023 CD Now Playing, a Styx compilation sold at their concerts, with Lawrence Gowan on lead vocals.
Personnel
- Dennis DeYoung: lead vocals, keyboards
- James Young: lead guitar, backing vocals
- John Curulewski: rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Chuck Panozzo: bass
- John Panozzo: drums
Composition
"Lorelei" is written in D-major with a moderately fast rock tempo.
Charts
Year-end charts
| Chart (1976) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] | 77 |
| U.S. (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual)[9] | 163 |