Earth, Wind & Fire’s Top 10 Biggest Billboard Hits

The late Maurice White will forever be a “Shining Star” on Billboard’s charts. The co-founder of Earth, Wind & Fire — who died at 74 on Thursday (Feb. 4) — not only charted smash singles and albums with the iconic R&B group, but also produced songs for the likes of Barbra Streisand, The Emotions, Jennifer Holliday and Deniece Williams.

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The seven-time Grammy Award winner first charted with Earth, Wind & Fire on May 8, 1971, when the group’s self-titled album debuted on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart (then-called Best Selling Soul LP’s) at No. 36. The set contained the act’s first Billboard Hot 100 chart hit, “Love Is Life,” which reached No. 93 two months later.

The band would tally a total of 32 hits on the Hot 100 during White’s lifetime, including seven top 10 singles. Among them: the No. 1 classic “Shining Star” (in 1975), the evergreen “September” (No. 8 in 1979) and “Let’s Groove” (No. 3 in 1981). The latter — which is their longest-charting single on the tally with 24 weeks — is the group’s biggest hit ever on the Hot 100 chart (see list, below). “Let’s Groove” was featured on Earth, Wind & Fire’s Raise album, which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and was one of eight top 10 efforts for the group (all consecutive, between 1976 and 1981). The act topped the chart with 1976’s Gratitude, and in 1975 with That’s the Way of the World.

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In addition to White’s work with Earth, Wind & Fire, he produced a range of hits for others, including The Emotions’ “Best of My Love” (No. 1 for five weeks on the Hot 100), Deniece Williams’ “Free” (No. 2 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs), Jennifer Holliday’s “I Am Love” (No. 2 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs), selections from Barbra Streisand’s Emotion album (No. 19 on the Billboard 200), and Neil Diamond’s Headed for the Future album (No. 20 on the Billboard 200).

White additionally notched his own solo hits as an artist, claiming a trio of entries on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, including his No. 6-peaking cover of “Stand By Me.”

Here are Earth, Wind & Fire’s 10 biggest Billboard Hot 100 hits:

Rank, Title, Hot 100 Peak Position, Peak Date

1, “Let’s Groove,” No. 3, Dec. 19, 1981
2, “Shining Star,” No. 1, May 24, 1975
3, “After the Love Has Gone,” No. 3, Sept. 15, 1979
4, “Sing a Song,” No. 5, Feb. 7, 1976
5, “Boogie Wonderland” (with The Emotions), No. 6, July 14, 1979
6, “September,” No. 8, Feb. 10, 1979
7, “That’s the Way of the World,” No. 12, Sept. 20, 1975
8, “Getaway,” No. 12, Oct. 9, 1976
9, “Got To Get You Into My Life,” No. 9, Sept. 16, 1978
10, “Serpentine Fire,” No. 13, Feb. 11, 1978