Afternoon Delight

For other uses, see Afternoon Delight (disambiguation).

"Afternoon Delight" is a song recorded by Starland Vocal Band. It was written by band member Bill Danoff. In the US, it became a No. 1 single on July 10, 1976,^[4] and earned a gold record.

"Afternoon Delight"
Single by Starland Vocal Band
from the album Starland Vocal Band
B-side	"Starland"
Released	April 1976
Recorded	November 1975
Genre	Soft rock[1] country rock[2] folk-pop[2]
Length	3:12
Label	Windsong (US) Windlands International (UK & Canada)
Songwriter(s)	Bill Danoff[3]
Producer(s)	Milt Okun
Starland Vocal Band singles chronology
"Afternoon Delight" (1976) "California Day" (1976)
Music video
"Afternoon Delight" on YouTube

Background and writing

The title came from the happy hour menu at Clyde's restaurant in Georgetown, Washington, D.C.,^[4] where Bill Danoff was eating with fellow bandmember Margot Chapman, while his then-wife Taffy Danoff was undergoing surgery for cervical cancer.^[5] Danoff downplayed the lyrics: "I didn't want to write an all-out sex song ... I just wanted to write something that was fun and hinted at sex."^[4]

Cover versions

Concurrent with the Starland Vocal Band version, country singer Johnny Carver's cover entered the Top 10 on Billboard Hot Country Singles.^[6] In the 2004 film Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, the song is sung by the news crew in choir and referenced multiple times and came with a music video in the bonus disc.^[7]

"Afternoon Delight" has been featured in episodes of numerous TV shows, including The Simpsons and South Park.^[8] The song is featured in the Arrested Development episode "Afternoon Delight", where it is sung as Karaoke by Michael Bluth and his niece Maeby, before stopping upon realizing what the song is actually about. The characters Lindsay and George Michael later perform the song, before having a similar realization.^[9]

Critical reaction

At the 19th Grammy Awards ceremony in 1977, "Afternoon Delight" received three nominations for recordings from 1976. It won the Grammy Award for Best Arrangement for Voices^[10] and was also nominated for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and Song of the Year.

In 2010, Billboard named "Afternoon Delight" the 20th sexiest song of all time.^[11]

Chart performance

Weekly charts Chart (1976) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[12][13] 6 Canada RPM Top Singles[14] 1 Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[15] 6 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[16] 22 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[17] 5 UK Singles (OCC)[18] 18 US Billboard Hot 100[19] 1 US Easy Listening (Billboard)[20] 5 US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[21] 94

Year-end charts Chart (1976) Rank Australia (Kent Music Report)[13][22] 56 Canada RPM Top Singles[23] 11 New Zealand[24] 28 UK [25] 120 US Billboard Hot 100[26] 12 US Billboard Easy Listening[27] 31 US Cash Box Top 100[28] 7 All-time charts Chart (1958–2018) Position US Billboard Hot 100[29] 419

Johnny Carver version

Chart (1976)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks	9
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	16

See also

• List of 1970s one-hit wonders in the United States