Despite writing some of their generation’s biggest hits, Lynyrd Skynyrd never had a song reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Instead, the band that popularized southern rock plateaued at No. 8 after tragedy interrupted their climb up the charts. Yet, despite their struggles, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s music represents a noteworthy evolution in the rock genre.
‘Sweet Home Alabama’ is the only Lynyrd Skynyrd to crack the Billboard Top 10
Released in 1974 on their second album, “Sweet Home Alabama” reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and stayed there for 17 weeks. Despite none of them being from Alabama, it was the band’s most successful song.
Before his unexpected death on March 5, 2023, guitarist Gary Rossington spoke to Garden & Gun about how the band came up with the hit song.
“I had this little riff. It’s the little picking part, and I kept playing it over and over when we were waiting on everyone to arrive for rehearsal. Ronnie [Van Zant] and I were sitting there, and he kept saying, play that again. Then Ronnie wrote the lyrics and Ed [King] and I wrote the music.”
Lynyrd Skynyrd wrote ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ in response to Neil Young
Mentioning Neil Young in their lyrics led to some controversy upon the song’s release. According to NPR’s American Anthem series, “Sweet Home Alabama” was written in response to Neil Young’s songs “Southern Man” and “Alabama,” which are full of southern stereotypes. The series claims Young’s song “Southern Man,” “took the entire South to task for the bloody history of slavery and its aftermath.”
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Lead vocalist Ronnie Van Zant called out Young for his song’s lyrics, saying, “We knew that by doing that song, just writing those lyrics, we knew from the beginning that we’d get a lot of heat for it. And I did attack Neil Young in that song.”
Decades later, Rossington downplayed the controversy in his Garden & Gun interview, claiming the band loved Young’s music.
“Everyone thought it was about Neil Young, but it was more about Alabama. We had toured there, going all around playing clubs and National Guard armories. Everyone was real nice. When we were out in the country driving all the time, we would listen to the radio. Neil Young had ‘Southern Man,’ and it was kind of cutting the South down. And so Ronnie just said, We need to show people how the real Alabama is.”
Several Lynyrd Skynyrd songs made the Billboard Hot 100
While only “Sweet Home Alabama” cracked the Top 10, several other Lynyrd Skynyrd songs made the Billboard Hot 100 list. In 1978, “What’s Your Name” peaked at number 13, staying on the chart for 18 weeks. The next highest-charting single was “Free Bird,” which peaked at number 19 in 1975.
Only three other Lynyrd Skynyrd songs made the list: “Saturday Night Special,” “You Got That Right,” and “Double Trouble.”
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