Once Upon a Time in the Top Spot: Bee Gees, “Love You Inside Out”

37 years ago today, the Bee Gees flew to the pinnacle of the Billboard Hot 100 for the ninth and – at least as of this writing – final time in their career.

Written by the eternal trifecta of Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb, “Love You Inside Out” was the Bee Gees’ third single from their 1979 album Spirits Having Flown, and just to make sure we mention the number three at least once more in this sentence, we should also note that it was, in fact, the third single from the album to hit #1, following in the footsteps of “Too Much Heaven” and “Tragedy.” Given that those three songs came on the heels of the group’s three previous singles also going to #1 – and we’re talking about “How Deep Is Your Love,” “Stayin’ Alive,” and “Night Fever,” in case you’re wondering – it’s fair to say that the Bee Gees were among the biggest names in pop music at the time.

Alas, the backlash against disco was on the march, and in short order the brothers Gibb would find themselves far less loved than they once were, but looking back at their track record, one can only blame that on the listeners’ short sightedness rather than the material being released by the Bee Gees. Still, it’s absolutely absurd to look back and see that Spirits Having Flown sold 16 million copies worldwide in 1979, whereas the Bee Gees’ 1981 album, Living Eyes, sold 750,000 copies. Thank heavens that time has led people to look back at the work being done by Barry, Robin, and Maurice during the ‘70s and realize that it truly was deserving of being loved inside and out.