Norman Greenbaum – A Legendary American Singer-Songwriter

Norman Greenbaum is a legendary classic rock American singer-songwriter and guitarist who is best known for his hit single Spirit in the Sky which was released in 1969. Although mostly considered a one-hit wonder, Norman Greenbaum also released two more studio albums aside from Spirit in the Sky (which naturally includes the eponymous hit single), more specifically Back Home Again (released in 1970) and Petaluma (released two years later in 1972). The hit single Spirit in the Sky was a major commercial success, being certified double Platinum by the R.I.A.A. (i.e. the Recording Industry Association of America in the United States) as well as Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI for short). In addition, the song charted very well in Australia (peaking at number 1 in the Kent Music Report there), Belgium (peaking at number 1 in the Ultratop), Canada (peaking at number at in the RPM), Germany (peaking at number 1 in the GfK Entertainment charts), Ireland (peaking at number one in the Irish Recorded Music Association or IRMA for short), the Netherlands (peaking at number 3 in the Dutch Single Top 100), the United Kingdom (peaking at number 1 in the UK singles chart), and the United States naturally (peaking at number 3 in the Billboard Hot 100).

The hit single Spirit in the Sky was based on Westerns and was composed as a simple song, catchy and captivating enough nonetheless through its instrumentation. Norman Greenbaum’s musical influences are represented by southern blues and folk (two genres of music which were quite popular during the 1950s and early 1960s). Back in high school, he was part of several bands. Subsequently, he studied music for two years at Boston University in Boston. During his college years, he played at local coffeehouses. Eventually, Norman dropped out and moved to Los Angeles in 1965. Below you can listen to the legendary hit single Spirit in the Sky embedded via YouTube. I truly hope you will like listening to it as much as I did (I’ve known this song for quite some time, come to really think of it, more specifically since the late 2010s onwards, at that time being a foreign student at Aalborg University in Aalborg, Denmark who spent his evenings listening to classic rock songs via YouTube):

Additionally, here’s the music video of the song, in case you’re interested (which you should be, at least a little bit, I think):

Last but not least, this is the official visualiser video for the song:

Trivia/fun fact: The well-known hit song Spirit in the Sky which made Norman Greenbaum famous is featured in the guitar simulator app/video game Guitar Band for iOS devices such as iPhone or iPad. I had plenty of fun playing it there (and I think you should do it too). 😉

Thank you very much for stopping by as well as for your time and attention! All the best, take care, stay safe, and rock on! 🙂 🤘

Documentation sources and external links:

• The Wikipedia page of the artist on www.wikipedia.org (in English)
• Norman Greenbaum on www.imdb.com
• Behind the Song That Changed Everything: The Night Norman Greenbaum Wrote His First (And Only) Hit on www.americansongwriter.com
• “I hear from people who want ‘Spirit in the Sky’ played at their funeral.” Norman Greenbaum tells how a Telecaster with a built-in fuzz helped him create a psychedelic hit about Jesus that even John Lennon liked on www.guitarplayer.com
• ‘I was working as a cook when it went to No 1’: how Norman Greenbaum made Spirit in the Sky on www.theguardian.com
• Norman Greenbaum: So Much More Than Just the Spirit in the Sky on www.abreathoffreshair.com.au