Across his discography, there are many tremendous songs that Chuck Mangione created, andthese greatest hits need to be heard. As a jazz player, breaking into the mainstream took a lot of time and patience. When Mangione was trying to make his mark, he had bands such as thehit-making Chicagoperforming a similar act with chart-topping songs.
In fact, one of the biggest decades in Mangione’s career was the 1970s, but that time period was ruled by music such as theup-and-coming metal genre. However, he remained persistent,forging ahead to demonstrate that his style of music worked. He found many opportunities along the way that allowed him to be showcased on the biggest stages.
He performed at the same venues as many of thebiggest touring actsand even won awards over other phenomenal musicians. His life, which began in Rochester, NY, grew beyond the city he hailed from. However,Mangione would never forget his roots. He spent his life loving jazz, dedicating himself to the craft, and cherishing where he came from.
10Doin' Everything With You
This Was A Rare Find For Decades
In 1976, Chuck Mangione released his fifth all-instrumental studio album. The record contains six tracks, one of which is the just-over-seven-minute-long “Doin' Everything With You.” With the song’s length, it was yet another opportunity for Mangione to showcase his skills over a longer duration,proving how instruments can truly connect.
It became somewhat of a hidden gem, along with the other tunes on this record.
As great as the song was, it became somewhat of a hidden gem, along with the other tunes on this record. The reason was that after its release, it was briefly issued on Compact Disc before being discontinued. This made it a rare find for decadesuntil finally being reissued in 2018for listeners to once again enjoy Mangione’s magic.
9Hill Where The Lord Hides
Live Performances Like This Will Always Be Remembered
When you hear “Hill Where the Lord Hides,” it is upbeat in nature. This was the first track on his 1970 albumFriends & Love…A Chuck Mangione Concert, and it started this off in a great way. The song would even be released as a single, being ranked byBillboardandproving to be a strong pillar of the record.
Additionally, the tune will forever be linked tothe historic recording that took place at the Eastman Theatre in Rochester, New York. This was recorded by Grammy Award-winning engineer Mick Guzauski, making it even more special. With all the history surrounding this song, it has become a necessary piece when discussing Mangione’s greatest hits.
8Land Of Make Believe
That’s How You Make A Title Track
As the process of making a record begins, one of the key choices an artist must make is whether to create a title track. Of course, these are songs that bear the same name as the album itself. When done right, they can pay off immensely, asthey serve as tremendous promotion for the record, hammering home its title.
For the making of his eighth studio album,Chuck Mangione decided it was best to have a title track. This ended up being a tremendous decision, as it brought him a lot of success.At the 17th Annual Grammy Awards, not only was the album nominated, but so was the title track, marking a special moment in his career.
7Children of Sánchez (Overture)
14 Minutes Of Pure Brilliance
One of the biggest years in Chuck Mangione’s career occurred in 1978. His sixteenth album overall,Children of Sanchez,became a massive hit for more reasons than one. First, the record received a lot of exposure as it served as the soundtrack for the 1978 drama film,The Children of Sanchez, based on the book of the same title.
Additionally, the album stood out in part because of the opening tune.“Children of Sánchez (Overture)” lasts just over 14 minutes, and it’s brilliant. In fact, it was so great that this was yet another song that earned Mangione a Grammy Award nomination. Except this time at the21st annual event, he won the award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.
6Main Squeeze
The Talent On This Song Was Unbelievable
One of the biggest reasons it was so important when Mangione’s fifth studio album, Main Squeeze, was reissued in 2018 was because of its title track. This is a tune that deserves to be heard by the masses. On this track,Mangione is joined by several of New York City’s greatest session musicians from that time period.
This is a true piece of music history, and anyone who appreciates music should hear it.
Some of the well-known names that joined him wereTony Levin,recognized for working with King Crimson and Peter Gabriel. Additionally, there was legendary jazz musician,Don Grolnick, known for many tremendous works. With everyone involved, this is a true piece of music history, and anyone who appreciates music should hear it.
5Chase The Clouds Away
50 Years Later, This Still Holds Up
A phenomenal record at the top of Chuck Mangione’s discography is the gold-certifiedChase the Clouds Awayfrom 1975. This album is highlighted by the title track,which became a defining element of it. Along with the record, the song wasnominated for a Grammy Award, but that’s not all, as it was used for a major event in 1976.
This event was the1976 Olympics, held in Montreal, Quebec. The song became a sensation as it reached a worldwide audience. This was one of the biggest opportunities for Mangione in his career and did not disappoint. In fact, it would not be long before he saw one of his tunes back at the Olympic Games.
4Bellavia
The Grammy Award Goes To Chuck Mangione
In total, Chuck Mangione was nominated for12 Grammy Awardsthroughout his illustrious career. However, the song “Bellavia” has an important distinction, asit was the first tune to bring him a win. This was his first of two wins, but it was significant as Mangione was able to break through on one of the most important stages in music.
The song won the award for Best Instrumental Composition. It was certainly deserving of this recognition, as it was a standout from his record, which contained 15 tracks. With so many different compositions surrounding it,it shows just how incredible “Bellavia” truly is, and now it is forever a part of Grammy history.
3Theme From “Side Street”
Jazz Gets Highlighted In A Major Way
Throughout his career,Chuck Mangione had many opportunities to work with major productions. From appearances onKing of the Hillto his songs being used in movies, his name would come up occasionally in the mainstream media. Perhaps one of the biggest things he did was compose the theme for the Canadian drama seriesSidestreet.
The show ran from 1975 to 1978, with Mangione benefiting from the exposure. He even included the song on his 1977 record,Feels So Good. With the song’s connection to the show, it became a familiar tune for some listeners. With its backstory,it is a rich piece of the record’s lineage, as it’s forever part of television history.
2Give It All You Got
Welcome To The Olympic Games
There is a lot of history surrounding “Give It All You Got.” First, the song was yet another instance where Mangione’s work was part of the Olympic Games. This time it was for the 1980 Winter edition of the competition.The tune was used by ABC Sportsand played a pivotal role in the historic games in Lake Placid, NY.
Additionally, many American television stationsused it as their sign-off music in the ’80s, further exposing Mangione to a larger audience. Beyond everything the song was used for, it was a tune that meant a lot to Mangione. He enjoyed it so much that it appeared twice on hisFun and Gamesrecord, in both a regular and slower rendition.
1Feels So Good
It Was Almost Number One
Arguably, the greatest hit that Chuck Mangione ever had was “Feels So Good.” This was the title track from his 1977 album. The album became so popular that it reached as high as number two on the Billboard 200.A massive part of this was the title track itself, which achieved tremendous success, placing fourth on theBillboardHot 100.
Although it didn’t reach number one on that chart, it did reach the top spot for Easy Listening. Additionally,the song received a Grammy nomination, which was one of three nominations for him that year. Helping its legacy grow was its appearance on showssuch asFriends,The Big Bang Theory, and even the 2016 filmDoctor Strange.
