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Ain't No Sunshine

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"Ain't No Sunshine"
Side B of the 1985 US reissue
Single by Bill Withers
from the album Just As I Am
B-side"Harlem"
ReleasedJuly 1971
Genre
Length2:04
LabelSussex
SongwriterBill Withers
ProducerBooker T. Jones
Bill Withers singles chronology
"Harlem"
(1971)		 "Ain't No Sunshine"
(1971)		 "Grandma's Hands"
(1971)
Audio video
"Ain't No Sunshine" on YouTube

"Ain't No Sunshine" is a song by American singer and songwriter Bill Withers, from his 1971 debut album Just As I Am. The song was produced by Booker T. Jones, with Donald "Duck" Dunn on bass guitar, Al Jackson Jr. on drums and Stephen Stills on guitar.[2] The song's strings were arranged by Jones. It was recorded in Los Angeles, with overdubs in Memphis by the track's engineer Terry Manning.

Released as a single in 1971, the song became the breakthrough hit for Withers and one of his best known tracks, reaching number six on the U.S. R&B Chart and number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Billboard ranked it as the 23rd biggest hit single of 1971.

The song reached the Top 40 again in 2009 in the United Kingdom after a version was performed by Kris Allen on the eighth season of American Idol.

In 2024, the single was added to the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress for it being "culturally, historically, and/or aesthetically significant".[3]

History

[edit]
Withers in 1971

Withers was inspired to write the song after watching the 1962 movie Days of Wine and Roses. He explained, in reference to the characters played by Lee Remick and Jack Lemmon, "They were both alcoholics who were alternately weak and strong. It's like going back for seconds on rat poison. Sometimes you miss things that weren't particularly good for you. It's just something that crossed my mind from watching that movie, and probably something else that happened in my life that I'm not aware of."[4]

For the song's bridge, Withers had intended to write more lyrics instead of repeating the phrase "I know" 26 times, but then followed the advice of the other musicians to leave it that way. Withers stated: "I was this factory worker puttering around. So when they said to leave it like that, I left it."[4]

Withers, then 31, was working at a factory making lavatories for Boeing 747s at the time he wrote the song. When the song went gold, the record company presented Withers with a golden toilet seat, marking the start of his new career.[5] "Ain't No Sunshine" was the first of Withers' three gold records in the U.S.

Originally released as the B-side to a song called "Harlem", "Ain't No Sunshine" was preferred by disc jockeys, and it became a huge hit, Withers' first.[6] "Harlem" was later covered by The 5th Dimension, who featured it on their Soul and Inspiration album and released it as a single.

Withers performed "Ain't No Sunshine" on The Old Grey Whistle Test.[7] It won the Grammy for Best R&B Song in 1972[6] and is ranked 285th on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[8] During the solar eclipse of August 12, 2026, Spotify noted a 3 per cent increase in streaming of the song worldwide.[9]

Charts

[edit]

Weekly charts

[edit]
Weekly chart performance for "Ain't No Sunshine"
Chart (1971) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[10] 17
Canada Top Singles RPM[11] 9
US Billboard Hot 100[12] 3
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[13] 2
US Best Selling Soul Singles (Billboard)[14] 6
US Cash Box Top 100[15] 4
2009 weekly chart performance for "Ain't No Sunshine"
Chart (2009) Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC) 40
2020 weekly chart performance for "Ain't No Sunshine"
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Germany (GfK)[16] 76
Ireland (IRMA)[17] 91
Scottish Singles Sales (Official Charts)[18] 7
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[19] 24
2024 weekly chart performance for "Ain't No Sunshine"
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Global 200 (Billboard)[20] 136
Greece International (IFPI)[21] 39
Israel (Mako Hitlist)[22] 79
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[23] 1

Year-end charts

[edit]
Year-end chart performance for "Ain't No Sunshine"
Chart (1971) Position
US Billboard Hot 100[24] 23
US Cash Box Top 100[25] 24
US Best Selling Soul Singles (Billboard)[26] 21

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications for "Ain't No Sunshine"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[27] Platinum 70,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[28] 2× Platinum 180,000‡
Germany (BVMI)[29] Gold 250,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[30] Platinum 50,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[31] 5× Platinum 150,000‡
Portugal (AFP)[32] 2× Platinum 20,000‡
Spain (Promusicae)[33] 2× Platinum 120,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[34] 2× Platinum 1,200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[35] 4× Platinum 4,000,000‡
Streaming
Greece (IFPI Greece)[36] Platinum 2,000,000†

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

Michael Jackson version

[edit]
"Ain't No Sunshine"
yellow sleeve
Yellow sleeve variant of the Dutch single
Single by Michael Jackson
from the album Got to Be There
B-side"Ben"
ReleasedJuly 3, 1972
RecordedNovember 1971
StudioHitsville West (Los Angeles, California)
Genre
Length4:09
LabelMotown
SongwriterBill Withers
ProducerHal Davis
Michael Jackson singles chronology
"I Wanna Be Where You Are"
(1972)		 "Ain't No Sunshine"
(1972)		 "Ben"
(1972)

In 1971, singer Michael Jackson recorded a rendition of Bill Withers' song for his debut album Got to Be There (released in early 1972).

In the UK the song was released as the third (and final) single from the album (after the two singles "Got to Be There" and "Rockin' Robin", a cover of Bobby Day's 1958 song). The song "I Wanna Be Where You Are", which was released as the third single in the US, was on the B-side. It was a hit, peaking in the UK Singles Chart at number 8 for 3 weeks in September 1972. The song was remixed by Benny Blanco for the 2009 release The Remix Suite. The song's drum break was sampled in "Gonna Love Me" by Teyana Taylor from her second studio album K.T.S.E..

Charts

[edit]
1972 weekly chart performance for "Ain't No Sunshine" by Michael Jackson
Chart (1972) Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC)[38] 8
2009 weekly chart performance for "Ain't No Sunshine" by Michael Jackson
Chart (2009) Peak
position
UK Singles (Official Charts)[39]92

Other charted versions

[edit]

In 1988, American-German singer Sydney Youngblood released his own version of "Ain't No Sunshine", which peaked at number 78 on the UK Singles Chart in July that year, with four weeks of charting.[40] The song was later included on his debut album Feeling Free (1989) and was released as a single in France only in August 1990, peaking at number 35 and charting for six weeks in the SNEP top 50.[41]

In November 1991, Australian pop band Rockmelons (featuring vocalist Deni Hines) released a version as the lead single of their second studio album, Form 1 Planet (1992). The version peaked at number five and was certified Gold in Australia.[42][43] It also peaked at number eight in New Zealand.[44]

The Nylons version was released in 1998 and reached number 53 on the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart.[45] A South African male choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo recorded its own version featuring vocalist Des'ree for their studio album In Harmony (1999). As a single, the version peaked at number 42 in the UK.[46]

The heavy metal band Black Label Society covered the song entitled "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone" for their 2013 album Unblackened. As a single, the version peaked at number 42 on the Canadian Rock Chart.[47]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Pitchfork Staff (August 22, 2016). "The 200 Best Songs of the 1970s". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 13, 2022. "Ain't No Sunshine" is a literal throughline from the era's Southern soul to the folk-rock movement...
  2. ↑ MOJO Magazine staff (2007). The MOJO Collection (4th ed.). Edinburgh; New York; Melbourne: MOJO Books, Canongate. p. 244. ISBN 978-1-84195-973-3. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  3. ↑ "The Notorious B.I.G., The Chicks, Green Day & More Selected for National Recording Registry (Full List)". Billboard. 2024-04-16. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  4. 1 2 Wiser, Carl (2 January 2004). "Bill Withers : Songwriter Interviews". songfacts.com. Archived from the original on 24 March 2019.
  5. ↑ Nichols, Paul; Ottewill, Jim (4 July 2017). "Soul man: Bill Withers". M Magazine. PRS for Music. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  6. 1 2 "Ain't No Sunshine". Songfacts. Archived from the original on 8 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-03.
  7. ↑ The Old Grey Whistle Test (DVD). Warner Home Video. 2003.
  8. ↑ "500 Greatest Songs of All Time: Bill Withers, 'Ain't No Sunshine'". Rolling Stone. 9 Dec 2004. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012.
  9. ↑ Mouriquand, David (14 August 2026). "'Total Eclipse Of The Heart' - Data reveals most popular songs played during this week's solar eclipse". Euronews. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  10. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  11. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". 2012-03-30. Archived from the original on 2017-04-03. Retrieved 2018-11-21.
  12. ↑ "Bill Withers Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  13. ↑ "Bill Withers Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  14. ↑ "Bill Withers Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  15. ↑ "Cash Box Top 100 10/09/71". Playa Cofi Jukebox. Archived from the original on 7 June 2015. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  16. ↑ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  17. ↑ "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 10/4/2020 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  19. ↑ "Bill Withers – Ain't No Sunshine". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  20. ↑ "Bill Withers Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Official IFPI Charts − Digital Singles Chart (International) − Εβδομάδα: 15/2024" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on September 18, 2024. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  22. ↑ "המצעד השבועי: היטליסט – שבוע 16, 2024 – 09.04 – 15.04.2024" [Mako Hitlist: Weekly Chart – Week 16, 2024 | 09.04 – 15.04.2024]. Mako Hitlist (in Hebrew). April 16, 2024. Archived from the original on April 17, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 18". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  24. ↑ "Top 100 Hits of 1971/Top 100 Songs of 1971". Music Outfitters. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  25. ↑ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1971". Playa Cofi Jukebox. Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  26. ↑ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 1971-12-25. p. 15. Retrieved 2016-10-03. another day paul mccartney.
  27. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2020 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  28. ↑ "Danish single certifications – Bill Withers – Ain't No Sunshine". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
  29. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Bill Withers; 'Ain't No Sunshine')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  30. ↑ "Italian single certifications – Bill Withers – Ain't No Sunshine" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  31. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Bill Withers – Ain't No Sunshine". Radioscope. Retrieved March 6, 2026. Type Ain't No Sunshine in the "Search:" field and press Enter.
  32. ↑ "Portuguese single certifications – Bill Withers – Ain't No Sunshine" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  33. ↑ "Spanish single certifications – Bill Withers – Ain´t No Sunshine". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  34. ↑ "British single certifications – Bill Withers – Ain't No Sunshine". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 29, 2023. Select singles in the Formats field. Type Ain't No Sunshine Bill Withers in the "Search:" field.
  35. ↑ "American single certifications – Bill Withers – Ain't No Sunshine". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  36. ↑ "IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) – Εβδομάδα: 07/2024" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  37. ↑ Pitchfork Staff (August 22, 2016). "The 200 Best Songs of the 1970s". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 13, 2022. It doesn't matter if it's reworked by teen-pop icons...
  38. ↑ "Michael Jackson — full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
  39. ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 5/7/2009 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  40. ↑ ""Ain't No Sunshine" by Sydney Youngblood – Chart history of "Ain't No Sunshine"". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  41. ↑ "Sydney Youngblood - Ain't No Sunshine" (in French). Le classement de singles. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  42. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  43. ↑ "Rockmelons feat. Deni Hines – 'Ain't No Sunshine' (song)". Australian Charts. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  44. ↑ "Rockmelons feat. Deni Hines – 'Ain't No Sunshine' (song)". New Zealand Charts. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  45. ↑ RPM Adult Contemporary, June 15, 1998
  46. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100 | Official Charts Company". Official Charts. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
  47. ↑ Cubarrubia, RJ (August 9, 2013). "Black Label Society Cover Bill Withers' 'Sunshine' – Song Premiere". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 24, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
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