September Earth Wind and Fire: The No. 8 Hit That Stayed
September Earth Wind and Fire never got higher than number eight on the Billboard Hot 100.
It still became the band's signature song, and a date on the calendar.
Maurice White and Allee Willis wrote it in 1978, and it came out that November.
Below are the writing, the sound, the chart run, the certifications and the covers that followed.
Earth, Wind & Fire in a Columbia Records press photo, circa 1977.
Image credit: Photo distributed by Columbia Records, public domain in the United States, via Wikimedia Commons.
September Earth Wind and Fire: Written by Allee Willis and Maurice White
A Hit Built for a Greatest Hits Album
September came out on November 18, 1978, on ARC/Columbia Records.
It was one of two new tracks on The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1.
Wikipedia says the song was included on that compilation solely to boost sales with original content.
Allee Willis and Maurice White are credited as writers, and Al McKay is credited for the chord progression.
White also produced the record, which was recorded in September 1978.
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Writers | Allee Willis and Maurice White |
| Music sequence | Al McKay |
| Producer | Maurice White |
| Recorded | September 1978 |
| Released | November 18, 1978, ARC/Columbia |
| Parent album | The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 |
| B-sides | Love's Holiday and Can't Hide Love |
| Length and key | 3:35, A major |
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, checked October 18, 2026.
The 21st Night
The lyric refers to the 21st night of September.
White said he chose 21 for how it sounded.
His wife Marilyn said September 21 was the expected birth date of their son Kahbran.
She described the song as a secret message between her, White and their son.
Wikipedia says White wrote the song over one month.
Hear September Earth Wind and Fire
Press play on the original single, then listen for the horn line that answers the opening groove.
Prefer a jukebox? Drop September into Listen Now.
For another random pick from the decade, try the Random 70s Song Generator.
The Sound: A Four-Measure Groove and a Nonsense Hook
A Groove That Never Changes
Wikipedia describes the funk groove as a four-measure pattern built on a circle of fifths.
The pattern stays the same across the verses and choruses.
That is why the record feels like one long, easy swing.
Ba-Dee-Ya
Allee Willis was bothered by the nonsense words in the hook and asked White to rewrite them.
She later said she learned from him to never let the lyric get in the way of the groove.
The words stayed, and they are the part of the song everyone sings.
Who Played on It
Wikipedia lists the original musicians:
- Maurice White and Philip Bailey on lead and background vocals, with Bailey also on congas.
- Al McKay and Johnny Graham on guitar.
- Verdine White on bass, with Fred White and Ralph Johnson on drums and percussion.
- Larry Dunn on Rhodes piano and piano, and Andrew Woolfolk on soprano saxophone.
- Rahmlee Michael Davis and Michael Harris on trumpet, Louis Satterfield on trombone and Paulinho da Costa on percussion.
- Tom "Tom Tom 84" Washington on string, background vocal and horn arrangements.
Record World called it a smooth, quick song about autumn nostalgia in 1978, according to Wikipedia.
Philip Bailey considers it one of the group's best.
More from the band is in our list of Earth, Wind and Fire songs.
September Earth Wind and Fire on the Charts: Why It Peaked at No. 8
The Honest Number
September Earth Wind and Fire peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100, according to Wikipedia.
It never reached number one there, and it does not appear among this site's weekly Hot 100 number ones.
On the US Hot Soul Singles chart it did reach number one.
In the UK it climbed to number three.
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | No. 8 |
| US Hot Soul Singles | No. 1 |
| UK Singles | No. 3 |
| US Cash Box Top 100 | No. 6 |
| France | No. 6 |
| Norway | No. 6 |
| Canada Singles | No. 8 |
| Ireland | No. 8 |
| Canada (RPM Top Singles) | No. 10 |
| Australia | No. 12 |
| New Zealand | No. 12 |
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, checked October 18, 2026.
Year-End Ranks
This site's Billboard data ranks September number 78 on the 1979 year-end Hot 100.
- US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs year-end, 1979: number 33.
- UK year-end, 1979: number 41.
- US Cash Box year-end, 1979: number 54.
- Australia year-end, 1979: number 80.
See where it sits next to the year's other hits in our top songs of 1979.
Certifications
The song kept selling long after 1979.
Wikipedia's certification table lists these awards, which now count sales and streaming:
| Country | Award | Units |
|---|---|---|
| United States (digital and streaming) | 6x Platinum | 6,000,000 |
| United Kingdom | 4x Platinum | 2,400,000 |
| Germany | 3x Gold | 900,000 |
| Australia | 8x Platinum | 560,000 |
| New Zealand | 8x Platinum | 240,000 |
| Mexico | 3x Platinum plus Gold | 210,000 |
| Italy | 2x Platinum | 200,000 |
| Denmark | 2x Platinum | 180,000 |
| Spain | 2x Platinum | 120,000 |
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, checked October 18, 2026.
Wikipedia says the song had sold over 2 million digital copies in the US as of September 2017.
Its Billboard Global 200 run from 2020 to 2024 peaked at number 60, and it reached number 49 on the Canadian Hot 100 in 2026.
Legacy: Registry, Remixes, Covers and Chants
Rankings and Honors
- Library of Congress National Recording Registry, added 2018.
- Rolling Stone: number 65 on its 2021 list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
- Billboard: sixth among the group's top singles in a 2005 retrospective.
The band's story runs through Music of the 70s, and September Earth Wind and Fire is the song most people start with.
Covers and Remixes
| Version | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|
| September '99 (Phats & Small remix) | 1999 | No. 25 UK Singles, No. 4 UK Dance |
| Kirk Franklin gospel cover | 2007 | Produced by Maurice White, No. 17 Adult R&B Songs |
| December (Earth, Wind & Fire) | 2014 | Holiday album version, date changed to December 25 |
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, checked October 18, 2026.
Weekly Hot 100 peaks of twelve Earth, Wind & Fire songs, from each song's Wikipedia article. September sits at number eight.
On Screen, in Stadiums and Every September 21
- Film: Get Over It (2001), Night at the Museum (2006), Trolls (2016) and Polar (2019).
- Football: a Guardian article traces a chant to Newcastle United around autumn 2015, and England fans adapted it at the 2018 World Cup.
- Internet: Demi Adejuyigbe released remix videos every September 21 for six years.
- Advertising: a 2022 Kohl's Christmas commercial used the December version.
For more happy, danceable 70s artists, the Mood Song Matcher can pull them up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote September by Earth Wind and Fire?
Allee Willis and Maurice White wrote September, according to Wikipedia.
Al McKay is credited with the chord progression and music sequence, and White produced the record.
It was recorded in September 1978 and released as a single on November 18, 1978.
What was September's peak on the Billboard Hot 100?
September peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100, according to Wikipedia.
It reached number one on the US Hot Soul Singles chart and number three on the UK Singles chart.
This site's year-end data ranks it number 78 for 1979.
What does the 21st night of September mean in the song?
Maurice White chose the date for how it sounded, according to Wikipedia.
His wife Marilyn said September 21 was the expected birth date of their son Kahbran, and she described the song as a secret message between them and their son.
What does ba-dee-ya mean in September?
Nothing in particular.
Wikipedia says Allee Willis was bothered by the nonsense lyric and asked White to rewrite it.
She said she learned from him to never let the lyric get in the way of the groove, and the phrase stayed.
Is September by Earth Wind and Fire in the National Recording Registry?
Yes, Wikipedia says September was added to the Library of Congress National Recording Registry in 2018, which recognizes recordings of lasting cultural importance.
Rolling Stone also ranked it number 65 on its 2021 list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Sources
- September (Earth, Wind & Fire song), Wikipedia, for the writers, release details, the lyric story, musicians, chart peaks, year-end ranks, certifications, rankings, covers and cultural notes.
- The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1, Wikipedia, for the album the song appears on.
- Earth, Wind & Fire, Wikipedia, for background on the artist.
- This site's Billboard year-end Hot 100 data, for the number 78 year-end rank, and its weekly Hot 100 data, for the absence of September among the number ones.
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