Proud Mary
"Proud Mary" is a song by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, written by vocalist and lead guitarist John Fogerty. It was released as a single in January 1969 by Fantasy Records and on the band's second studio album, Bayou Country. The song became a major hit in the United States, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1969, the first of five singles to peak at No. 2 for the group.[8][9]
This article is about the song by Creedence Clearwater Revival. For the band, see Proud Mary (band). For the film, see Proud Mary (film)."Proud Mary"
Later that year, R&B singer Solomon Burke released a rendition on Bell Records that reached No. 15 on the Billboard R&B chart.
Another version by R&B duo Ike & Tina Turner, released on Liberty Records in 1971, did nearly as well as the original on the charts, reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No 5 on the Billboard R&B chart. They won a Grammy Award for their rendition in 1972.
Critical reception[edit]
Billboard described "Proud Mary" as a "driving blues item with a strong beat."[16] Cash Box described it as "a steady moving mid-speed chunk of funk and rhythm that will make itself felt in both pop and underground spots."[17] Cash Box ranked it as the No. 55 single of 1969.[18]
"Proud Mary"
April 1969
1969
3:26
Bell Records
783
"Do You Love Your Baby"
1969
1969
3:30
A&M Records
1130X
- "Funkier Than a Mosquita's Tweeter" (U.S.)
- "Honky Tonk Women" (Intl.)
January 14, 1971
1970
Bolic Sound (Inglewood, California)
4:48 (album), 3:15 (7-inch single)
November 19, 1993
1993
5:27
- Chris Lord-Alge
- Tina Turner
- Roger Davies
Accolades[edit]
For their rendition, Ike & Tina Turner won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group in 1972.[62] Both CCR and Ike & Tina Turner's versions of the song received Grammy Hall of Fame Awards, in 1998 and 2003, respectively.[87] "Proud Mary" ranked at No. 155 on Rolling Stone's 2004 list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[88]
Other versions[edit]
In 1969, Anthony Armstrong Jones released a version of "Proud Mary" that reached No. 22 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.[89] The song served as the title track of his debut album.[90]
In 1970, the song was recorded by Leonard Nimoy, in his album The New World of Leonard Nimoy.
In 1972, Brush Arbor released a version of "Proud Mary" that reached No. 56 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.[91]
Elvis Presley began incorporating "Proud Mary" into his live shows in 1970. Presley's version is a full-out rocker and is featured in his 1972 concert film Elvis on Tour, and on his live albums On Stage (1970) and As Recorded at Madison Square Garden (1972).
Neil Sedaka performed a live version of "Proud Mary" at a concert he gave in Sydney, Australia in 1971.
The 2011 soundtrack to Bringing Up Bobby, an American comedy drama film, contained a Ukrainian language version of Proud Mary, performed by actress Milla Jovovich.[92]
Amanda Ayala performed a rendition of "Proud Mary" in 2019 on Topgolf TV's "Who Will Rock You?" The performance was subsequently released exclusively on Spotify.
Prince performed a sample of "Proud Mary" during his 2007 Super Bowl Halftime Show performance.[93]
The Longest Johns performed a studio version of the song on their 2024 album Voyage.