September ( Earth, Wind & Fire song ) - wikipedia September ( Earth, Wind & Fire song ) Not to be confused with September Song. `` September '' Single by Earth, Wind & Fire from the album The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 B - side `` Love 's Holiday '' `` Ca n't Hide Love '' Released November 18, 1978 ( 1978 - 11 - 18 ) Format 7 '' single 12 '' single Recorded September 1978 Genre R&B disco funk soul Length 3 : 35 Label Columbia Songwriter ( s ) Maurice White Al McKay Allee Willis Producer ( s ) Maurice White Earth, Wind & Fire singles chronology `` Got to Get You into My Life '' ( 1978 ) `` September '' ( 1978 ) `` Boogie Wonderland '' ( 1979 ) `` Got to Get You into My Life '' ( 1978 ) `` September '' ( 1978 ) `` Boogie Wonderland '' ( 1979 ) Music video `` September '' on YouTube `` September '' is a song by American funk band Earth, Wind & Fire, written by Maurice White, Al McKay, and Allee Willis. It was recorded during the I Am sessions and released as a single in 1978. Featured on the band 's album The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1, `` September '' reached number one on the US R&B chart, number eight on the Billboard Hot 100, and number three on the UK singles chart. There is no evidence that White 's unusual lyrics for the chorus have any concrete meaning ( whether as a reference to the Persian king Bardiya, said to have been murdered in September 522 B.C., or otherwise ), and were questioned by Willis : `` I said, ' We are going to change ' ba - dee - ya ' to real words, right ? '... I learned my greatest lesson ever in songwriting from him, which was never let the lyric get in the way of the groove. '' Contents 1 Composition 2 Reception 3 Chart performance 3.1 Weekly charts 3.2 Year - end charts 4 Sales and certifications 5 Accolades 6 References 7 External links Composition The song is performed in the key of A major with a tempo of 126 beats per minute in common time. The group 's vocals span from E to F ♯. Reception The song was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry and certified gold in the US ( Until the RIAA lowered the sales levels for certified singles in 1989, a Gold single equaled 1 million units sold. ) `` September '' was later certified Gold for digital sales by the RIAA, and has sold over 2 million digital copies in the US as of September 2017. The song was also later released as `` December '', chord changes & melody remained identical, with lyrics re-written for the ``... Twenty - fifth of December... '', performed by Earth Wind & Fire, as well, on a later album. Chart performance Weekly charts Chart ( 1978 -- 79 ) Peak position Australia KMR 12 Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) 19 Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) 10 Germany ( Official German Charts ) 20 Ireland ( IRMA ) 8 Italy ( FIMI ) 43 Netherlands ( Dutch Top 40 ) 18 New Zealand ( Recorded Music NZ ) 12 Norway ( VG - lista ) 6 Sweden ( Sverigetopplistan ) 13 UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) US Billboard Hot 100 8 US Billboard Hot Soul Singles US Cash Box Top 100 6 Chart ( `` September 1999 '' ) Peak position Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) 32 France ( SNEP ) 64 Germany ( Official German Charts ) 40 Netherlands ( Dutch Top 40 ) 12 Norway ( VG - lista ) 15 Sweden ( Sverigetopplistan ) 48 Switzerland ( Schweizer Hitparade ) 33 UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) 25 Chart ( 2011 ) Peak position France ( SNEP ) 29 Year - end charts Chart ( 1979 ) Rank Australia 80 Canada 108 US Billboard Hot 100 78 US Cash Box 54 Sales and certifications Region Certification Certified units / Sales Italy ( FIMI ) Platinum 50,000 Mexico ( AMPROFON ) Digital download Gold 30,000 United Kingdom ( BPI ) Physical release Silver 250,000 United States ( RIAA ) Physical release Gold 1,000,000 United States ( RIAA ) Digital download Gold 2,065,000 sales figures based on certification alone shipments figures based on certification alone Accolades The information regarding accolades attributed to September ' is adapted from AcclaimedMusic.net. Publication Country Accolade Year Rank Bruce Pollock US The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944 -- 2000 2005 * Gary Mulholland UK This Is Uncool : The 500 Best Singles Since Punk Rock 2002 * ( * ) designates lists that are unordered. References Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2004 ). Top R&B / Hip - Hop Singles : 1942 -- 2004. Record Research. p. 179. Jump up ^ Dean, Maury ( 2003 ). Rock N ' Roll Gold Rush. Algora. p. 289. ISBN 0 - 87586 - 207 - 1. Jump up ^ Charnas, Dan. `` The Song That Never Ends : Why Earth, Wind & Fire 's ' September ' Sustains ''. NPR. NPR. Retrieved 21 September 2016. Jump up ^ White, Maurice. `` Earth Wind & Fire `` September '' Sheet Music in F# Minor ( transposable ) -- Download & Print ``. Musicnotes.com. Retrieved 2017 - 06 - 10. Jump up ^ `` September -- Earth, Wind & Fire -- Spot On Track ''. www.spotontrack.com. Retrieved 2017 - 06 - 10. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on May 10, 2014. Retrieved 2014 - 03 - 29. Jump up ^ `` Rock Music, etc., Terms ''. spider.georgetowncollege.edu. Retrieved March 23, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved 2010 - 10 - 19. ^ Jump up to : `` Nielsen SoundScan charts -- Digital Songs -- Week Ending : 09 / 28 / 2017 '' ( PDF ). Nielsen SoundScan. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on October 2, 2017. Retrieved October 3, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Australian Chart Book ''. Austchartbook.com.au. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 13. Jump up ^ `` Ultratop.be -- Earth, Wind & Fire -- September '' ( in Dutch ). Ultratop 50. ^ Jump up to : `` Musicline.de -- Earth, Wind & Fire Single - Chartverfolgung '' ( in German ). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Jump up ^ `` Irish Singles Chart -- Search for song ''. Irish Recorded Music Association. Archived from the original on June 3, 2009. Retrieved July 6, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Hit Parade Italia -- Indice per Interprete : E ''. Hit Parade Italia. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved July 6, 2012. ^ Jump up to : `` Nederlandse Top 40 -- Earth, Wind & Fire search results '' ( in Dutch ) Dutch Top 40. Jump up ^ `` Charts.org.nz -- Earth, Wind & Fire -- September ''. Top 40 Singles. Jump up ^ `` Norwegiancharts.com -- Earth, Wind & Fire -- September ''. VG - lista. Jump up ^ `` Swedishcharts.com -- Earth, Wind & Fire -- September ''. Singles Top 100. ^ Jump up to : `` Earth, Wind & Fire : Artist Chart History ''. Official Charts Company. Jump up ^ Joel Whitburn 's Top Pop Singles 1955 -- 2002 Jump up ^ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, January 27, 1979 Jump up ^ `` Ultratop.be -- Earth, Wind & Fire -- September 99 ( Phats & Small Remix ) '' ( in Dutch ). Ultratop 50. Jump up ^ `` Lescharts.com -- Earth, Wind & Fire -- September 99 ( Phats & Small Remix ) '' ( in French ). Les classement single. Jump up ^ `` Norwegiancharts.com -- Earth, Wind & Fire -- September 99 ( Phats & Small Remix ) ''. VG - lista. Jump up ^ `` Swedishcharts.com -- Earth, Wind & Fire -- September 99 ( Phats & Small Remix ) ''. Singles Top 100. Jump up ^ `` Swisscharts.com -- Earth, Wind & Fire -- September 99 ( Phats & Small Remix ) ''. Swiss Singles Chart. Jump up ^ `` Lescharts.com -- Earth, Wind & Fire -- September '' ( in French ). Les classement single. Jump up ^ `` Australian Chart Book ''. Austchartbook.com.au. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 13. Jump up ^ `` Image : RPM Weekly -- Library and Archives Canada ''. Bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 13. Jump up ^ `` Top 100 Hits of 1979 / Top 100 Songs of 1979 ''. Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 13. Jump up ^ Cash Box Year - End Charts : Top 100 Pop Singles, December 29, 1979 Jump up ^ `` Italian single certifications -- Earth, Wind & Fire -- September '' ( in Italian ). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved November 27, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Certificaciones -- Earth, Wind & Fire '' ( in Spanish ). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved 14 February 2016. Jump up ^ `` British single certifications -- Earth, Wind & Fire -- September ''. British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 3 October 2014. Enter September in the search field and then press Enter. ^ Jump up to : `` American single certifications -- Earth, Wind & Fire -- September ''. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 3 October 2014. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH Jump up ^ `` Shining Star ''. Acclaimed Music. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 13. External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics The Song That Never Ends : Why Earth, Wind & Fire 's ' September ' Sustains NPR Morning Edition from September 19th, 2014. at npr.org Preceded by `` Got to Be Real '' by Cheryl Lynn Billboard 's Hot Soul number one single January 13, 1979 Succeeded by `` Aqua Boogie '' by Parliament Earth, Wind & Fire Philip Bailey Verdine White Ralph Johnson B. David Whitworth Myron McKinley John Paris Philip Bailey, Jr. Morris O'Connor Serg Dimitrijevic Maurice White Michael Beale Leslie Drayton Wade Flemons Yackov Ben Israel Sherry Scott Carl Carwell Alexander Thomas Chester Washington Don Whitehead Roland Bautista Jessica Cleaves Larry Dunn Ronnie Laws Johnny Graham Al McKay Andrew Woolfolk Fred White Beloyd Taylor Sonny Emory Sheldon Reynolds Dick Smith Vance Taylor Fred Ravel Morris Pleasure David Romero Mike McKnight Robert Brookins Gordon Campbell Bobby Gonzales Daniel de los Reyes Kimberly Brewer John Johnson Krystal Bailey Kim Johnson Greg `` G - Mo '' Moore Vadim Zilberstein Don Myrick Studio albums Earth, Wind & Fire The Need of Love Last Days and Time Head to the Sky Open Our Eyes That 's the Way of the World Spirit All ' n All I Am Faces Raise ! Powerlight Electric Universe Touch the World Heritage Millennium In the Name of Love The Promise Illumination Now, Then & Forever Holiday Compilations and live albums Another Time Gratitude The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 The Collection The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 2 The Eternal Dance Elements of Love : Ballads Greatest Hits Live Greatest Hits The Ultimate Collection The Essential Earth, Wind & Fire That 's the Way of the World : Alive in 75 Live in Rio Love Songs Ultimate Collection Singles `` Evil '' `` Keep Your Head to the Sky '' `` Mighty Mighty '' `` Devotion '' `` Shining Star '' `` That 's the Way of the World '' `` Reasons '' `` Sing a Song '' `` Ca n't Hide Love '' `` Getaway '' `` Saturday Nite '' `` Serpentine Fire '' `` Fantasy '' `` Got to Get You into My Life '' `` September '' `` Boogie Wonderland '' `` After the Love Has Gone '' `` In the Stone '' `` Let Me Talk '' `` And Love Goes On '' `` Let 's Groove '' `` Wanna Be with You '' `` I 've Had Enough '' `` Fall in Love with Me '' `` System of Survival '' `` Thinking of You '' `` Sunday Morning '' `` All in the Way '' `` Pure Gold '' Other albums Sweet Sweetback 's Baadasssss Song Videos Earth, Wind & Fire : In Concert The Eternal Vision Earth, Wind & Fire : Live Earth, Wind & Fire : Live By Request Chicago & Earth, Wind & Fire -- Live at the Greek Theatre Related articles Ramsey Lewis The Pharaohs Charles Stepney The Phenix Horns The Emotions Devoted Spirits : A Tribute to Earth Wind and Fire Interpretations : Celebrating the Music of Earth, Wind & Fire Lists Discography Awards and nominations Tribute albums Personnel Book Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=September_(Earth,_Wind_%26_Fire_song)&oldid=814108193 '' Categories : Earth, Wind & Fire songs Songs written by Allee Willis Songs written by Maurice White Songs written by Al McKay Billboard Hot R&B / Hip - Hop Songs number - one singles 1978 singles 1999 singles Number - one dance singles in Canada Japanese television drama theme songs 1978 songs Columbia Records singles Funk songs Disco songs Hidden categories : CS1 Italian - language sources ( it ) CS1 Spanish - language sources ( es ) Use mdy dates from January 2014 Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for Flanders Singlechart making named ref Singlechart usages for Germany Singlechart usages for Dutch40 Singlechart usages for New Zealand Singlechart usages for Norway Singlechart usages for Sweden Singlechart usages for UKsinglesbyname Singlechart called without song Singlechart usages for France Singlechart usages for Swiss Certification Table Entry usages for Italy Certification Table Entry usages for Mexico Certification Table Entry usages for United Kingdom Certification Table Entry usages for United States Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Français Bahasa Indonesia Italiano 日本 語 Русский Edit links This page was last edited on 6 December 2017, at 22 : 57. 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Question: when was earth wind and fire september released
Answer: 1978