Tonight 's the Night ( Gonna be Alright ) - wikipedia Tonight 's the Night ( Gonna be Alright ) `` Tonight 's the Night ( Gonna Be Alright ) '' Single by Rod Stewart from the album A Night on the Town B - side `` The Ball Trap '' ( UK ) `` Fool for You '' ( US ) Released May 1976 ( International ) September 1976 ( US ) Format 7 '' single Recorded December 1975 Genre Soft rock Length 3 : 56 ( album version ) 3 : 34 Label Riva ( UK ) ; Warner Bros. ( US ) Songwriter ( s ) Rod Stewart Producer ( s ) Tom Dowd Rod Stewart singles chronology `` This Old Heart of Mine '' ( 1976 ) `` Tonight 's the Night ( Gonna Be Alright ) '' ( 1976 ) `` The Killing of Georgie ( Part I and II ) '' ( 1976 ) `` This Old Heart of Mine '' ( 1976 ) `` Tonight 's the Night ( Gonna Be Alright ) '' ( 1976 ) `` The Killing of Georgie ( Part I and II ) '' ( 1976 ) `` Tonight 's the Night ( Gonna Be Alright ) '' is a song by Rod Stewart, recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama for his 1976 album A Night on the Town. The song became his second US chart topper on the Billboard Hot 100. It made its debut at number 81 on October 2, 1976 and rose quickly, climbing from number eight to the top of the chart on November 13, 1976, and remained on top for eight consecutive weeks until January 8, 1977. It was the longest stay of any song during 1976, as well as the longest stay at number one for Rod Stewart in his entire recording career. The song also peaked at No. 5 in the UK, No. 3 in Australia and charted well in other parts of the world. It was the number 1 song on Billboard 's 1977 year - end chart. It became the best - selling single of 1977 in the United States. As of 2015, it is the seventeenth most popular song in the history of the chart. Contents 1 Background and lyrics 2 Chart performance 2.1 Weekly charts 2.2 Year - end charts 3 Cover versions 4 References 5 External links Background and lyrics According to Dan Peek of America, Stewart 's inspiration for `` Tonight 's the Night '' was America 's Top 30 hit `` Today 's the Day '' : Peek recalls that one evening when he and his guest Rod Stewart were playing together in Peek 's home recording studio : `` I played ' Today 's the Day ', the song I had been working on. Rod said that he liked it and that it gave him an idea for a song. Of course after his recording of ' Tonight 's the Night ' came out I laughed when I remembered what he 'd said. I 'm sure I probably smacked my forehead and said : ' Why did n't I think of that ? ' '' The song features a French spoken part from Britt Ekland who was Stewart 's girlfriend at the time. While primarily recorded at Muscle Shoals, the final vocal was recorded at Caribou Ranch studios, where Stewart, Ekland and producer Tom Dowd spent several days. The high - altitude result was a vocal an octave higher than `` sea - based '' versions -- and fit the song perfectly. Some radio stations play edits of the song, shortening the coda, as well as the whispers, because they were deemed to be too suggestive for airplay, where the songs could be banned from being played on the air. Chart performance Weekly charts Chart ( 1976 -- 77 ) Peak position Australia Canada Germany 26 Ireland Netherlands 5 New Zealand Sweden 7 UK 5 US Billboard Hot 100 US Billboard Easy Listening 42 Year - end charts Chart ( 1976 ) Rank Australia 11 Canada New Zealand 19 Chart ( 1977 ) Rank US Billboard Hot 100 Cover versions In 1993, Stewart recorded a live version of the song during his session for MTV Unplugged. This version was included on the album Unplugged... and Seated. The song has been remade by such artists as : Linda Clifford, Nicky Moore, and sung by Anthony Kavanagh, Terry Steele, who reached number forty - four on the R&B singles chart, and Alison Crawford on Grease is the Word. In Janet Jackson 's cover, the lyrics imply that she and her partner are about to share a threesome with another woman. Jackson begins the song by saying, `` This is just between me and you... and you. '' Additionally, each chorus addresses a different person, as she sings, `` ' Cause I love you, boy '' in one and `` ' Cause I love you, girl '' in another. `` She even makes a bid for gay icon status... '' wrote Neil McCormick in The Daily Telegraph 's review of The Velvet Rope, `` climaxing ( if that 's the right word ) with a bizarre lesbian reinterpretation of Rod Stewart 's ' Tonight 's the Night '. '' References Jump up ^ `` The 10 Ickiest Soft - Rock Hits of the ' 70s - Oldies Music ''. Oldies.about.com. 2014 - 04 - 03. Retrieved 2014 - 06 - 06. Jump up ^ Peak, Dan ( 2004 ). An American Band : the America Story. Xulon Press. ISBN 1 - 594679 - 29 - 0. Jump up ^ Robert Windeler ( 1977 - 02 - 21 ). `` Romantic Rod ''. People. Retrieved 2016 - 02 - 07. Jump up ^ `` Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada ''. Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 10 November 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2016. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 1993 ). Top Adult Contemporary : 1961 -- 1993. Record Research. p. 230. Jump up ^ Australian-charts.com Jump up ^ `` Top Singles -- Volume 26, No. 14 & 15, January 08 1977 ''. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on 19 March 2016. Retrieved 13 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Top Selling Singles of 1976 The Official New Zealand Music Chart ''. Nztop40.co.nz. 1963 - 12 - 08. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 11. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2004 ). Top R&B / Hip - Hop Singles : 1942 - 2004. Record Research. p. 550. Jump up ^ The Daily Telegraph, 18 October 1997 External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Billboard Year - End number one singles ( 1960 -- 1979 ) 1960 : `` Theme from A Summer Place '' -- Percy Faith 1961 : `` Tossin ' and Turnin ' '' -- Bobby Lewis 1962 : `` Stranger on the Shore '' -- Mr. Acker Bilk 1963 : `` Sugar Shack '' -- Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs `` / Surfin ' U.S.A. '' - The Beach Boys 1964 : `` I Want to Hold Your Hand '' -- The Beatles 1965 : `` Wooly Bully '' -- Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs 1966 : `` Ballad of the Green Berets '' -- S / Sgt. Barry Sadler 1967 : `` To Sir, with Love '' -- Lulu 1968 : `` Hey Jude '' -- The Beatles 1969 : `` Sugar, Sugar '' -- The Archies 1970 : `` Bridge over Troubled Water '' -- Simon & Garfunkel 1971 : `` Joy to the World '' -- Three Dog Night 1972 : `` The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face '' -- Roberta Flack 1973 : `` Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree '' -- Tony Orlando and Dawn 1974 : `` The Way We Were '' -- Barbra Streisand 1975 : `` Love Will Keep Us Together '' -- Captain & Tennille 1976 : `` Silly Love Songs '' -- Wings 1977 : `` Tonight 's the Night ( Gonna Be Alright ) '' -- Rod Stewart 1978 : `` Shadow Dancing '' -- Andy Gibb 1979 : `` My Sharona '' -- The Knack Complete list ( 1946 -- 1959 ) ( 1960 -- 1979 ) ( 1980 -- 1999 ) ( 2000 -- 2019 ) Rod Stewart singles 1970s `` It 's All Over Now '' ( 1970 ) `` Reason to Believe '' / `` Maggie May '' ( 1971 ) `` Every Picture Tells a Story '' / `` Reason to Believe '' ( 1971 ) Spain only `` ( I Know ) I 'm Losing You '' / `` Mandolin Wind '' ( 1971 ) `` Handbags and Gladrags '' ( 1972 ) `` You Wear It Well '' ( 1972 ) `` Angel '' ( 1972 ) `` What 's Made Milwaukee Famous ( Has Made a Loser Out of Me ) '' ( 1972 ) `` Twistin ' the Night Away '' ( 1973, 1987 ) `` Oh ! No Not My Baby '' ( 1973 ) `` Farewell '' / `` You Send Me '' ( 1973 ) `` Mine for Me '' ( 1974 ) `` You Can Make Me Dance, Sing or Anything '' ( 1974 ) Stewart / Faces `` Sailing '' ( 1975 ) `` This Old Heart of Mine '' ( 1975 ) `` Tonight 's the Night '' ( 1976 ) `` The Killing of Georgie '' ( 1976 ) `` Get Back '' ( 1976 ) `` The First Cut Is the Deepest '' ( 1977 ) `` I Do n't Want to Talk About It '' ( 1977, 1990 ) `` You 're in My Heart ( The Final Acclaim ) '' ( 1978 ) `` Hot Legs '' ( 1978 ) `` I Was Only Joking '' ( 1978 ) `` Da Ya Think I 'm Sexy ? '' ( 1978, 1997 ) `` Ai n't Love a Bitch '' ( 1979 ) `` Blondes ( Have More Fun ) '' ( 1979 ) 1980s `` ( If Loving You Is Wrong ) I Do n't Want to Be Right '' ( 1980 ) `` Passion '' ( 1980 ) `` Tonight I 'm Yours ( Do n't Hurt Me ) '' ( 1981 ) `` Young Turks '' ( 1982 ) `` How Long '' ( 1982 ) `` Baby Jane '' ( 1983 ) `` That 's What Friends Are For '' ( 1983 ) `` Infatuation '' ( 1984 ) `` Some Guys Have All the Luck '' ( 1984 ) `` All Right Now '' ( 1984 ) `` People Get Ready '' ( 1985, 1991, 1993 ) Stewart / Beck `` Love Touch '' ( 1986 ) `` In My Life '' ( 1987 ) `` Forever Young '' ( 1988 ) `` My Heart Ca n't Tell You No '' ( 1988 ) `` This Old Heart of Mine ( Is Weak for You ) '' ( 1989 ) Stewart / Isley `` Downtown Train '' ( 1989 ) 1990s `` It Takes Two '' ( 1990 ) Stewart / Turner `` Rhythm of My Heart '' ( 1991 ) `` The Motown Song '' ( 1991 ) `` Your Song '' ( 1992 ) `` Ruby Tuesday '' ( 1993 ) `` Have I Told You Lately '' ( 1993 ) `` Reason to Believe '' ( unplugged, 1993 ) `` All for Love '' ( 1993 ) Stewart / Adams / Sting `` Leave Virginia Alone '' ( 1995 ) `` Lady Luck '' ( 1996 ) `` Ooh La La '' ( 1998 ) `` Rocks '' ( 1998 ) `` Cigarettes and Alcohol '' ( 1998 ) `` Faith of the Heart '' ( 1999 ) 2000s `` These Foolish Things '' ( 2002 ) `` They Ca n't Take That Away from Me '' ( 2003 ) `` Time After Time '' ( 2003 ) `` What a Wonderful World '' ( 2004 ) `` Blue Moon '' ( 2004 ) `` Baby, It 's Cold Outside '' ( 2005 ) `` I 've Got a Crush on You '' ( 2005 ) `` I 've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm '' ( 2006 ) `` Have You Ever Seen the Rain ? '' ( 2006 ) 2010s `` Let It Snow ! Let It Snow ! Let It Snow ! '' ( 2012 ) `` Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas '' ( 2012 ) `` Everyday '' ( 2015 ) Jump up ^ `` The Billboard Hot 100 - 1963 ''. Billboard. Archived from the original on October 20, 2006. Retrieved October 17, 2018. Jump up ^ Kowal, Barry. `` Billboard ( USA ) Magazine 's ( Magazine Chart ) Top 100 Singles of 1963 '', Hits of All Decades. September 20, 2017. Retrieved October 17, 2018. Jump up ^ ( Fred ( 2003 ). The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits. New York : Billboard Books. p. 138. ISBN 0823076776. Retrieved 20 October 2018. ) Jump up ^ `` Top Records of 1963 '', Billboard, Section II, December 28, 1963. p. 30. Retrieved February 17, 2018. Jump up ^ Kowal, Barry. Billboard Magazine 's ( USA ) Top 100 Single Recordings of 1963, Hits of All Decades. August 27, 2017. Retrieved October 19, 2018. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tonight%27s_the_Night_(Gonna_Be_Alright)&oldid=864736759 '' Categories : 1976 singles Billboard Hot 100 number - one singles Music videos directed by Bruce Gowers Rod Stewart songs Song recordings produced by Tom Dowd Songs about sexuality LGBT - related songs Songs written by Rod Stewart Works about virginity Riva Records singles Warner Bros. Records singles Hidden categories : Use dmy dates from August 2011 Use British English from August 2011 Articles with hAudio microformats All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from October 2018 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Italiano 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Edit links This page was last edited on 19 October 2018, at 03 : 55 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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Question: who sings the song tonight's the night
Answer: Rod Stewart