If You Leave Me Now - wikipedia If You Leave Me Now For the Chicago compilation album, see If You Leave Me Now ( album ). For the Charlie Puth song, see If You Leave Me Now ( Charlie Puth song ). `` If You Leave Me Now '' Single by Chicago from the album Chicago X B - side `` Together Again '' Released July 31, 1976 ( 1976 - 07 - 31 ) Format 7 '' Recorded March -- April 1976 Genre Soft rock Length 3 : 55 Label Columbia Songwriter ( s ) Peter Cetera Producer ( s ) James William Guercio Chicago singles chronology `` Another Rainy Day in New York City '' ( 1976 ) `` If You Leave Me Now '' ( 1976 ) `` You Are On My Mind '' ( 1977 ) `` Another Rainy Day in New York City '' ( 1976 ) `` If You Leave Me Now '' ( 1976 ) `` You Are On My Mind '' ( 1977 ) `` If You Leave Me Now '' is the title of a popular hit ballad by the American rock group Chicago, from their album Chicago X. It was written and sung by bass guitar player Peter Cetera and released as a single on July 31, 1976. It is also the title of a Chicago compilation album released by Columbia Records ( Columbia 38590 ) in 1983. The single topped the US charts on October 23, 1976, and stayed there for two weeks, making it the first number one hit for the group as well as hitting number one on the Easy Listening charts. `` If You Leave Me Now '' was also Chicago 's biggest hit internationally, topping the charts in other countries such as the UK, Australia, Ireland, Canada, and Netherlands. In the UK it maintained the number one position for three weeks. It was one of only five `` non-disco '' songs to make it to number one in the US in a nine - month period of 1976. According to writer Zachary Houle of PopMatters, `` The song was so pervasive on radio upon its release that, reportedly, those tuning in in New York could hear the song playing on four different stations, each with varying formats, simultaneously. '' The song won Grammy Awards for Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist ( s ) ( strings ) for arranger Jimmie Haskell and producer James William Guercio and Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus, the first Grammy Award won by the group. It also received a Grammy nomination for Record of the Year. In addition, by August 1978 it had sold 1.4 million copies in the United States alone. It has been certified gold and platinum by the RIAA. In 2010 Chicago teamed with the American Cancer Society and offered the opportunity to bid on the chance to sing their hit, `` If You Leave Me Now '' with them on stage live at their concerts, with proceeds going to the American Cancer Society to fight breast cancer. The fund raising effort has continued in succeeding years. Contents 1 Composition 2 Personnel 3 Chart performance 3.1 Weekly charts 3.2 Year - end charts 3.3 Succession 4 Certifications 5 Cover versions 5.1 Live cover performances 5.2 Sampling 6 Use in popular culture 7 See also 8 References 9 External links Composition Peter Cetera originally wrote `` If You Leave Me Now '' at the same time as Chicago VII 's `` Wishing You Were Here '', and composed it on a guitar. According to information on the sheet music for the song at MusicNotes, `` If You Leave Me Now '' is written in the key of B major, and Cetera 's vocal range varies between F sharp 4 ( F ♯ ) and D sharp 6 ( D ♯ ). Personnel Peter Cetera - lead & backing vocals Terry Kath - twelve - string acoustic guitar & bass Robert Lamm - Fender Rhodes electric piano Danny Seraphine - drums Laudir de Oliveira - congas, shakers, finger cymbals, wind chimes Jimmy Pankow - trombone Lee Loughnane - trumpet Walt Parazaider - woodwinds James William Guercio - acoustic guitar Jimmie Haskell - string & French horn orchestrations Chart performance Weekly charts Chart ( 1976 -- 77 ) Peak position Australian Singles Chart Austrian Singles Chart Belgian Singles Chart ( Flanders ) Canada RPM Top Singles Canada RPM Adult Contemporary Dutch Singles Chart German Singles Chart Ireland ( IRMA ) Italian FIMI Norwegian Singles Chart New Zealand Singles Chart Swedish Singles Chart Swiss Singles Chart UK Singles Chart US Billboard Hot 100 US Billboard Easy Listening Year - end charts Chart ( 1976 ) Rank Australia 10 Canada 9 New Zealand 24 UK 6 US Billboard Hot 100 48 US Billboard Easy Listening 15 Chart ( 1977 ) Rank Switzerland 12 Succession Preceded by `` Disco Duck ( Part one ) '' by Rick Dees & His Cast of Idiots Billboard Hot 100 number - one single October 23, 1976 - October 30, 1976 ( two weeks ) Succeeded by `` Rock'n Me '' by Steve Miller Band Preceded by `` Do n't Stop Believin ' '' by Olivia Newton - John Billboard Adult Contemporary chart number - one single September 25, 1976 ( one week ) Succeeded by `` I Ca n't Hear You No More '' by Helen Reddy Preceded by `` Mississippi '' by Pussycat UK Singles Chart number - one single November 13, 1976 ( three weeks ) Succeeded by `` Under the Moon of Love '' by Showaddywaddy Certifications Region Certification Certified units / Sales Canada ( Music Canada ) Gold 5,000 United Kingdom ( BPI ) Gold 500,000 United States ( RIAA ) Platinum 1,000,000 shipments figures based on certification alone Cover versions There have been over 100 versions of `` If You Leave Me Now '' recorded by artists throughout the world, among them : Brotherhood of Man on their 1980 album Sing 20 Number One Hits Elkie Brooks released a version of the song on her album Pearls in 1981 Viola Wills released a Disco version of the song as a single in 1981 Mina released a version of the song on her album Finalmente ho conosciuto il conte Dracula... in 1985 Marti Webb included the song on her album Encore ( 1985 ) which was later re-released on CD entitled If You Leave Me Now ( 1995 ) River Series ( featuring Alex Charles on vocals ) released a maxi single containing three Eurodance remixes of the song on the Dance Pool label in 1995 Upside Down, a British boy band, charted at number 27 in 1996 Peter Cetera re-recorded the song as a solo artist for his 1997 album You 're the Inspiration : A Collection The Isley Brothers on their 2001 album Eternal Egotrippi has released a Finnish version called `` Jos Sä Lähdet Pois '' in 2001 Maggie Reilly on her 2002 album Save It For A Rainy Day Danish popstar Christine Milton recorded an uptempo version for her debut album Friday in 2003 3T released it as a non-album single in 2004 Khalil Fong, a R&B singer based in Hong Kong, recorded a version on his second Mandarin album, This Love, in 2006 Philippine bossa nova singer Sitti recorded a cover of this song for her second album My Bossa Nova in 2007 Suzy Bogguss on her 2007 album Sweet Danger John Barrowman on his 2007 album Another Side Boyz II Men on their 2009 album Love Brazilian pop singer Afonso Nigro recorded a Portuguese version called `` Se Voce me Deixar '' on the album Afonso in 2010 Jazz singer Laura Zakian on her 2014 album Songs For Modern Lovers Gilmar Monteiro, a Brazilian singer of Arrocha ( a music genre from Bahia ), recorded a Portuguese version called `` Não me Deixe Amor '' on his album Gilmar Monteiro Vol 8 ( 2016 ) Live cover performances Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind & Fire sang the song during their joint concerts with Chicago in 2004 - 2006. This version was included in the Love Songs album by Chicago. Sampling Daft Punk used a sample from the Viola Wills 1981 cover of the song for their track `` Fresh '', released on the 1997 album Homework. A sample of the song is used by British electronica duo Lemon Jelly on the `` Nice Weather For Ducks '' B - side `` Soft '' ( 2003 ). Use in popular culture The song has been featured in the movies Three Kings ( 1999 ), Shaun of the Dead ( 2004 ), A Lot Like Love ( 2005 ), Happy Feet ( 2006 ), and Daddy 's Home 2 ( 2017 ) ; the television series Sex and the City and South Park ; and the video game Grand Theft Auto V. A sock puppet sang a version of the song in a 2000 Super Bowl commercial for Pets.com that was ranked as the number one Super Bowl commercial that year by the USA Today Ad Meter. See also List of number - one singles in Australia during the 1970s List of Dutch Top 40 number - one singles of 1976 List of number - one singles from the 1970s ( UK ) List of Hot 100 number - one singles of 1976 ( U.S. ) List of number - one adult contemporary singles of 1976 ( U.S. ) List of European number - one hits of 1977 References ^ Jump up to : The Very Best Of : Only the Beginning ( Media notes ). Chicago. Rhino. 2002. pp. 10, 13. R2 76170. Jump up ^ Larry Starr ; Christopher Alan Waterman ; Jay Hodgson ( 2009 ). Rock : A Canadian Perspective. Oxford University Press. p. 203. ISBN 978 - 0 - 19 - 542761 - 5. Retrieved 10 October 2015. Jump up ^ `` VH1 's 40 Most Softsational Soft - Rock Songs ''. Stereogum. SpinMedia. May 31, 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Whitburn, Joel ( 2002 ). Top Adult Contemporary : 1961 -- 2001. Record Research. p. 55. ^ Jump up to : `` 1976 The Number One Singles Official Charts ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 10, 2013. Jump up ^ Grein, Paul ( October 23, 1976 ). `` Discomania : Market Study Show Craze in Impact Akin to British of ' 60s ''. Billboard. 88 ( 43 ) : 5. Retrieved December 6, 2017 -- via Google Books. Jump up ^ Houle, Zachary ( October 8, 2010 ). `` Exploring Chicago : ' Chicago X ' ''. PopMatters. Retrieved December 6, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Jimmie Haskell ''. GRAMMY.com. May 4, 2017. Retrieved October 3, 2017. Jump up ^ `` James Guercio ''. GRAMMY.com. May 14, 2017. Retrieved October 3, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Chicago ''. GRAMMY.com. May 14, 2017. Retrieved October 3, 2017. Jump up ^ Grein, Paul ( August 26, 1978 ). `` Platinum Singles Top ' 76 -- ' 77 Years ''. Billboard. 90 ( 34 ). p. 114. Retrieved January 10, 2013 -- via Google Books. Jump up ^ `` Gold & Platinum - RIAA Chicago If You Leave Me Now ''. RIAA. Retrieved 2017 - 01 - 19. Jump up ^ `` Grammy - Winning Band Chicago and the American Cancer Society Create Extraordinary Fan Experience to Fight Breast Cancer '' ( Press release ). American Cancer Society. March 16, 2010. Retrieved 2017 - 02 - 18. Jump up ^ Cain, TIM ( Oct 6, 2011 ). `` Tim Cain column : Chicago keeps sniping after split ''. Herald-Review.com. Decatur, Illinois U.S.A. Retrieved 2017 - 02 - 18. Jump up ^ Coker, Eric ( 2012 - 08 - 24 ). `` Chicago continues to make audiences smile - Inside Binghamton University ''. www.binghamton.edu. Binghamton University. Retrieved 2017 - 02 - 14. Jump up ^ Byrne, Terry ( 2013 - 08 - 20 ). `` Chicago at Wolf Trap by Terry Byrne ''. DCMetroTheaterArts. Retrieved 2017 - 02 - 14. Jump up ^ Cetera, Peter ( September 28, 2015 ). `` Peter Cetera / September 28 '' ( audio ). Humble & Fred Radio.Com ( Interview ). Interview with Howard Glassman and Fred Patterson. Toronto, Ontario, Canada : Humble and Fred Radio. Event occurs at 51 : 09. Retrieved October 3, 2017. Jump up ^ Cetera, Peter. `` Chicago `` If You Leave Me Now '' Sheet Music in B Major ( transposable ) - Download & Print ``. Musicnotes.com. MusicNotes. Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 25. Jump up ^ David Kent 's `` Australian Chart Book 1970 - 1992 '' Archived 2016 - 03 - 05 at Archive.is Jump up ^ `` Chicago -- If You Leave Me Now -- Austriancharts.at ''. austriancharts.at ( in German ). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 10, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Ultratop.be -- Chicago -- If You Leave Me Now ''. Ultratop ( in Dutch ). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 10, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Top Singles ''. RPM. 26 ( 2 ) : 23. October 9, 1976. ISSN 0315 - 5994. Retrieved January 10, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada ''. Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1976 - 10 - 09. Retrieved 2018 - 03 - 10. Jump up ^ `` Dutchcharts.nl -- Chicago -- If You Leave Me Now ''. GfK Dutch Charts ( in Dutch ). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 10, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Single -- Chicago, If You Leave Me Now ''. charts.de ( in German ). Media Control. Retrieved January 10, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The Irish Charts -- Search Results -- If You Leave Me Now ''. Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved July 11, 2017. Jump up ^ `` If You Leave Me Now ''. HitParadeItalia ( in Italian ). Creative Commons. Retrieved January 10, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Norwegiancharts.com -- Chicago -- If You Leave Me Now ''. norwegiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved January 10, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Charts.org.nz -- Chicago -- If You Leave Me Now ''. charts.org.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved January 10, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Swedishcharts.com -- Chicago -- If You Leave Me Now ''. swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved January 10, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Chicago -- If You Leave Me Now -- Hitparade.ch ''. hitparade.ch ( in German ). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 10, 2013. Jump up ^ Australian-charts.com Archived 2014 - 10 - 06 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada ''. Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 11. 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 ^ `` Top 100 1976 - UK Music Charts ''. Uk-charts.top-source.info. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 11. Jump up ^ `` Top 100 Hits of 1976 / Top 100 Songs of 1976 ''. Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 11. Jump up ^ `` Top 50 Adult Contemporary Hits of 1976 ''. www.45cat.com. Retrieved December 6, 2017. Jump up ^ Swiss Year - End Charts, 1977 Jump up ^ `` Canadian single certifications -- Chicago -- If You Leave Me Now ''. Music Canada. Retrieved January 10, 2013. Jump up ^ `` British single certifications -- Chicago -- If You Leave Me Now ''. British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 10, 2013. Enter If You Leave Me Now in the search field and then press Enter. Jump up ^ `` American single certifications -- Chicago -- If You Leave Me Now ''. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 10, 2013. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH Jump up ^ Taylor, Chuck ( July 12, 1997 ). `` For former Chicago crooner Cetera, making hits is a hard habit to break ''. Billboard. 109 ( 28 ). p. 85. Retrieved November 29, 2017. Jump up ^ Reuters Staff ( August 31, 2007 ). `` Billboard CD reviews : Lil ' Mo, Patti Scialfa '' Artist : Suzy Bogguss ``. Reuters. Retrieved November 15, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Love Songs ''. Billboard. February 5, 2005. p. 64 ( Full page advertisement for album ). Retrieved November 29, 2017. Jump up ^ Hyden, Steven ( June 10, 2007 ). `` Eleven songs in search of a soundtrack ''. AV / Music. The A.V. Club. Retrieved November 28, 2017. Jump up ^ Borders, Meredith ( August 23, 2013 ). `` The Winchester, The Crown And THE WORLD 'S END : Film 's Unforgettable Pubs ''. Birth. Movies. Death. Retrieved November 28, 2017. Jump up ^ Lowry, Brian ( April 20, 2005 ). `` A Lot Like Love ''. Variety. Retrieved November 17, 2017. Jump up ^ `` AFI Catalog : Happy Feet ''. catalog.afi.com. American Film Institute. Retrieved November 28, 2017. Jump up ^ Melis, Matt ; Young, Killian ; Kaye, Ben ( September 11, 2017 ). `` The Top 100 South Park Songs ''. Consequence of Sound. Retrieved November 29, 2017. Jump up ^ Andrews, Stuart ( January 26, 2017 ). `` GTA 5 PC - Xbox 360 and PS3 ''. Trusted Reviews. Time. Retrieved November 29, 2017. Jump up ^ Alex Moazed ; Nicholas L. Johnson ( May 31, 2016 ). Modern Monopolies : What It Takes to Dominate the 21st Century Economy. St. Martin 's Press. pp. 20 --. ISBN 978 - 1 - 250 - 09190 - 1 -- via Google Books. External links If You Leave Me Now at allmusic.com Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Chicago Robert Lamm Lee Loughnane James Pankow Walter Parazaider Keith Howland Ray Herrmann Lou Pardini Daniel De Los Reyes Walfredo Reyes Jr. Brett Simons Neil Donell Danny Seraphine Peter Cetera Terry Kath Laudir de Oliveira Donnie Dacus Chris Pinnick Bill Champlin Jason Scheff Dawayne Bailey Tris Imboden Bruce Gaitsch Drew Hester Jeff Coffey Studio albums Chicago Transit Authority Chicago Chicago III Chicago V Chicago VI Chicago VII Chicago VIII Chicago X Chicago XI Hot Streets Chicago 13 Chicago XIV Chicago 16 Chicago 17 Chicago 18 Chicago 19 Twenty 1 Night & Day : Big Band Chicago XXV : The Christmas Album Chicago XXX Chicago XXXII : Stone of Sisyphus Chicago XXXIII : O Christmas Three Chicago XXXV : The Nashville Sessions Chicago XXXVI : Now Live albums Chicago at Carnegie Hall Live in Japan Chicago XXVI : Live in Concert Chicago XXXIV : Live in ' 75 Compilations Chicago IX : Chicago 's Greatest Hits Greatest Hits, Volume II If You Leave Me Now Take Me Back to Chicago Greatest Hits 1982 -- 1989 Group Portrait The Heart of Chicago 1967 -- 1997 The Heart of Chicago 1967 -- 1998 Volume II The Very Best of Chicago : Only the Beginning The Box Love Songs The Best of Chicago : 40th Anniversary Edition Singles `` Questions 67 and 68 '' `` Beginnings '' `` Make Me Smile '' `` 25 or 6 to 4 '' `` Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is ? '' `` Free '' `` Lowdown '' `` Saturday in the Park '' `` Dialogue ( Part I & II ) '' `` Feelin ' Stronger Every Day '' `` Just You ' n ' Me '' `` ( I 've Been ) Searchin ' So Long '' `` Call on Me '' `` Wishing You Were Here '' `` Harry Truman '' `` Old Days '' `` Brand New Love Affair '' `` Another Rainy Day in New York City '' `` If You Leave Me Now '' `` You Are on My Mind '' `` Baby, What a Big Surprise '' `` Alive Again '' `` No Tell Lover '' `` Hard to Say I 'm Sorry '' `` Love Me Tomorrow '' `` Stay the Night '' `` Hard Habit to Break '' `` You 're the Inspiration '' `` Along Comes a Woman '' `` Will You Still Love Me ? '' `` If She Would Have Been Faithful... '' `` Niagara Falls '' `` I Do n't Wanna Live Without Your Love '' `` Look Away '' `` You 're Not Alone '' `` We Can Last Forever '' `` What Kind of Man Would I Be ? '' `` Chasin ' the Wind '' Related articles Discography Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=If_You_Leave_Me_Now&oldid=834421188 '' Categories : 1976 singles Chicago ( band ) songs Billboard Hot 100 number - one singles Billboard Adult Contemporary number - one singles Dutch Top 40 number - one singles Single Top 100 number - one singles European Hot 100 Singles number - one singles UK Singles Chart number - one singles Number - one singles in Australia Songs written by Peter Cetera Rock ballads 1970s ballads Song recordings produced by James William Guercio Columbia Records singles Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist ( s ) Hidden categories : Webarchive template archiveis links CS1 German - language sources ( de ) CS1 Dutch - language sources ( nl ) CS1 Italian - language sources ( it ) Webarchive template wayback links Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for Ireland2 Singlechart called without artist Certification Table Entry usages for Canada Certification Table Entry usages for United Kingdom Certification Table Entry usages for United States Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Español Français Italiano Nederlands Norsk Norsk nynorsk Tiếng Việt Edit links This page was last edited on 5 April 2018, at 17 : 02. 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Question: who sings if you leave me now you take away the biggest part of me
Answer: Chicago