Light My Fire

For other uses, see Light My Fire (disambiguation).

"Light My Fire"
The Italian single sleeve of the song
Italian single cover
Single by the Doors
from the album The Doors
B-side"The Crystal Ship"
Released
  • January 4, 1967 (1967-01-04) (album)
  • April 24, 1967 (single)
RecordedAugust 1966 (1966-08)
Genre
Length
  • 7:06 (album version)
  • 2:52 (single version)
LabelElektra
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Paul A. Rothchild
The Doors singles chronology
"Break On Through (To the Other Side)"
(1967) 		"Light My Fire"
(1967) 		"People Are Strange"
(1967)
Live video
"The Doors - Light My Fire" on YouTube

"Light My Fire" is a song by the American rock band the Doors. Although it was principally written by the band's guitarist, Robby Krieger,[7] songwriting was credited to the entire band. Recognized as one of the earliest examples of psychedelic rock,[8] it was recorded in August 1966 and released in January 1967 on their eponymous debut album. Due to its erotic lyrics and innovative structure, the track has come to be regarded as synonymous with the '60s psychedelic and sexual revolutions.[9]

Issued as an edited single on April 24, 1967,[10] the song spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart; it re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968 following the success of José Feliciano's cover version (which charted at number three), peaking at number 87. The song also spent one week on the Cash Box Top 100, nearly a year after its recording. At the 11th Annual Grammy Awards in 1969, the cover by Feliciano won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Male Pop Vocal Performance. Feliciano also won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist.[11]

  1. ^ "Forty Years on, Jim Morrison Cult Thrives at Paris Cemetery". The Independent. September 18, 2011. Archived from the original on June 14, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
  2. ^ Gallucci, Ennio (February 24, 2021). "Top 20 Psychedelic Rock Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  3. ^ O'Connor, Roisin (January 30, 2021). "The 35 Greatest Debut Albums of All Time". The Independent. Archived from the original on June 14, 2022. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  4. ^ Bell, Max. "The Top 20 Greatest Doors Songs". Louder Sound. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  5. ^ Moretta, John Anthony (2017). The Hippies: A 1960s History. McFarland & Company. p. 197. ISBN 978-1476627397.
  6. ^ Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (March 23, 2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.
  7. ^ Gilliland, John (1969). "Show 43 - Revolt of the Fat Angel: Some samples of the Los Angeles sound. [Part 3]" (audio). Pop Chronicles. University of North Texas Libraries.
  8. ^ "'Light My Fire' — The Doors". Medium. December 17, 2017. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  9. ^ Planer, Lindsay. "The Doors: 'Light My Fire' – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  10. ^ "April 24, 1967: The Doors Release "Light My Fire" as a Single". The Doors Examiner. April 24, 2017. Archived from the original on December 3, 2018. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
  11. ^ Grammy.com