America - A Horse With No Name+Lyrics

UCRs top 100 classic rock songs list brings us to #78: America "A HORSE WITH NO NAME"

Considering their band name is America and was comprised of Americans, it's a bit odd to learn that the group in the No. 78 slot on our list was actually formed in England.

"A Horse With No Name" became America's most popular single, helping their 1972 debut effort achieve platinum sales status in the United States. Funny enough though, the song was not included on the album when it was initially released. Given a lukewarm response by audiences in the U.K., America's label asked the group to head back into the studio and demo four additional songs. One of those additional songs was called "Desert Song," a track that was eventually re-christened with its now-famous moniker.

America co-founder Dewey Bunnell was never shy about admitting the influence that Neil Young had upon his music, and you definitely sense that here. His lead vocals bear a striking resemblance to Young, and the vocal harmonies owed plenty to Young's occasional band mates in Crosby, Stills & Nash. "A Horse With No Name"eventually climbed to the No. 1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, ironically overtaking Young's "Heart of Gold" for that spot.

America later scored a respectable number of hits after this, but they will be forever remembered as the band who observed "plants and birds and rocks and things" on their trip through the desert.