Wasted on the Way

"Wasted on the Way"
Single by Crosby, Stills & Nash
from the album Daylight Again
B-side"Delta"
Released1982
Recorded1981
GenreFolk rock, rock
Length2:52
LabelAtlantic
SongwriterGraham Nash
ProducerCrosby, Stills and Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash singles chronology
"Just a Song Before I Go"
(1977)
"Wasted on the Way"
(1982)
"Southern Cross"
(1982)

"Wasted on the Way" is a 1982 song by American folk rock trio Crosby, Stills & Nash, featuring harmony vocals by Timothy B. Schmit. It was their first top 10 hit in five years, and peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles charts in August 1982.[1] On the Adult Contemporary chart, "Wasted on the Way" was the group's biggest hit on the chart, peaking at number two for five weeks.[2] It appeared on the band's 1982 album Daylight Again. The B-side was the David Crosby composition "Delta".

Graham Nash wrote "Wasted on the Way" and it became the album's biggest hit. The song, thematically, was about the time the group spent in squabbles and diversions rather than concentrating on their music.[3] As with some other of the group's songs, water imagery is employed.[4] American Songwriter magazine has written, "Graham Nash did an amazing job on 'Wasted on the Way' of taking these concerns, which were specific to his own experience, and transforming them into relatable life advice."[3]

"Wasted on the Way" has remained popular among several soft rock radio formats, such as SiriusXM's The Blend.[5]

Personnel

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Additional musicians

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Charts

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Weekly charts

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Chart (1982) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] 96
US Billboard Hot 100 9

Year-end charts

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Year-end chart (1982) Rank
US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)[7] 57

References

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  1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications)
  2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 67.
  3. ^ a b https://americansongwriter.com/the-crosby-stills-nash-lyric-bemoaning-the-groups-missed-opportunities/
  4. ^ https://melodyinsight.com/crosby-stills-nash-wasted-on-the-way-lyrics-meaning/
  5. ^ https://www.radiowavemonitor.com/pub_charts/diaries.aspx?IDDS=3770
  6. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 77. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  7. ^ "Talent in Action : Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 94, no. 51. December 25, 1982. p. TIA-20.