Johnny Nash Made History With This Song (At It Was Shockingly His Only No. 1 Single)

Johnny Nash had one No.1 single in his entire career, and it’s “I Can See Clearly Now”. Although Nash had plenty of hits, including “Let’s Move & Groove Together”, “Hold Me Tight”, and “Stir It Up”, “I Can See Clearly Now” is Nash’s only song to reach the top of the charts. 

The song is the title track of a record that came out in 1972. Not only did “I Can See Clearly Now” become a No. 1 single for Nash, but it also made history in the process. “I Can See Clearly Now” is the first reggae song to reach the top of the charts on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. A four-week No.1 single on both Billboard’s Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts, “I Can See Clearly Now” was written by Nash.

The optimistic, feel-good song says, “I can see clearly now, the rain has gone / I can see all obstacles in my way / Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind / It’s gonna be a bright, bright sun-shining day / It’s gonna be a bright, bright sun-shining day.”

The Story Behind “I Can See Clearly Now” by Johnny Nash

Nash may have made history by being the first reggae artist to have a No. 1 pop hit. Still, he didn’t always appreciate the distinction between genres.

“I don’t prefer to be categorized as a reggae artist, but to listen to my sound one can readily hear the influence of reggae,” Nash later told 5 Corner District. “During my earlier career years I traveled to Jamaica and picked up the reggae sound fast and earnestly. I did not catch on here in the States as a reggae artist, but as a singer because what I do is a blend of reggae, soul and jazz-rock.”

Not much is known about the inspiration behind “I Can See Clearly Now”. Rumors floated that Nash wrote “I Can See Clearly Now” while recovering from cataract surgery. However, that fact has never been verified.

Interestingly, Bob Marley was an assistant producer and session player on I Can See Clearly Now. The song came out before Marley had success on his own as a solo artist.

Jamaican singer Jimmy Cliff had a big hit with his song in 1993. Cliff’s version appears in Cool Runnings, the blockbuster 1993 film starring John Candy. In 1987, Glass Plus used “I Can See Clearly Now” in a commercial.

Numerous other artists have put their own spin on “I Can See Clearly Now”. Count Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, and Brenda Lee among those who also recorded this song.

Photo by Fotos International/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

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