Peg (song)

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1977 single by Steely Dan

title: "Peg (song)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1977-songs", "1977-singles", "steely-dan-songs", "songs-written-by-donald-fagen", "songs-written-by-walter-becker", "abc-records-singles", "song-recordings-produced-by-gary-katz"] description: "1977 single by Steely Dan" topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peg_(song)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 1977 single by Steely Dan ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]

FieldValue
namePeg
imagePeg single.jpg
captionSide A of the US single
typesingle
artistSteely Dan
albumAja
B-sideI Got the News
releasedNovember 1977
recorded1977
genre
length3:58
labelABC
writer
producerGary Katz
prev_titleHaitian Divorce
prev_year1976
next_titleDeacon Blues
next_year1978
misc
::

| name = Peg | image = Peg single.jpg | alt = | caption = Side A of the US single | type = single | artist = Steely Dan | album = Aja | B-side = I Got the News | released = November 1977 | recorded = 1977 | studio = | venue = | genre = | length = 3:58 | label = ABC | writer = | producer = Gary Katz | prev_title = Haitian Divorce | prev_year = 1976 | next_title = Deacon Blues | next_year = 1978 | misc = "Peg" is a song by the American rock group Steely Dan, first released on the band's 1977 album Aja. The track was released as a single in 1977 and reached number 11 on the US Billboard chart in 1978 and number eight on the Cash Box chart. With a chart run of 19 weeks, "Peg" is tied with "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" and "Hey Nineteen" for being Steely Dan's longest-running chart hit. In Canada, "Peg" spent three weeks at number seven in March 1978.

Music and lyrics

"Peg" has been described by AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine as a "sunny pop" song with "layers of jazzy vocal harmonies", while music scholar Stephen K. Valdez said it features a fusion of jazz and rock elements. In the opinion of jazz musician and academic Andy LaVerne, the song "has the blues at its core, though it might not be apparent at first listen".

The song's guitar solo was attempted by seven top studio session guitarists—including Robben Ford and recurring guitarist Larry Carlton—before Jay Graydon's version became the "keeper". He worked on the song for about six hours before the band was satisfied.

Graydon spoke about his famous guitar solo in a 2014 interview:

Michael McDonald provides multi-tracked backup vocals in the choruses, and keyboardist Paul Griffin can be heard talking and improvising background vocals in the final chorus and fadeout.

Although there was speculation that the name was a reference to Broadway star and one-time Hollywood actress Peg Entwistle, in 2000 the band said the song was written about a real person but not Entwistle. In 2020, Donald Fagen said "There's no hidden meaning. We just wanted a dotted half note for that spot, and 'Peg' was short enough to fit with the music." Fagen added that the song "takes place at a seedy photo shoot in L.A...from the perspective of [a] jilted boyfriend."

Legacy

Billboard praised the "sarcastic" lyrics, the "stinging instrumental break" and the "chilling" piano playing. Cash Box wrote, "this snappy number has the beat and the harmonic hooks to capture that extra top 40 momentum." Record World called it "a pop-rock love song, crafted with [Steely Dan's] usual perfectionism and flair."

Pitchfork rated "Peg" as its 87th best song of the 1970s, describing it as the "perfect Steely Dan song, and one of the strangest hits to ever grace the mainstream." Drummer Rick Marotta called "Peg" one of the greatest tracks he has ever played on. In 2017, Dan Weiss of Billboard ranked the song third on his list of the top 15 Steely Dan songs, and in 2020, Phil Freeman of Stereogum ranked the song second on his list of the top 10 Steely Dan songs.

The song was the theme music for a celebrity paparazzi segment by the syndicated news magazine Entertainment Tonight from 1981 to 1985.

"Peg" was heavily sampled on the 1989 De La Soul song "Eye Know". It was covered by Nerina Pallot in 2007 and in 2014 by Donny Osmond.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

::data[format=table] | Chart (1977–1978) | Peak position | |---|---| | US Billboard Hot 100 | 11 | | US Billboard Adult Contemporary | 30 | | US Cash Box Top 100 | 8 | | Canadian RPM Top Singles | 7 | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table]

Chart (1978)Rank
US Billboard Hot 10062
Canada67
::

Personnel

Source: Adapted from Aja liner notes.

References

References

  1. (November 26, 1977). "Top Single Picks".
  2. Pitchfork Staff. (August 22, 2016). "The 200 Best Songs of the 1970s".
  3. Pitchfork Staff. (August 22, 2016). "The 200 Best Songs of the 1970s".
  4. [{{BillboardURLbyName
  5. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada".
  6. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Aja - Steely Dan". [[AllMusic]].
  7. Valdez, Stephen K.. (2006). "A History of Rock Music". Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.
  8. LaVerne, Andy. (2006). "More Than a Blues".
  9. (22 August 2016). "The 200 Best Songs of the 1970s - Page 6 {{!}} Pitchfork".
  10. Schonfeld, Zach. (September 24, 2017). "Steely Dan's 'Aja' at 40: The Inside Story of the Band's Most Legendary Guitar Solo". [[Newsweek]].
  11. 2014 interview with guitarist Jay Graydon on [http://www.noecho.net/interviews/jay-graydon-producer-songwriter-session-musician-al-jarreau-steely-dan].
  12. Classic Albums DVD: Aja
  13. "Steely Dan fan Q&A".
  14. (7 April 2020). "'Peg, It Will Come Back to You': Steely Dan's Donald Fagen on the 1977 Hit". [[Wall Street Journal]].
  15. (7 April 2020). "'Peg, It Will Come Back to You': Steely Dan's Donald Fagen on the 1977 Hit". [[Wall Street Journal]].
  16. (November 26, 1977). "Top Single Picks". Billboard.
  17. (November 26, 1977). "CashBox Singles Reviews". Cash Box.
  18. (November 26, 1977). "Hits of the Week".
  19. Russ Harris. (2008-08-04). "Peg - Steely Dan - The Making Of".
  20. Weiss, Dan. (September 3, 2017). "The 15 Greatest Steely Dan Songs".
  21. Freeman, Phil. (November 25, 2020). "The 10 Best Steely Dan Songs". [[Stereogum]].
  22. "De la Soul's 'Eye Know' - Discover the Sample Source".
  23. [https://web.archive.org/web/20150214142728/http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/19780311.html Cash Box Top 100 Singles, March 11, 1978]
  24. "Top 100 Hits of 1978/Top 100 Songs of 1978".
  25. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada".
  26. (1977). "Steely Dan - Aja (1977, Gatefold; Santa Maria Pressing, Vinyl)". Discogs.

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1977-songs1977-singlessteely-dan-songssongs-written-by-donald-fagensongs-written-by-walter-beckerabc-records-singlessong-recordings-produced-by-gary-katz