Laughing (The Guess Who song)
| Industry | Music |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1960s |
| Headquarters | Canada |
| Products | Rock music |
Laughing is a popular track by the Canadian rock group The Guess Who. It attained the number one spot on the Canadian Singles Chart for a single week and climbed to number ten on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, becoming the band's second Top 10 hit in the United States. This song brought the band their second out of three gold certifications in the U.S. and also reached the Top 20 charts in South Africa and New Zealand.
Included on their 1969 album Canned Wheat, "Laughing" was issued as a single that same year, achieving sales exceeding 350,000 copies within its initial three weeks.
Critical reception
Dave Bist from The Montreal Gazette remarked that earlier successes like "These Eyes" and "Laughing" suggested the band was chiefly driven by commercial aims. He further commented that subsequent releases such as "Undun" and "No Time" contributed to altering that viewpoint.
Promo video
A seldom-seen black-and-white music video for this song exists.
Personnel
- Burton Cummings – lead vocals, keyboards, rhythm guitar
- Randy Bachman – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Jim Kale – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Garry Peterson – drums
Weekly charts
| Chart (1969) | Highest position |
|---|---|
| Canada RPM Top Singles | 1 |
| Canada RPM Adult Contemporary | 3 |
| New Zealand | 19 |
| South Africa (Springbok Radio) | 20 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 10 |
| U.S. Cash Box Top 100 | 4 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1969) | Position |
|---|---|
| Canada | 30 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 96 |
| U.S. Cash Box Top 100 | 84 |
Cover versions
Saxophonist Dave Pell has recorded a rendition of this song.
Uses in popular culture
An edited cut of "Laughing" was featured in an Instagram video posted by director Todd Phillips during a camera test for the 2019 film Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix. Additionally, it appeared in promotional trailers for the 2017 horror movie Jigsaw, which is part of the Saw franchise.