A Horse With No Name

America recorded “A Horse with No Name” in 1971 at Morgan Studios in Willesden, London. Dewey Bunnell wrote the song and sang lead vocal, with Ian Samwell producing and the trio joined by Ray Cooper on percussion and Kim Haworth on drums. Released by Warner Bros. in 1971 in the UK and in 1972 in the United States, it became America’s breakthrough single and reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Its spare desert imagery, acoustic-guitar pattern and close harmonies made the band a major new presence in early-1970s transatlantic soft rock. The track remains America’s signature recording and one of the most recognisable acoustic-rock singles of the 1970s. Its enduring radio presence, repeated cultural use and later sampling and covers have kept it central to the band’s catalogue.