Following the successful release of their first two records, Lynyrd Skynyrd knew they had to come back fightin’ with album #3. The resulting project was 1975’s Nuthin’ Fancy, which has since gone down in history as one of the band’s best albums ever.
Containing classic tracks such as “On the Hunt” and “Saturday Night Special,” Nuthin’ Fancy earned a treasured spot in the hearts of Southern rock fans around the world. Today, the album continues to be a Skynyrd fan-favorite.
In honor of the album’s 42 anniversary on March 23, we’ve gathered up five fun facts that all Skynyrd fans should know about it! Click the button below to get started!
1. It Was Skynyrd’s First Album To Break The Top 10
Although Skynyrd’s first two albums (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd) and Second Helping have both been certified Double Platinum, neither of them managed to break into the Top 10 on the chart. Nuthin’ Fancy was the group’s first album to do so, after it claimed the ninth spot.
However, it isn’t Skynyrd’s highest-performing album on the charts. That honor goes to 1997’s Street Survivors, which reached the fifth spot.
2. It Has Sold Over A Million Copies
As mentioned in the previous fact, Skynyrd’s first two albums have both been certified Double Platinum by the RIAA. These certifications are awarded based on the number of units sold. In order for an album to go Platinum, it has to sell a total of one million units. Each subsequent Platinum certification indicates an addition million units sold.
Nuthin’ Fancy has been certified Platinum by the RIAA, meaning that it has sold a total of one million copies. It was first certified Gold for the sale of 500,000 units just three months after its release. It was certified Platinum 12 years later, on July 21, 1987.
3. It’s The First Album To Feature Drummer Atriums Pyle
Bob Burns was the drummer who worked with Skynyrd on their first two albums. He helped found Skynyrd in 1964 and remained with them until 1974. Bob eventually found himself overwhelmed with life on the road, and decided to leave Skynyrd because of that
Bob’s replacement was drummer Atriums Pyle, who was first featured on Nuthin’ Fancy. He played with the group until the plane crash in 1977, and rejoined once they reunited in 1987. He is no longer with the band today, but he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with some of Skynyrd’s other early members in 2006.
4. Ronnie Wrote One Song All On His Own
With the exception of a few covers, almost all of Skynyrd’s pre-crash tracks were written or co-written by lead vocalist Ronnie Van Zant. Ronnie often collaborated with his bandmates when it came to songwriting, relying particularly on guitarists Gary Rossington and Allen Collins.
But as a true testament to his talent, Ronnie was fully capable of writing stellar tunes all on his own. One of those songs was “Made in the Shade,” which was included as the seventh track on Nuthin’ Fancy.
5. One Of Its Songs Was Feautred In A Popular Video Game
Arguably the most recognizable song off of Nuthin’ Fancy is “Saturday Night Special.” The song references the cheap handguns of the same name, and associates those guns with an increase in random acts of violence.
34 years after “Saturday Night Special” was released, it was featured in an expansion pack for the popular video game Grand Theft Auto IV. The song has also played during many hit television series, including Supernatural and The Walking Dead.
There you have it folks…five cool facts about Skynyrd’s third studio album, Nutin’ Fancy! Be sure to share them all with the devoted Skynyrd fans in your life!