The 10 Best Richard Perry Productions

Richard Perry, one of the great record producers of the 1970s and ’80s, died on Tuesday Dec. 24 at age 82. Like such contemporary producers as Jack Antonoff, Greg Kurstin, Finneas and Daniel Nigro, Perry was nearly as well-known, at least among pop obsessives, as the artists he worked with.

No producer can guarantee a hit, then or now. But Village Voice said of Perry in 1973, “the rungs on the ladder of success seem so much closer together when Perry is your guide.”

Rolling Stone dubbed Perry “Producer of the Year” for 1973 for his work with Carly Simon and Ringo Starr. The Grammys didn’t yet have a producer of the year, non-classical category, at that time, but Perry was nominated for record of the year in both 1973 (Nilsson’s “Without You”) and 1974 (Simon’s “You’re So Vain”).

The Grammys finally added a producer category the following year. Perry was nominated for that award twice, though he didn’t win. He lost in 1977 to Stevie Wonder and in 1978 to Peter Asher – also great producers, to be sure, but it would have been nice if Perry had gotten the honor at some point.

Perry’s sample works, which were included on the Grammy nominations list, in 1977 were Burton Cummings’ eponymous solo debut album (and its top 10 hit “Stand Tall”) and The Manhattan Transfer’s third studio album, Coming Out. His sample works in 1978 were Diana Ross’ Baby It’s Me, Simon’s “Nobody Does It Better” and Leo Sayer’s Endless Flight (and its hits “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing,” “When I Need You” and “How Much Love”) and also Sayer’s “Thunder in My Heart,” the lead single and title track from his follow-up studio album.

Perry topped Billboard’s end-of-year Pop Producers recap twice. He led in 1977 and again in 1984.

Perry produced more than 30 songs that made the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. Here are 10 particular favorites.