"Hold Your Head Up" is a song by the English rock band
Argent, first released as a single in 1971. The song was a Top 5 hit in the
US, the
UK, and the
Canadian charts, peaking at No. 5 in all three countries. However, it was the band's only song to chart on the
Billboard Hot 100.[2]Billboard ranked it as the
No. 50 song for 1972. The song appeared on the third Argent album All Together Now (1972).
Background, composition, and recording
The song was written by
Chris White[3] and credited to the songwriting partnership of White and
Rod Argent.[4]
Release and reception
The song was warmly received by music critics. Record World called it an "infectious rocker" that should "have strong impact" in the U.S.[5]Georgiy Starostin thought that it was the best track on All Together Now, the band's quintessential album. He called it "a solid, riffy tune whose main attractions are the gruff, almost war-march-style bassline" and praised Rod Argent's keyboard work.[6] The
Hammond B3 solo on the track has been described by keyboard-player
Rick Wakeman as the "greatest organ solo ever."[7]