Mr. Blue Sky: How ELO Wrote It After Two Weeks of Gloom
Mr. Blue Sky is the sound of a songwriter stepping out of two weeks of gloom.
Jeff Lynne was in a Swiss chalet, trying to start Electric Light Orchestra's next album.
The weather would not clear.
When the sun came out, he wrote the song that closes the rain suite on Out of the Blue.
It hit number six in the UK and number 35 on the Hot 100.
Decades later it found a second life.
Below are the writing, the recording, the chart run, the Beatles echoes and the film that revived it.
Electric Light Orchestra live at Ekeberghallen, Oslo, April 27, 1978.
Image credit: Photo by Helge Øverås, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Mr. Blue Sky: Written After Two Weeks of Gloom
A Swiss Chalet and a Stubborn Sky
Lynne told BBC Radio he wrote it at a Swiss chalet, while starting the follow-up to A New World Record.
He described the weather as dark and misty for two weeks.
Then the sun came out, and the songs followed.
He said he wrote Mr. Blue Sky and 13 other songs in the next two weeks.
The Rain Suite and Its Last Track
Wikipedia's page on the album says Lynne wrote Out of the Blue in about three and a half weeks.
Side three is a four-track suite called Concerto for a Rainy Day, inspired by Swiss rain.
Mr. Blue Sky is the final track of that suite, written after the weather cleared.
Lynne described the sun as brilliant and shining, and the song plays like that moment.
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Songwriter and producer | Jeff Lynne |
| Performer | Electric Light Orchestra |
| Album | Out of the Blue (1977) |
| Recorded | Musicland Studios, Munich |
| UK single release | January 20, 1978, on Jet Records |
| B-side | One Summer Dream |
| Length | 3:44 single, 5:06 album version |
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, checked October 18, 2026.
Album details are from the Wikipedia article on Out of the Blue.
The Album Behind the Single
Out of the Blue came out on October 24, 1977 in the US and October 28 in the UK.
Wikipedia lists the recording as May to August 1977 at Musicland in Munich.
The album reached number four in the UK and on the Billboard 200.
About 10 million copies had sold worldwide by 2007.
Its cover showed a giant spaceship, and the tour put the band inside a glowing flying saucer stage set.
Electric Light Orchestra in a Jet Records trade advertisement, Billboard, November 19, 1977.
Image credit: Jet Records, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Hear Mr. Blue Sky
Press play on the original recording, then listen for the choir and the robotic voice in the breakdown.
If you want more songs in this sunny mood, the Mood Song Matcher can pull upbeat 70s artists.
The Sound: Vocoder, Strings and Beatles Echoes
Who Played What
Lynne handled lead and backing vocals, guitars, and the orchestral and choral arrangements.
The rest of the band filled in the colors.
| Player | Role |
|---|---|
| Jeff Lynne | Lead and backing vocals, guitars, orchestral and choral arrangements |
| Richard Tandy | Piano, electric piano, synthesizer, vocoder |
| Bev Bevan | Drums, percussion, cymbals, backing vocals |
| Kelly Groucutt | Bass, backing vocals |
| Mik Kaminski | Violin |
| Hugh McDowell and Melvyn Gale | Cello |
| Louis Clark | Orchestra conductor and additional arrangements |
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, checked October 18, 2026.
The Robot Voice in the Middle
The vocoded voice in the breakdown is credited to Tandy on Wikipedia.
It is the part of the record that sounds most like the future, sitting between strings and a choir.
Beatles Echoes Critics Heard
Critics have heard the Beatles all over this record.
- AllMusic's Donald A. Guarisco called it a miniature pop symphony.
- Nick DeRiso heard echoes of Hello, Goodbye, I Am the Walrus, Maxwell's Silver Hammer and A Day in the Life.
- Stereogum's Ryan Reed ranked it second among ELO songs and compared it to Penny Lane.
- Ultimate Classic Rock's Michael Gallucci ranked it ELO's best song.
Wikipedia also notes that the intro borrows from The Kinks' Do You Remember Walter.
Trade papers were warm too.
Billboard called the beat catchy, and Cash Box praised its full sound.
The Credit Dispute
Wikipedia reports that bassist Kelly Groucutt sued Lynne in 1983, alleging he had written the middle section without credit.
The page does not report how the case ended, so treat the claim as an allegation only.
Mr. Blue Sky on the Charts
According to Wikipedia, the single peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart in 1978.
In the US it reached number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Mr. Blue Sky is not on this site's year-end lists, so that peak is credited to Wikipedia.
Around the World in 1978
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (OCC) | No. 6 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100) | No. 8 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) | No. 11 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) | No. 18 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM) | No. 26 |
| US Cash Box Top 100 | No. 27 |
| West Germany (GfK) | No. 27 |
| Ireland (IRMA) | No. 28 |
| US Record World Singles | No. 33 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | No. 35 |
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | No. 87 |
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, checked October 18, 2026.
Year-End Ranks and Certifications
The song held up better abroad than the peak alone suggests.
- UK year-end (Music Week) 1978: number 43.
- Netherlands Single Top 100 year-end 1978: number 43.
- Netherlands Dutch Top 40 year-end 1978: number 69.
Wikipedia lists these certifications, which combine sales and streaming.
| Country | Award | Units |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 4x Platinum | 2,400,000 |
| United States | 3x Platinum | 3,000,000 |
| New Zealand | 4x Platinum | 120,000 |
| Spain | Platinum | 60,000 |
| Germany | Gold | 250,000 |
| Denmark | Gold | 45,000 |
| Italy | Gold | 35,000 |
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, checked October 18, 2026.
A number 35 peak did not predict three million certified US units.
The weekly chart is only part of a song's story.
See the year's biggest sellers in our top songs of 1978.
The rest of the band's run is in our list of Electric Light Orchestra songs.
The Revival: Guardians, Streaming and Re-Recording
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Mr. Blue Sky is track one on the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 soundtrack, listed at 5:03.
Wikipedia says every song on the track list except Fox on the Run is featured in the film.
The Chart Return
- 2017 US Hot Rock and Alternative Songs: number 12.
- 2017 US Rock Digital Song Sales: number 11.
- 2019 US Rock Streaming Songs: number 11.
- 2017 US Hot Rock Songs year-end: number 71.
Lynne's 2012 Re-Recording
In 2012 Lynne re-recorded the song for a Frontiers Records best-of album.
The album was titled Mr. Blue Sky: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra.
That version runs 3:44 and leaves out the orchestral ending.
A colorful animated video followed, directed by Michael Patterson and Candace Reckinger with University of Southern California students.
| Version | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Original single | 1978 | No. 6 UK, No. 35 Hot 100 |
| Jeff Lynne's re-recording | 2012 | Frontiers Records, no orchestral ending |
| Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 soundtrack | 2017 | Track 1; No. 12 Hot Rock and Alternative Songs |
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, checked October 18, 2026.
Soundtrack details are from the Wikipedia page for the film's soundtrack.
To hear what else was on the radio in 1978, try the Random 70s Song Generator.
More of the decade is at Music of the 70s.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Mr. Blue Sky?
Jeff Lynne wrote and produced Mr. Blue Sky for Electric Light Orchestra.
He wrote it at a Swiss chalet while preparing the follow-up to A New World Record.
It closes the Concerto for a Rainy Day suite on side three of the 1977 double album Out of the Blue.
Where was Mr. Blue Sky recorded?
Mr. Blue Sky was recorded at Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany.
Wikipedia lists the Out of the Blue sessions there as running from May to August 1977.
The song was then released as a single on Jet Records in the UK on January 20, 1978.
How high did Mr. Blue Sky chart?
Mr. Blue Sky peaked at number 6 on the UK Singles Chart in 1978.
In the US it reached number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100.
It also reached number 8 in the Netherlands Single Top 100 and number 18 in Flanders, according to Wikipedia.
Is Mr. Blue Sky in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2?
Mr. Blue Sky is track one on the soundtrack album for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Wikipedia says the song is featured in the film.
In 2017 it reached number 12 on the US Hot Rock and Alternative Songs chart.
What is the Concerto for a Rainy Day?
Concerto for a Rainy Day is the four-track suite on side three of Out of the Blue.
It was inspired by rain Lynne saw in Switzerland.
Mr. Blue Sky is its final track, written after the weather cleared and the sun came out.
Sources
- Mr. Blue Sky, Wikipedia, for the writing story, the recording, release details, chart peaks, year-end ranks, certifications, reviews, credits, the 2012 re-recording and the Groucutt claim.
- Out of the Blue, Wikipedia, for the album release dates, recording period, the Concerto for a Rainy Day suite, chart peaks and sales.
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 soundtrack, Wikipedia, for the track listing and film use.
- This site's Billboard year-end data was checked, and Mr. Blue Sky does not appear on it.
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