If you were alive in 1975, you couldn't escape it. That driving, bouncy beat. The high-pitched, almost nasal harmony backing up a guy who sounded like he was having way too much fun being petty. Most people hear the song Bad Blood by Neil Sedaka and think it’s just another piece of mid-70s AM radio fluff.
They’re wrong.
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It’s actually one of the most fascinatingly mean-spirited songs to ever hit number one. Honestly, it’s a masterclass in how to stage a comeback by leaning into your dark side. Before this, Sedaka was the "Calendar Girl" guy—squeaky clean, Brill Building pop, very 1950s. By the time 1975 rolled around, he was basically a dinosaur.
Then he met Elton John.
The Elton Effect
In the early 70s, Neil Sedaka was effectively "over" in America. He moved to England because, frankly, that was the only place still buying his records. It was there he ran into Elton John at a party. Elton was at the absolute peak of his "Imperial Phase." He was the biggest star on the planet.
He told Sedaka, "I’m going to make you a star again."
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Elton signed him to his own label, Rocket Records. The result was the album The Hungry Years (or Overnight Success in the UK). But the real lightning in a bottle was the song Bad Blood.
You’ve probably noticed the backing vocals. They aren't just "inspired" by Elton. That is Elton John. He wasn't even credited on the original 45, but you can’t miss that "do-ron-da-ron-da" bridge or the way he leans into the chorus. It’s basically an Elton John record featuring Neil Sedaka.
What’s with the lyrics?
Let's talk about why the song is kinda messed up.
Most pop songs of that era were about "Laughter in the Rain" (Sedaka's other big hit) or "Love Will Keep Us Together" (which he wrote for Captain & Tennille). They were sweet. Bad Blood is the opposite. It’s a warning to a friend about a woman who is, to put it mildly, "no good."
"Bad blood, the bitch is in her smile / The lie is on her lips / Such an evil child."
Yeah, he actually says "bitch." In 1975.
It was one of the first number-one hits to use the word. It gave the song an edge that Sedaka never had before. His co-writer, Phil Cody, actually based the lyrics on a story his grandmother told him about a witch friend named Strega. Cody later said he didn't even like the song that much. He wanted to rewrite the lyrics because he felt they were unfinished.
Sedaka and Elton didn't care. They recorded it anyway.
The Unstoppable Chart Run
The song Bad Blood didn't just hit the charts; it dominated them. It stayed at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks starting October 11, 1975.
The irony? It was eventually knocked out of the top spot by... Elton John. His song "Island Girl" took over the throne.
The session musicians on the track were a "who’s who" of 70s legends. You’ve got David Foster on the clavinet (his first #1 credit), Nigel Olsson on drums, and Steve Cropper on guitar. This wasn't some cheap production. It was a high-gloss, high-budget revenge anthem.
Why nobody requests it anymore
If you go to a Neil Sedaka show today—and yes, at over 80 years old, the man is still a force—he doesn't always play it.
He’s admitted in interviews that it’s not exactly a fan favorite for requests. Why? Probably because the lyrics haven't aged like fine wine. It’s aggressive. It’s cynical. It feels less like a song and more like a playground taunt.
But that’s exactly why it works.
Most 70s soft rock is so polite it’s boring. Bad Blood is a caffeinated, angry, funky outlier. It’s a snapshot of a moment when a 50s teen idol and a 70s superstar decided to stop being nice and start being successful.
How to Listen Like an Expert
Next time you put on the song Bad Blood, try these specific things:
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- Listen to the Clavinet: David Foster’s playing gives it that "Superstition" era funk vibe that keeps the song from sounding too "old-fashioned."
- Isolate the Harmony: On the chorus, Elton John’s voice is actually louder than Sedaka’s in certain mixes. It’s a fascinating power struggle in the vocal booth.
- Check the Tempo: It’s built on a modified Bo Diddley beat. It’s meant to make you move, even if the lyrics are telling you someone’s life is being ruined.
To truly understand the 1975 pop landscape, compare this track to Sedaka's "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do." He re-recorded that as a slow ballad the same year. It shows his range, but Bad Blood shows his bite. It remains the most commercially successful single of his entire career for a reason: it was the one time he let the mask slip.
For anyone digging into 70s vinyl or building a "Classic Hits" playlist, this is the essential deep cut that was never actually a deep cut—it was the biggest song in the country, and it’s still just as sharp today.