1973 No. 1 Hit by ‘The 5th Beatle' Became a Timeless Dance Song

"Will It Go Round in Circles" was a Billy Preston song from his 1972 album, Music Is My Life, which was released as a single in 1973. Even though the song was featured on the seventh album that he released, the song was his very first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. It sold over a million copies.

When speaking about "Will It Go Round in Circles," one fan on YouTube said, "This is why George Harrison and The Rolling Stones invited Billy to tour with them. Infectious energy." Another said, "One of the few '70s dance songs that still holds up. Billy did not live long enough to get the adulation he deserved. I think it would have happened with the release of The Beatles: Get Back movie, which in part showed Billy's impact on the band in the songs ‘Get Back' and ‘Don't Let Me Down.'"

Preston went on to have another hit with the song "Nothing from Nothing." He is also credited as playing the piano on "Get Back" by The Beatles. In the documentary, Billy Preston: That's the Way God Planned It, John Lennon can be heard saying that Preston is "kind of like a fifth Beatle."

Over the course of his career, Preston toured with some icons, including George Harrison from The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. When speaking about the shows in a 1975 interview, he said, "I like a livelier show, and the Stones are much livelier than George. Although I enjoyed playing on the Harrison tour, this one is more fun, faster paced and more of a rock and roll thing."

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Preston continued, "The Stones are a lot more R&B-oriented. It feels like I've been playing with them for years. We're a family. All the guys are hanging out together and definitely getting off on each other. Keith [Richards] is really enjoying playing with Ronnie [Wood]. This time around, people are a lot happier. The music isn't as laid-back, and Keith and Ronnie are really clicking. The band is doing a lot of things they've never done in America. It's been a pretty good tour so far, not nearly as exhausting as the last few I've done."

In 2021, Preston was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He died in 2006 at the age of 59.

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This story was originally published July 7, 2026 at 5:39 AM.