The Rose Royce song from the 1976 film Car Wash that topped the Billboard Hot 100 was “Car Wash.”
Written and produced by former Motown producer Norman Whitfield, the song served as the theme for Michael Schultz’s comedy film Car Wash. Whitfield initially struggled to find the right concept, then wrote the song after inspiration struck while he was watching basketball and writing on a paper bag. It became the lead single from the film’s double-album soundtrack and Rose Royce’s debut album.
“Car Wash” topped both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot Soul Singles chart. Its U.S. pop reign came in January 1977, even though the film and soundtrack were released in 1976. The song describes the lively, sometimes chaotic atmosphere of working at a car wash.
Rose Royce also placed other soundtrack songs on the charts, including “I Wanna Get Next to You” and “I’m Going Down.” Those titles are associated with the same album, but neither was the film’s number-one title track.