Which Tony Orlando & Dawn hit won Favorite Pop/Rock Song at the first AMAs?

Tony Orlando & Dawn’s “Tie a Yellow Ribbon” won Favorite Pop/Rock Song at the first American Music Awards. The song’s full title is “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree,” but the shortened title used in the quiz is the standard familiar form.

The recording tells the story of a man returning home after serving time in prison. He asks his partner to tie a yellow ribbon around an oak tree if she still wants him back; if there is no ribbon, he will remain on the bus. The song became one of 1973’s biggest pop hits and was performed by the group Tony Orlando & Dawn.

The award is easy to confuse with other 1973 chart successes, including “The Morning After,” “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” and “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown.” The AMAs were designed around popular voting and consumer appeal, making the victory a snapshot of the records that resonated most with listeners at the time.