Countdown to Ecstacy

Countdown to Ecstasy is the second studio album by American rock band Steely Dan, released in July 1973 by ABC Records. It was recorded at the Village Recorder in West Los Angeles, California, except for Rick Derringer’s slide guitar part for “Show Biz Kids”, which was recorded at Caribou Ranch in Nederland, Colorado. After the departure of vocalist David Palmer from Steely Dan, the group recorded the album with Donald Fagen singing lead on every track.

Although the album was a critical success, it failed to generate a hit single in the United States and consequently only charted at number 35 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tapes chart, though it was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1978. The album has received considerable acclaim from music critics in numerous retrospective reviews.