Original Artist and Song Credits
"Muskrat Love" was written by Willis Alan Ramsey. The song first gained major commercial attention through the band America, whose 1973 cover became the best-known version. The track appears on America's album Hat Trick, released on Warner Bros. Records. The song's publishing rights are managed by standard music publishing entities, with licensing data tracked by performance rights organizations and reported on platforms such as ASCAP and BMI. Detailed credits and royalty splits are available on official registration databases and through services like Songfile and Harry Fox Agency, which help businesses secure mechanical licenses for cover versions ASCAP.
Chart Performance and Commercial Versions
The America version of "Muskrat Love" reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1973 and remains the highest-charting take. The song has been covered by multiple artists, including Captain & Tennille, whose 1976 version also charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Streaming data from Spotify and Apple Music shows the America recording continues to generate millions of monthly streams, with the track often listed under classic rock and soft rock playlists. Performance royalties are collected by PROs and distributed to writers and publishers based on radio airplay and on-demand streaming counts Billboard.
Licensing, Royalties, and Current Usage
Sync licenses for "Muskrat Love" are handled through the song's publishing administrators and major label catalog divisions. The track has appeared in commercials, television episodes, and film scenes, generating additional synchronization fees paid to rights holders. Mechanical royalties for digital reproductions are collected by services such as the Harry Fox Agency and distributed to publishers and songwriters Harry Fox Agency. The song remains a frequently licensed classic track, with usage data reported in quarterly royalty statements from PROs and digital aggregators SEC.