Starting in 1971, Canadian radio stations were required to play a certain percentage of Canadian music; initially, this was 25%. This helped launch the careers of a number of Canadian artists, including Ian Thomas and Pagliaro, and provided airplay for a number of other Canadian songs.
"Make My Life a Little Bit Brighter" undoubtedly benefited from the new regulations, as I recall hearing it constantly when I was a young teen. Listening to it now, I find it too bouncy and bubbly for my taste, but it did make me feel a bit nostalgic for when I listened to my transistor radio out in the family back yard. Time relentlessly marches on!
Chester were from Toronto and formed in 1972. "Make My Life a Little Bit Brighter" was their most successful single; it reached #10 on the Canadian national chart and managed to scrape onto the bottom of some American national charts.
The band broke up in 1975. In 1996, they received an award from the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) to indicate that "Make My Life a Little Bit Brighter" had been played 100,000 times on Canadian radio.
Created August 6, 2026.