Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s
Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s
“The KIds Are Alright” was not a huge hit at the time (it only reached #85 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #41 in their native UK) but it’s become one of the Who’s defining tracks. It’s also today’s classic song of the day. Pete Townsend wrote “The Kids Are Alright” and the Who recorded it for their debut album,…
The team of Daryl Hall and John Oates bring us today’s classic song of the day, “She’s Gone.” The standout track on the duo’s Abandoned Luncheonette album, “She’s Gone” was originally released as a single in November of 1973—and promptly stalled at a meager #60 on the Billboard Hot 100. After the duo had moved to RCA Records and had…
We’re smack dab in the middle of summer here in the northern hemisphere, so what better classic song of the day than the aptly named “Summer Samba?” This one was an instrumental by a guy named Walter Wanderley; released as a single sixty years ago, in August of 1966, “Summer Samba” peaked at #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 and…
Here’s a song that was first recorded by Bette Midler, made into a country hit for Tanya Tucker, and became a huge mainstream hit for Helen Reddy. The song is “Delta Dawn” and it’s today’s classic song of the day. “Delta Dawn” was written by Larry Collins and Alex Harvey. The lyrics tell the story of a faded Southern belle…
“Traces” by the group Classics IV is today’s classic song of the day. Released as a single in January of 1969, this one went all the way to #2 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard’s Easy Listening charts. “Traces” was written by Buddy Buie, J.R. Cobb, and Emory Gordy Jr. Buie was a songwriter and producer who worked…
Today’s classic song of the day is another track from Steely Dan’s Aja album. The song is “Josie,” and it was released as a single in August of 1978, just before I started my junior year in college. The track went all the way to #26 on the Billboard Hot 100, which wasn’t bad for a Steely Dan tune. “Josie”…
“Where Were You When I Needed You” is today’s classic song of the. It was released by the Grass Roots in June of 1966 and peaked at #28 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song has an interesting history. P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri wrote the tune for Hermit’s Hermits and their 1966 movie, Hold On!. While the Hermits included…
For this fine Tuesday morning, let’s turn to the Chairmen of the Board for today’s classic song of the day. That song is “Everything’s Tuesday” and it was released as a single in August of 1970. It rose to #38 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Everything’s Tuesday” was written by the former Motown team of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and…
Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart were songwriters-for-hire back in the ’60s, penning hits for Jay and the Americans (“Come a Little Bit Closer”) and the Monkees (“Last Train to Clarksville,” “I’m Not Your Steppin’ Stone,” “Valeri,” and “(Theme From) The Monkees”). They also recorded a few tunes on their own, including 1968’s “I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight” and today’s classic…
Laura Nyro was a popular and prolific songwriter in the late ’60s/early ’70s. While she really didn’t have any hits of her own, she wrote songs that were hits for the 5th Dimension (“Wedding Bell Blues,” “Stoned Soul Picnic,” “Save the Country“), Three Dog Night (“Eli’s Coming“), Blood, Sweat & Tears (“And When I Die,” “He’s a Runner”), and Barbra…