Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from yesterday and today
Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from yesterday and today
Today’s classic song of the day is “Hello It’s Me” by Todd Rundgren. This precious piece of melodic power pop was released as a single in August of 1973 and it hit #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was Todd’s only Top Ten hit. “Hello It’s Me” goes beyond typical power pop to include a bevy of extended chords,…
Today’s classic song of the day is “Sitting” by Cat Stevens. Released in September of 1972, the song went to #16 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Sitting” is a song about the inner struggles and existential questions that all of us ask at one time or another in our lives, but particularly as we’re approaching adulthood. The song’s Zen-like lyrics…
Today’s classic song of the day is “Anticipation” by Carly Simon. Released in November of 1971, it peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on the Adult Contemporary chart early the next year. “Anticipation” is kind of a sideways, not very dreamy eyed love song. Ms. Simon supposedly wrote it while waiting for a very late Cat…
We finish our look at some of my favorite tracks from the mid-70s with “Time Passages” by Al Stewart. This was the first track on side one of the Time Passages album, Mr. Stewart’s follow-up to his career-defining Year of the Cat album. The “Time Passages” single, released in September of 1978, hit #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and…
Continuing our look at some of my favorite classic rock tracks from the mid-70s, today’s classic song of the day is “Deacon Blues” by Steely Dan. It’s one of the, if not the most popular Dan tunes of all time, a staple of classic rock radio and yacht rock playlists. Everybody knows it, even those that don’t know the Dan.…
As we continue to focus on favorite songs from the mid-70s, today’s classic song of the day is Joni Mitchell’s “Coyote.” This was the lead track from her 1976 album Hejira; it was released as a single in February of 1977 and, while it didn’t chart in the U.S., did reach #79 on Canada’s RPM Top Singles chart. “Coyote” was…
Revisiting some of my favorite tunes from the mid-70s, today’s classic songs of the day are both from George Benson’s genre-bending Breezin’ album: “This Masquerade” and the album’s title track, “Breezin’.” Both songs blended jazz and pop in a way that was unique for the time but led to the establishment of what some now call smooth jazz. George Benson…
Today’s classic mid-70s song of the day is “I Wish” by Stevie Wonder. It was the lead single from his triumphant Songs in the Key of Life album, released in November of 1976, my first semester at Indiana University. This track hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Cash Box Top 100, and Billboard Soul Singles charts. It also won…
Today’s mid-70s classic rock song of the day is “Night Moves” by Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band. Released in November of 1976, it rose to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 early the next year. Rolling Stone magazine named it Best Single of the Year for 1977. “Night Moves” is a coming of age song, filled with nostalgia…