Month February 2026

“Stairway to Heaven” (Neil Sedaka)

Stairway to Heaven, Neil Sedaka

Singer/songwriter Neil Sedaka passed away yesterday. In his honor, today’s classic song of the day is one of his big 1960s hits, “Stairway to Heaven.” No, this isn’t Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven,” which came along a decade or so after Mr. Sedaka’s tune. This one was written by Neil Sedaka and his partner Howard Greenfield back in 1960. RCA…

Read More“Stairway to Heaven” (Neil Sedaka)

“Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft” (Klaatu/Carpenters)

Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft, Klaatu

Back in 1976, even though the Beatles had been disbanded for a half-dozen years or so, there was a continuing hope among fans that the Fab Four would reunite at some point in the future. That’s when radio programmers became aware of a band called Klaatu that arrived on the scene with an album that sounded kind-of sort-of like something…

Read More“Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft” (Klaatu/Carpenters)

“Don’t Play That Song (You Lied)” (Ben E. King/Aretha Franklin)

Don't Play That Song, Aretha Franklin

Today’s classic song of the day was a hit for two different R&B artists. The song is “Don’t Play That Song (You Lied)” and it was written by Betty Nelson, the wife of Ben E. King, and Ahmet Ertegun. (Probably all by Betty; it wasn’t unusual for the producer to take co-songwriting credit back in those days.) The first recording…

Read More“Don’t Play That Song (You Lied)” (Ben E. King/Aretha Franklin)

“Lay Lady Lay” (Bob Dylan)

Lay Lady Lay, Bob Dylan

“Lay Lady Lay” was Bob Dylan’s fourth and final top ten single, and it’s today’s classic song of the day. Released in July of 1969, “Lay Lady Lay” peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100, #8 on the Cash Box Top 100, and #19 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart. Bob Dylan included “Lay Lady Lay” on his country-flavored 1969…

Read More“Lay Lady Lay” (Bob Dylan)

“Bad Time” (Grand Funk)

Bad Time, Grand Funk

Grand Funk (AKA Grand Funk Railroad) was a hard rock band. Today’s classic song of the day, “Bad Time,” was a melodic power pop song. One can question a hard rock band playing a power pop song, but it was a good move for the guys. “Bad Time,” released as a single in March of 1975, went all the way…

Read More“Bad Time” (Grand Funk)