Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s
Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s
“But I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now.” That’s one of the best lyrics ever written and a wonderful philosophical rumination of how our views on things change as we age and gain more experience. The line is from the song “My Back Pages,” which Bob Dylan wrote in 1964. Dylan wrote “My Back Pages” in…
Today’s classic song of the day is one of the biggest hits from Motown’s biggest group. It’s “Stop! In the Name of Love” by the Supremes—at that point in time, Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, and Florence Ballard. The single, released in February of 1965, rose all the way to #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top…
Today’s classic song of the day spans three decades. It was first released and a big hit in Europe during the summer of 1969. That recording was then picked up in the U.S. and topped the U.S. charts in early 1970. Finally, a cover of the tune went to #1 in multiple countries in 1986. How many songs do you…
Today’s classic song of the day is considered maudlin and emotionally manipulative by some, honestly heartbreaking by others. The song is “Honey” and it was a huge hit for Bobby Goldsboro in 1968. “Honey” was written by Bobby Russell, who you may or may not have heard of, even though he wrote tunes for O.C. Smith (“Little Green Apples“), Brian…
Today’s classic song of the day is a bubblegum earworm by that famous cartoon band, the Archies. The song is “Sugar, Sugar,” and you know you love it. Yes, the Archies were a cartoon band, created for the Saturday morning The Archie Show program, but “Sugar, Sugar” was recorded by a bevy of talented studio musicians. Those musicians included the…
In honor of Sam Moore’s passing, today’s classic song of the day is Sam & Dave’s biggest hit, “Soul Man.” Released in September of 1967, “Soul Man” hit #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on Billboard’s R&B chart. The single won a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Group Performance, Vocal or Instrumental, and, in 1999, was…
Today’s classic song of the day comes from Gary Puckett and his group, the Union Gap. The song is “Young Girl” and it was released on the Columbia label in January of 1968. It was a huge hit, going to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Cash Box Top 100. (It was kept out of the…
In honor of Peter Yarrow’s passing, today’s classic song of the day is one of his most popular compositions, “Puff, the Magic Dragon.” Peter, Paul and Mary released “Puff” as a single in January of 1963 and it went to #2 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Cash Box Top 100, and #1 on Billboard’s Middle-Road Singles chart.…
As I’ve noted before in this blog, I occasionally like to highlight ’60s soul songs that never really made it into the mainstream consciousness, songs later rescued from obscurity by England’s Northern Soul scene. Today’s tune is one of those. “The Sweetest Thing This Side of Heaven” was released by singer Chris Bartley in July of 1967. It’s a bit…