Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s
Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s
In honor of pianist Dave Brubeck’s birthday (he would have been 104 years old today), today’s classic song of the day is a little different from our normal entree. The song is that rare jazz tune that made it onto the mainstream charts. It’s also unusual in that it’s in 5/4 time instead of the normal 4 The tune is…
Today’s classic song of the day was a hit for three different artists: the Shirelles, the Beatles, and Smith. It was written by legendary songwriter Burt Bacharach, with lyrics by Mack David (brother of longtime Bacharach collaborator Hal David) and an assist by Luther Dixon. Whether Dixon actually contributed anything to the song is a matter of debate. At the…
Sixty-one years ago today, on November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. In honor of this anniversary, today’s classic song of the day is the reflective “Abraham, Martin and John.” The song references the senseless assassinations of four great leaders: Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Robert F. Kennedy. All four fallen leaders…
Today’s classic mid-60s song of the day is “I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love” by Brit songbird Petula Clark. This single, released in June of 1966, went to #9 on the Billboard Hot 100, #6 on the UK Singles chart, and #1 on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart. “I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love,” like many of Pet Clark’s big hits,…
Today’s classic song of the day is “Knowing When to Leave,” from the Broadway musical, Promises, Promises. Like all the rest of the tunes from the play, this one was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. (Burt did the music, as usual, and Hal did the words.) Promises, Promises is a musical adaptation of director Billy Wilder’s 1960 film,…
This week’s last socially relevant song of the day is “Too Many Martyrs (The Ballad of Medgar Evers)” by the late, great folksinger, Phil Ochs. It’s a tribute to and a lament for the life and death of Medgar Evers. Medgar Evers was a Civil Rights activist in Mississippi during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Evers was an Army…
Today’s socially relevant song of the day is “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield. Yes, that’s the actual title, although some might know it better as the “Stop! Hey What’s That Sound” song. Most folks view “For What It’s Worth” as a protest song and it kind of is—just not in the way you might think. Stephen Stills wrote…
Today’s classic socially relevant song of the day is a terrific tune by songwriter Laura Nyro, “Save the Country.” In addition to being recorded by Nyro herself, “Save the Country” was a big hit for the 5th Dimension; released as a single in June of 1970, it reached #27 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #10 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary…
During this election week in the U.S. we’re focusing on socially relevant songs from years past. With that in mind, today’s classic socially relevant song of the day is Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come.” Sam Cooke wrote “A Change is Gonna Come” in reaction to an incident he experienced while touring Louisiana in December of 1963. He made…