Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s
Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s
Today’s classic song of the day is a sophisticated tune by Dionne Warwick called “Reach Out for Me.” The song was written by the legendary team of Burt Bacharach (music) and Hal David (words), and it’s a killer. Bacharach and David wrote “Reach Out for Me” in 1963 and initially gave it to singer Lou Johnson. Johnson’s version, released in…
Today is April 1st, April Fool’s Day, so it’s only fitting that today’s classic April Fool’s Day song of the day is “Laughing” by the Guess Who. Released as a single in July of 1969, this one went to #10 on the Billboard Hot 100, #4 on the Cash Box Top 100, and #1 on Canada’s RPM Top Singles chart.…
Today’s somewhat-forgotten classic Motown song of the day is “I’ll Try Something New” by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. Released in April of 1962, this single went to #39 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #11 on Billboard’s R&B chart—although you don’t hear it much on oldies radio today. “I’ll Try Something New” was written by Smokey Robinson and features…
Today’s classic song of the day was a hit for Neil Sedaka in two different versions in two different decades. The song is “Breaking Up is Hard to Do” and it was written by Mr. Sedaka and his songwriting partner Howard Greenfield. Neil Sedaka released the first version of “Breaking Up is Hard to Do” in June of 1962. It…
Today’s classic song of the day is that soul stomper from the immortal Jackie Wilson, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher.” Released as a single in August of 1967 on Brunswick Records, this one hit #6 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100 and reached #1 on Billboard’s R&B chart. “(Your Love Keeps Lifting…
All this week we’ve been looking at songs about different types of men. We end this trip with a song by the Beatles about a “Nowhere Man.” Released as a single in the U.S. in February of 1966, this one went to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the Cash Box Top 100. While credited to Lennon-McCartney,…
Today’s classic song about a particular kind of man is about a “Secret Agent Man.” As recorded by Johnny Rivers, this single was released in March of 1966 and peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #4 on the Cash Box Top 100. “Secret Agent Man” was written by the team of P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri, who…
Today’s classic “man” song of the day is about a “Handy Man.” This tune was a hit for three different artists—Jimmy Jones, Del Shannon, and James Taylor. Who wrote “Handy Man” is up for debate. The original recording, released in 1959 by the Sparks of Rhythm, lists Andrew Barksdale and Charles Merenstein as writers. That version was in a bluesy…
Today’s classic song of the day is an easy listening track from Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66. “Pretty World” was released as a single in May of 1969 and, while it only hit #62 on the Billboard Hot 100, it got a ton of airplay on easy listening stations across the country and went all the way to #4 on…