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 my favorite Beatles track and maybe their best track, which is saying a lot given how many great songs this group produced. The song is “A Day in the Life;” never released as a single, it was the concluding track on side two of 1967’s landmark Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album.…
Today’s classic early ’70s song of the day is “Gypsy Woman.” It was originally a hit for the Impressions in 1961 and an even bigger hit for Brian Hyland in 1970. Curtis Mayfield wrote “Gypsy Woman” when he was barely a teenager and his group the Impressions released it as a single in October of 1961. The Impressions’ version of…
Frequent readers of this blog know that I occasionally like to highlight obscure 1960s R&B singles that never made it big on the charts but were later somewhat revived by England’s Northern Soul scene. Today’s classic song of the day is one such obscure tune, “Do It” by Pat Powdrill. This track, released in 1966 on the equally obscure Downey…
Today’s classic horn rock (or, if you prefer, jazz-rock) song of the day is “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” by Blood, Sweat & Tears. This was their mainstream breakthrough single; released in March of 1969, it shot all the way to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Blood, Sweat & Tears was formed two years earlier by singer/keyboardist Al…
Continuing, in a way, from last week’s theme of socially relevant songs, today’s classic song of the day is “In the Ghetto” by Elvis Presley. One of Elvis’ so-called comeback recordings, this single was released in April of 1969 and rose to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Cash Box Top 100. It also hit number-one…
Today’s classic song of the day is one of the first socially conscious tunes of the late ’60s by a major R&B artist. The song is “Love Child” and it was recorded and released by Diana Ross & the Supremes in September of 1968. The single was a global smash, hitting #1 in Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and, in…
Today’s classic song of the day is “Early in the Morning” by the British group Vanity Fare. This single was released in June of 1969 and was a top twenty hit worldwide—Australia, Canada, Finland, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, Rhodesia, Switzerland, and the UK. Here in the U.S., the song peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, #10 on the…
Today’s classic song of the day is “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding. Released in January of 1968, this classic track went all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard’s Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles charts. It’s become Mr. Redding’s signature song, even though it was released posthumously. Otis Redding, a Memphis…
Today’s classic song of the day is “Marrakesh Express” by Crosby, Stills & Nash. Released in July of 1969, it peaked at #28 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Easy Listening charts, and #19 on the Cash Box Top 100. “Marrakesh” Express” was written by Graham Nash when he was still with the Hollies. (He left that group in…