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 somewhat obscure one, even if it was a Top Twenty hit back in the day. The song is “Pilot of the Airwaves” by British singer/songwriter Charlie Dore. She released this one in February of 1980 in the U.S. (November of 1979 in the UK) and it went all the way to #13…
Today’s classic song of the day is “99 Luftballons” by the West German group Nena. The song is unique in being that rare foreign-language hit on the U.S. charts; even though the band released an English-language version (“99 Red Balloons”), it was the German version that was the hit in the U.S. Released globally in early 1984 (March 1983 in…
Today’s classic song of the day is a later and less-remembered hit from Carly Simon. Released in July of 1980, “Jesse” hit #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #8 on the Adult Contemporary chart. It was a highlight of her Come Upstairs album. “Jesse” is a fine piece of songwriting that deals with a woman weak with love for…
Today’s classic ’80s teen dance pop song of the day is Debbie Gibson’s “Shake Your Love.” It was released in September of 1987 and rose all the way to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #6 on the Dance Club Songs chart. It was Ms. Gibson’s second single; her debut track, “Only In My Dreams,” also hit #4 on…
Today’s classic song of the day is “Black Coffee in Bed” by Squeeze. Released in April of 1982, it peaked at #26 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart (but not the Hot 100) and #51 on the UK Singles Chart. “Black Coffee in Bed,” as with most Squeeze tunes, was written by Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook; Tilbrook also sang…
Today’s classic song of the day is “If She Knew What She Wants” by the Bangles. Released as a single in April of 1986, this track peaked at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100, #28 on the Cash Box Top 100, and #24 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart. “If She Knew What She Wants” was written by Jules Shear and…
Today’s classic song of the day is “True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper. Released as a single in August of 1986, this track hit #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100. Over time, it became an anthem for the gay community. “True Colors” was written by Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg, who also wrote “I Drove…
This week’s final classic early ’80s song of the day is “Tempted” by Squeeze. Released in July of 1981, this one was a bigger hit in the UK than the U.S., hitting #41 on the Brit charts and #49 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Tempted” was written by head Squeezers Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook. Difford described how the song…
Today’s classic early ’80s song of the day is “Cool Night” by Paul Davis. Released late in 1981, it peaked early the next year at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart. The late ’70s/early ’80s were an interesting time, musically. You had a conflux of different genres and styles, all hitting the charts…