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 mid-70s song of the day is “I Wish” by Stevie Wonder. It was the lead single from his triumphant Songs in the Key of Life album, released in November of 1976, my first semester at Indiana University. This track hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Cash Box Top 100, and Billboard Soul Singles charts. It also won…
I love picking out little-known tracks from the 1960s and 1970s and giving them a little wider exposure. That leads us to your totally forgotten classic soul song of the day, “I Wouldn’t Change a Thing About You” by Johnny Wyatt. Released in August of 1963 on Challenge Records, this track was the B-side of a single; a tune called…
Today’s classic song that became an even bigger cover is “Respect.” This tune was an initial hit for Memphis soul legend Otis Redding and an even bigger hit for the Queen of Soul herself, Aretha Franklin. Who wrote “Respect” is open for debate. While the song is credited to Otis Redding, he doesn’t appear to be the original creator. The…
This week we’re looking at songs that were popular enough in their first go round but really blew up when covered by other artists. With that in mind, today’s classic song and cover of the day is “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” a hit originally for Gladys Knight & the Pips and later for Marvin Gaye. “I Heard It…
Today’s classic song of the day is the Motown classic “Up the Ladder to the Roof” by the Supremes. Released in February of 1970, this track peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100, #9 on the Cash Box Top 100, and #5 on Billboard’s Hot R&B Songs chart. Note that this single is by the Supremes, not by Diana…
Today’s classic song of the day is “Best of My Love” by the Emotions. Released in June of 1977, this one went all the way to #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100, as well as Billboard’s Hot Soul Singles chart. It won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group…
Today’s classic song of the day is “Clean Up Woman” by Betty Wright. This funky little tune debuted in November 1971 and rose to #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 (and #2 on Billboard’s R&B chart) early the following year. “Clean Up Woman” was written and produced by the team of Clarence Reid and Willie Clarke for Alston Records. Together…
Today’s classic song of the day is “I’m Not My Brother’s Keeper” by a group called The Flaming Ember. This track was released in October of 1970 and rose to #34 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #12 on Billboard’s R&B chart. “I’m Not My Brother’s Keeper” was written by the team of William Witherspoon, Raynard Miner, and Ron Dunbar.…
Our final classic song of the day from 1971 this week is “Want Ads” by the group Honey Cone. This track, released in March of 1971, hit #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Hot Soul Singles charts. Billboard ranked it as the #13 song for the entire year. “Want Ads” was written by Greg Perry, Barney Perkins,…