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 Christmas song of the day is “Winter Wonderland.” It was written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and lyricist Richard “Dick” Smith. The original lyrics were about a winter love affair; in 1947, new lyrics were written that made it more about children playing in the snow. Later versions tended to combine the two versions, so that you hear…
Today’s classic song of the day is an early ’70s Motown classic, “Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)” by the Temptations. It was the last Temptations single to include Eddie Kendricks, who left to pursue a solo career, and Paul Williams, who left for health reasons. Released in January of 1971, the single went all the way to #1…
Continuing with our twelve days of Christmas theme, today’s classic Christmas song of the day is “Must Be Santa,” as performed by Mitch Miller and his gang. You’ll know this one if you’re of a certain age—and if your parents used to watch Mitch Miller on the living room television set. Mitch Miller (no relation) was the host of a…
Today’s classic song of the day is more obscure than most, and I expect that many readers of this blog won’t know it. But if you do, you probably love it. The tune is “Hammond Song” by the Roches. The Roches were a new-folk group of three sisters (Maggie, Terre, and Suzzy) out of New Jersey who hit the scene…
Today’s classic Christmas song of the day is “Frosty the Snowman,” all about that jolly happy soul who came to life one winter’s day. The song was written by Walter “Jack” Rollins and Steve Nelson way back in 1950. Rollins had previously written “Here Comes Peter Cottontail” and other songs, primarily for country artists like Gene Autry, Hank Snow, George…
Today’s classic song of the day comes from the spring of 1977. The song is “Angel in Your Arms” and it was recorded by a group called Hot. Hot released “Angel in Your Arms” on Big Tree Records in February of 1977. The song went all the way to #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #9 on Billboard’s Easy…
Today’s classic Christmas song of the day is “Little Saint Nick” by the Beach Boys. Released as a single in early December 1963, it eventually hit #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a holiday classic. “Little Saint Nick” was written by Brian Wilson, although Mike Love later horned in on the writing credit due to a lawsuit he…
Today’s classic song of the day sounds a lot like a previous classic song of the day, and it’s on purpose. Today’s song is “It’s the Same Old Song” by the Four Tops, and it was deliberately patterned on their previous hit, “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch).” Here’s one version of the story. The Tops had just…
Today’s classic Christmas song of the day is “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” It was written in 1934 by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie. The song was first recorded by banjo player Harry Reser and His Orchestra in 1934, but became a huge hit when recorded by Eddie Cantor later that year. Tons of artists have recorded “Santa…
Today’s classic song of the day was written and originally recorded by Jackie DeShannon—although it was a bigger hit for the group the Searchers. The song is “When You Walk in the Room” and Ms. DeShannon released her version as a B-side to her “‘Till You Say You’ll Be Mine” single in November of 1963. She re-released it as an…