Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s
Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s
Yesterday the Impressions told us “It’s All Right” and today J.J. Jackson reinforces that positive sentiment with today’s classic R&B song of the day, “But It’s Alright.” Released on Calla Records in 1966, “But It’s Alright” reached #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #4 on Billboard’s Hot R&B Singles chart. The song was rereleased in 1969 on the Warner…
Today’s classic R&B song of the day is “It’s All Right” by the Impressions. Released in October of 1963, this single peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B Sides chart. “It’s All Right” was written by Impressions lead singer Curtis Mayfield. It’s a slow rolling 12/8 shuffle with some very tasty machinegun-like drumming…
Today’s classic song of the day is a classic team-up from two of Motown’s hottest groups. The song is “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” by Diana Ross & the Supremes and the Temptations, all together on one tremendous tune. The single, released in November of 1968, peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B Songs charts…
Todays’ classic song recorded by a Brit in America of the day is “My Love” by the lovely Miss Petula Clark. This hot little slab of wax was released in December of 1965 and, early the following year, went all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also hit #1 in Canada and Singapore and made the…
Today’s classic song of the day is one of the top songs of the modern era, period. It’s “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” written by Carole King (music) and Gerry Goffin (words). It was a hit in 1960 for the girl group the Shirelles, reaching #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Cash Box Top 100. It was…
Last week I wrote about the song “Boogie Oogie Oogie” by a group called A Taste of Honey, and how they won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 1979 over more deserving acts like The Cars, Elvis Costello, Toto, and Chris Rea. In my write-up I called Rea, like A Taste of Honey, a one-hit wonder. Some readers took…
Today’s classic song of the day is one of my favorite Steely Dan tunes, “Kid Charlemagne.” This one was the lead track (side one, track one) of the Dan’s 1976 album, The Royal Scam. Released as a single, “Kid Charlemagne” only reached #82 on the Billboard Hot 100. As a classic album track, it’s had a lasting influence that exceeds…
Just as you can’t talk disco without Donna Summer (yesterday’s classic song of the day, “Hot Stuff“), you also can’t talk disco without the Bee Gees. Unfortunately, I’m not a huge disco-era Bee Gees fan—except for this one tune. The brothers Gibb released “Nights on Broadway in September 1975 and it shot to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and…
It’s almost impossible to talk about the disco craze of the late ’70s without talking about Donna Summer, the undisputed Queen of Disco. To that end, today’s classic disco song of the day is Ms. Summer’s “Hot Stuff.” Released in April of 1979, this monster worldwide hit peaked at #1 in Australia, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, and, in the U.S., on…
We’re still in disco mode this week, so today’s classic disco song of the day is “Le Freak” by Chic. This hot little number, released in September of 1978, the height of the disco era, hit number-one worldwide—in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and, in the U.S., on the Billboard Hot 100, Billboard Hot Soul Singles, Billboard Dance Club…