Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s
Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s
Sly Stone passed away yesterday. In his memory, today’s classic song of the day is “Dance to the Music,” released as a single in November of 1967 by his group, Sly and the Family Stone. This early example of psychedelic soul went all the way to #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was later inducted into the Grammy Hall…
Today’s classic song of the day is “Sara Smile” by Daryl Hall and John Oates. Released as a single in January of 1976, “Sara Smile” became the duo’s first top forty (and top ten) hit in the U.S. It peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #18 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart. Misters Hall and Oates wrote “Sara…
This week we’ve been featuring tunes that were hits multiple times for multiple artists. This brings us to our final classic multiple-artist hit of the day, “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You).” This one was a hit for both Marvin Gaye and Junior Walker in the ’60s and for James Taylor in the ’70s. “How Sweet It…
Today’s classic song that was a hit for multiple artists of the day is that smooth soul classic, “Ooo Baby Baby.” It was first a hit for Smokey Robinson and the Miracles then, about a dozen years later, for singer Linda Ronstadt. Smokey Robinson and fellow Miracle Pete Moore wrote “Ooo Baby Baby” back in 1965. The Miracles recorded it…
Today’s classic song that was so nice it was a hit twice of the day is “Baby, I Love You.” This one was a hit originally for the Ronettes and, about a half-dozen years later, for singer Andy Kim. “Baby, I Love You” was written by the team of Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, with the typical-for-that-era addition of Phil…
This week we’re highlighting songs that were hits multiple times for multiple artists, and today’s classic multiple-whatever song of the day is “The Loco-Motion.” This one was a hit three times in three different decades—in the ’60s for Little Eva, in the ’70s for Grand Funk Railroad, and in the ’80s for Kylie Minogue. “The Loco-Motion” was written by the…
Today’s classic song that was a hit for multiple artists of the day is “I Say a Little Prayer.” It was a hit for both Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin, about a year apart. “I Say a Little Prayer” was written by the legendary team of Burt Bacharach (music) and Hal David (words). Its somewhat frothy musical nature belies the…
This week we’re looking at tunes that were hits multiple times by multiple artists, and today’s song might hold the record for most number of hit covers. The song is “Everlasting Love” and it was a hit for Robert Knight, Love Affair (in the UK), Carl Carlton, Rex Smith & Rachel Sweet, and Gloria Estefan. Wow! “Everlasting Love” was written…
This week we’re looking at songs that were hits for two or more different artists. Our first dual-artist classic song of the day is “Baby I Need Your Loving,” a huge hit for both the Four Tops and Johnny Rivers. “Baby I Need Your Loving” was written and produced by the Motown team of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie…
Today’s classic song of the day is Jimmy Buffett’s “A Pirate Looks at Forty.” Released as a single in February of 1975, this one didn’t quite crack the Billboard Hot 100, stalling out at #101. (Missed it by that much…) “A Pirate Looks at Forty” is about a washed-up drug smuggler turning the big 4-0, looking back on his life…