Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s
Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s
“Needles and Pins” is today’s classic song of the day. It was first recorded by Jackie DeShannon, with producers Jack Nitzsche and Sonny Bono creating a Phil Spector-like Wall of Sound backing. Released as a single in April of 1963, Jackie’s version of “Needles and Pins” only made it to #83 on the Billboard Hot 100, although it went all…
“Easy to Be Hard” is today’s classic song of the day. It comes to us from the musical Hair and the group Three Dog Night. Hair was a big deal. When it opened in 1967, it was the first so-called “rock musical” and led the way for other more modern takes on the traditional Broadway musical. It reflected the times,…
When you were younger, did you ever have to choose between two equally appealing girls? (Or, if you’re a girl, two equally attractive guys?) I never had the good fortune to be in that situation, but apparently John Sebastian was, and he wrote today’s classic song of the day about it. As the lyrics so neatly put it: Sometimes there’s…
“Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me” from singer/songwriter Mac Davis is today’s classic song of the day. Released as a single in July of 1972, this one went all the way to #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Easy Listening charts. Mac Davis had made his bones as a songwriter, writing tunes like “In the Ghetto,” “Don’t Cry…
I love the Rascals and today’s classic song of the day is one of their best and most unique. “How Can I Be Sure” was released as a single (under their original Young Rascals moniker) in August of 1967 and went all the way to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the Cash Box Top 100. It…
Today’s classic song of the day is a wonderful little tune by Stevie Wonder. “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” was included on Stevie’s Grammy-winning 1972 album, Talking Book, and released as a single in March of 1973. The single went all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Cash Box Top 100, and Billboard Adult Contemporary…
Long-time followers of this blog know that I love featuring long-lost soul tracks from the 1960s that have been revived by England’s Northern Soul scene. Today’s classic song of the day is one such tune, “I Love You Baby” by Cindy Scott. “I Love You Baby” was written by the team of Leon Huff (of future Philly Soul fame), David…
“These Days” is today’s classic song of the day. Written by singer/songwriter Jackson Browne, it was a standout track on Mr. Browne’s 1973 album, For Everyman. It’s a terrific song. Jackson Browne wrote “These Days” in 1965, when he was just 16 years old. It’s a song about loss and regret that grows more poignant with the passing of years:…
I love power pop, and today’s classic song of the day is a near-perfect example of that genre. The song is “That’s Rock ‘n’ Roll” and it was written and initially recorded by Eric Carmen, formerly of the Raspberries. The song was made into a hit in 1977 by teen idol Shaun Cassidy, little brother of bigger teen idol David.…
Yesterday’s classic song of the day was Simon & Garfunkel’s first big hit, “The Sound of Silence.” Today’s classic song of the day is one of Paul Simon’s biggest solo hits, but before we get to that we need a bit of a technology history lesson for the youngsters out there. Back before we had cameras in our phones, back…