Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s
Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s
Back in the 1970s punk scene, Patti Smith was a big deal; her 1975 debut album Horses established her cred and put her on every punkster’s radar. She hit the mainstream three years later when she recorded “Because the Night,” a song she co-wrote with Bruce Springsteen. Released in March of 1978, “Because the Night” hit #13 on the Billboard…
Today’s classic song of the day is Bruce Springsteen’s “Thunder Road.” Never released as a single, “Thunder Road” was the lead cut (track one, side one) on Springsteen’s legendary Born to Run album. That album, released in late August of 1975, peaked at #3 on Billboard’s Top LPs and Tape chart and went on to sell more than 7 million…
Today’s classic song of the day was written by Bruce Springsteen, released by him as a single that went pretty much nowhere, then made a hit by Manfred Mann. The song is “Blinded by the Light,” and I’m pretty sure you know it. Bruce Springsteen wrote “Blinded by the Light” back when he was still in his Bob Dylan phase.…
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 from the early ’80s is Bruce Springsteen’s “Hungry Heart.” Released as a single in October of 1980, it shot to #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #6 on the Cash Box Top 100. Springsteen initially wrote “Hungry Heart” for the Ramones but decided to keep it for himself. Here’s how the Boss remembers it: “I saw…
This week we’re looking at some of my favorite classic rock tracks from the mid-70s, starting with today’s classic song of the day, Bruce Springsteen’s immortal “Born to Run.” This song was the lead track on side two of 1975’s Born to Run album; released as a single in August of 1975, it rose to #23 on the Billboard Hot…
The final classic song with an emotional punch this week is the final track from Bruce Springsteen’s landmark 1975 Born to Run album, the truly epic “Jungleland.” This track was never released as a single but it didn’t need to be; it got tons of play on FM radio and remains a classic rock cornerstone to this day. On an…
Today’s classic song that packs an emotional punch is “Hearts of Stone” by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. Never released as a single, this song was included on side two of the Jukes’ album of the same name, released in 1978. It’s a killer. “Hearts of Stone” is a breakup song—actually, a post-breakup song. The singer has moved on…
Today’s little-known classic soul song of the day is “Do I Love You (Indeed I Do),” originally released by Frank Wilson and most recently covered by the Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen. Frank Wilson was a songwriter and producer for Motown Records in the ’60s and ’70s. In 1965 he was recruited, along with a handful of others, by Berry Gordy…