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 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…
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…
All this week we’ve been highlighting songs that were featured on the soundtrack to The Big Chill, that 1983 movie that followed a group of Baby Boomer friends adjusting to the death of one of their own and their sacrifices in adapting to lives as adults. Our final song from The Big Chill this week is “I Second That Emotion,”…
Today’s classic song featured in the movie The Big Chill of the day is “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” by the Temptations. This song was featured in what may be my favorite scene in the whole movie, when the gang is working together to clear the table and clean the kitchen after eating dinner. It’s a fun scene, perfectly choreographed…
Today’s classic song of the day with a phone number in the title is “Beechwood 4-5789.” Back in the days when there were fewer people, fewer phones, and therefore fewer phone numbers, local exchanges were known by their letters rather than their numbers. Take the first two letters of the word and that’s your exchange prefix—which you could translate into…
Today’s classic song of the day is “Get Ready,” a hit for two different Motown groups. It was initially a hit for the Temptations in 1966, then it was a hit again in 1970 by Rare Earth. “Get Ready” was written by premiere Motown songsmith Smokey Robinson. He envisioned it as an up-tempo dance number and had the Temptations in…
Yesterday’s classic song of the day was all about being “stone in love,” so it makes sense for today’s classic song of the day to be “Stoned Love.” This was a track by the post-Diana Ross Supremes, with Jean Terrell singing lead. “Stoned Love” was released on the Motown label in October of 1970. It peaked at #7 on the…
Today’s classic Motown song of the day is “Since I Lost My Baby” by the Temptin’ Temptations. The tune was written by Smokey Robinson and fellow Miracle Peter Moore; Smokey also produced. The single, released in June of 1965, peaked at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #4 on Billboard’s R&B Singles chart. At the time, Smokey said “Since…
Today’s socially conscious track by a legendary soul singer is “Living for the City” by Stevie Wonder. Released as a single in November of 1973, it went all the way to #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on Billboard’s Hot Soul Singles chart. “Living for the City” was the third track on side one of Stevie’s 1973 album,…