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 one of Phil Spector’s last Wall of Sound productions, “Black Pearl” by Sonny Charles and the Checkmates. Released in April of 1969, the song hit #13 on the Billboard Hot 100, #10 on the Cash Box Top 100, and #8 on Billboard’s R&B chart. “Black Pearl” was written by Toni Wine and Irwin…
This week we’re highlighting the work of legendary drummer Hal Blaine and some of the hundreds of hits on which he’s played. We’re starting with today’s classic song of the day, “Be My Baby” by the Ronettes. “Be My Baby” was written by the team of Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich (with additional credit to producer Phil Spector, as was…
Today is Christmas Day and our twelfth and final day of twelve days of classic Christmas songs, and what better song for this special day than Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas.” This Christmas classic, written for the movie Holiday Inn, is the world’s best-selling single of all time, with more than 100 million copies sold to date. The version of “White…
It’s Christmas Eve, the eleventh day of our twelve days of classic Christmas songs, and our classic Christmas song of the day is my very favorite Christmas song of them all, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” by Darlene Love. “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” is a near-perfect track that defines the season for me and features some of the best…
Today is the ninth day of twelve days of classic Christmas songs, and our classic Christmas song of the day is “Sleigh Ride.” This classic was a hit for multiple artists, most notably Johnny Mathis and, in a much more contemporary version, the Ronettes. “Sleigh Ride” was composed by Leroy Anderson (who also wrote “The Syncopated Clock,” which you might…
Today’s classic Girl Group songs of the day are “People Say” and “Chapel of Love,” both by the Dixie Cups. We’ll start with “People Say,” which was released on Red Bird Records in July of 1964. This one peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #7 on the R&B Singles chart. Billboard magazine placed “People Say” at #53…
Continuing our appreciation of the late Cynthia Weil, today’s classic song of the day is “Uptown,” by the Crystals. It’s one of the earliest Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil collaborations, released in 1962. It was a hit for Phil Spector’s Philles Records, hitting #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #10 on the Cash Box Top 100. “Uptown” is a ostensibly a…
In honor of the late Cynthia Weil, who passed away last week, we’re doing an entire week of songs she wrote with her husband Barry Mann. There’s only one place to start, of course, with their best-known composition, the one that was the most-played song of the 20th century, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” by the Righteous Brothers. If you…
In honor of Tina Turner’s passing, today’s classic song of the day is the Wall of Sound classic, “River Deep, Mountain High.” Produced by the legendary Phil Spector for Ike & Tina Turner, this one was released in May of 1966 but only rose to #88 on the Billboard Hot 100. Everybody, Phil Spector included, expected “River Deep, Mountain High”…