The O’Jays – Forever Mine
There are love songs, and then there are vows set to orchestration—“Forever Mine” by The O’Jays belongs firmly to the…
“Stuck In The Middle With You” – Stealers Wheel
Few early-’70s singles capture both the buoyant charm and quiet exasperation of the music business quite like Stealers Wheel’s “Stuck…
Shambala – Three Dog Night
If you could bottle joy, it might sound a lot like Three Dog Night’s “Shambala.” Released in 1973 and folded…
Everything I Own by Bread
Bread’s “Everything I Own” is one of those rare ballads whose gentleness disguises its craftsmanship. Written and produced by David…
‘I Am… I Said’ by Neil Diamond
Few mainstream pop singles have captured private, existential turmoil as plainly—and as powerfully—as Neil Diamond’s “I Am… I Said.” Released…
Donovan – Catch the wind
Few 1960s folk songs feel as effortless, as inevitable, as Donovan’s “Catch the Wind.” Released in 1965, it arrived with…
Bobby Darin – Splish Splash
Few records capture the joyous whiplash of late-1950s American pop like Bobby Darin’s “Splish Splash.” Cut at Atlantic Studios and…
Bobby Darin – Beyond the sea
There are songs that feel as if they were always waiting for the right singer to come along, and then…
The Penguins – Earth Angel
There are love songs, and then there are time capsules—records that capture the feel of an era so completely that…
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Midnight Special
Creedence Clearwater Revival’s take on “Midnight Special” is the kind of recording that reminds you why certain songs become part…