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Great Songs of the '70s!
With Mike Cook
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Born to Wander - Rare Earth (1970) 5/17/22
In the early '70s, Rare Earth was one of only a handful of all white acts signed to Motown Records...and the ONLY one of those groups to...
Michael Cook
May 16, 20221 min read
Lucretia MacEvil - Blood, Sweat & Tears (1970) 5/16/22
Yesterday, we highlighted "Cruisin' by Smokey Robinson, and how it took him 5 years to come up with the title and lyrics after he...
Michael Cook
May 15, 20222 min read
Cruisin' - Smokey Robinson (1979) 5/15/22
Smokey Robinson was such a good singer, nothing could keep him from recording a "Great Song!" In 1979, while suffering with a head cold,...
Michael Cook
May 14, 20221 min read
My Best Friend's Girl - The Cars (1978) 5/14/22
When we highlighted The Cars' debut single, "Just What I Needed," back on February 22nd, I mentioned that it became a hit after Boston...
Michael Cook
May 13, 20221 min read
Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton (1977) 5/13/22
Pattie Boyd was a supermodel, a photographer...and a wife to two legends. She was also quite a muse. Pattie was married to George...
Michael Cook
May 12, 20221 min read
Just to Be Close to You - Commodores (1976) 5/12/22
Congratulations to Lionel Ritchie: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2022! Lionel certainly deserves it...but the question many people...
Michael Cook
May 11, 20221 min read
The Immigrant - Neil Sedaka (1975) 5/11/22
In 2022, today's "Great Song of the '70s" can easily be taken out of context, so let me put Neil Sedaka's "The Immigrant" into the...
Michael Cook
May 10, 20221 min read
Tell Me Something Good - Rufus w/Chaka Khan (1974) 5/10/22
Sometimes a legendary artist is generous with a song they've written, giving a sure-fire hit to someone else instead of keeping it for...
Michael Cook
May 9, 20221 min read
Yesterday Once More - Carpenters (1973) 5/9/22
In looking over the 900+ "Great Songs" we've highlighted since October of 2019, I've noticed (and maybe you have, too) that many of the...
Michael Cook
May 9, 20222 min read
Coat of Many Colors - Dolly Parton (1971) 7/8/22 (Mother's Day)
It's Mothers Day, and with Dolly Parton about to enter the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I thought we'd revisit her "Great Song of 1971:"...
Michael Cook
May 7, 20222 min read
You Wear It Well - Rod Stewart (1972) 5/7/22
Rod Stewart's first big solo hit, 1971's "Maggie May" (from the album "Every Picture Tells a Story") is an all time "Great Song," written...
Michael Cook
May 6, 20221 min read
Spanish Harlem - Aretha Franklin (1971) 5/6/22
In 1960, Ben E. King left his group, The Drifters, and was looking for a song to jump start his solo career. Thanks to the team of Jerry...
Michael Cook
May 6, 20221 min read
Honey Come Back - Glen Campbell (1970) 5/5/22
In 1970 alone, today's "Great Song" was recorded and released by 13 different artists! Some were album cuts that never became singles......
Michael Cook
May 4, 20221 min read
Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy - Bad Company (1979) 5/4/22
Bad Company's Paul Rogers was a showman. He firmly believed that when people go to a concert, they should be dazzled by the music as well...
Michael Cook
May 3, 20221 min read
Count on Me - Jefferson Starship (1978) 5/3/22
Sometimes when I'm researching a "Great Song," I run into a brick wall. Such is the case with almost every song I try to highlight by...
Michael Cook
May 3, 20221 min read
Strawberry Letter #23 - Brothers Johnson (1977) 5/2/22
Shuggie Otis may not be a name you're familiar with, but he was responsible for today's "Great Song of 1977." From the late 1930s, right...
Michael Cook
May 1, 20221 min read
Right Back Where We Started From - Maxine Nightingale (1976) 5/1/22
Today's "Great Song of the '70s" is lucky it ever saw the light of day. British Record producer Pierre Tubbs had a song title in his...
Michael Cook
Apr 30, 20222 min read
Old Days - Chicago (1975) 4/30/22
James Pankow of Chicago was in a nostalgic mood when he wrote today's "Great Song of 1975." Jim was only 27 when he composed "Old Days,"...
Michael Cook
Apr 30, 20221 min read
A Very Special Love Song - Charlie Rich (1974) 4/29/22
1973 and '74 were BIG years for Charlie Rich. He'd been a successful country and rockabilly artist for several years... but all of a...
Michael Cook
Apr 29, 20221 min read
Beautiful - Gordon Lightfoot (1972) 4/28/22
Those of us who grew up in the Toledo area had somewhat of a cultural advantage when it came to popular music. Because we lived about 55...
Michael Cook
Apr 27, 20221 min read
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