The Tracks of My Tears (1976) 12/20/20

In 1965, Smokey Robinson and two of the Miracles, Pete Moore and Marv Tarplin, came up with one of the “Greatest Songs of the '60s!”

“The Tracks of My Tears” went to #2 on the Soul Chart and #16 on the Hot 100—not too shabby—but the accolades the song has received over the years highlight just how good the song really is.

Here's a list, and it's pretty impressive:

A:: #50 on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the “Top 500 songs of All Time.” B: Inducted into the “Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007. C: In 2008, The Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry for being culturally, historically and aesthetically significant. D: #127 on the National Endowment of the Arts list of the “365 Greatest Songs of the 20th Century.” E: The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's has it on their list of the “500 Songs That Shaped Rock & Roll. F: Smokey, Pete and Marv received a special Award of Merit from ASCAP (The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers).

Another way to tell that a song is “Great” is when cover versions ALSO make the Top 10. For “The Tracks of My Tears,” it happened TWICE!

In 1967, Johnny Rivers did a blue-eyed soul version that hit #10 on Billboard Magazine's Hot 100, and Linda Ronstadt made it a “Great Song of 1976” when HER version went to #4 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart and #11 on the Country Chart. In Canada, it peaked at #2 on the A.C. Chart.

No matter which version you like best, there's really no doubt that “The Tracks of My Tears” is a Great Song of the '60s and '70s. Thank you Smokey, Pete, Marv, Johnny & Linda!

Linda Ronstadt:

Johnny Rivers:

Smokey & The Miracles: