When Atlantic Records Traded R&B for Rock ‘n’ Roll
After Ray Charles departed Atlantic Records, Ahmet Ertegun banked on long-haired rockers. The great Ahmet Ertegun: the son of a...
Category: Rock ‘n’ Roll
The Tragic Saga of Badfinger, Once Pegged as the ‘Second Beatles’
Litigation, crooked management, and bad luck sealed Badfinger’s fate. Two band members took their own lives. Prologue It was 50...
George Harrison Takes Command on “Something,” the Beatles’ Most Iconic Love Song
Lyrics collide when a young James Taylor records an album at Apple Records. George Harrison’s Moment George Harrison was always...
For Aging Rock Stars, 90 Is the New 30!
A roll call of 40 aging rock stars who are over 80 or about to be. Things they do look...
Four Crossroads for Little Feat
Lowell George propelled Little Feat to be among the top rock bands of the ’70s despite not charting one hit...
The Rise of FM Radio
As the ’60s progressed, musical tastes changed and FM radio was there to welcome a new crop of rock fans....
John Mayall’s ‘Finishing School’ for Young British Blues-Rock Musicians
John Mayall, ‘Godfather of British Blues,’ is dead at 90. John Mayall, the multi-instrumentalist who pioneered a unique style of...
Jackie DeShannon Probably Wrote That Song
DeShannon’s songs were covered by dozens of artists, notably ’60s singers Brenda Lee and Marianne Faithfull. Singer/Songwriter Jackie DeShannon is...
Rockabilly: Short Shelf Life, Long on Memories
Sun Records was ground zero for rockabilly, which literally means rock ‘n’ roll performed by hillbillies. 15 Minutes of Fame...
Four Essentials About Daryl Hall and John Oates
Philadelphia proud, Hall & Oates is the most successful duo in rock ‘n’ roll history. Prologue Alert readers will identify...
‘My Way, ‘Hallelujah’ Among the Most Covered Songs in Rock Era
The Beatles lead the way with most covered rock songs. ‘All Along the Watchtower’ tops the playlist of cover songs...
Six Cool Things About the Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers had two successive lead singers, Tom Johnston and Michael McDonald, who each molded the band’s sound to...
The Story of ‘Wooden Ships,’ the 1969 Song Composed Aboard David Crosby’s Boat
The beloved song, covered by Crosby, Stills & Nash, and the Jefferson Airplane, is actually about survivors of a nuclear...
Stevie Wonder’s Incredible ’70s Songbook
Stevie Wonder’s ‘classic period’ might be the greatest artistic streak in pop history. Some perspective: At age 23, most folks...
New York’s New Wave Rocks the ’70s
CBGB, Max’s Kansas City, and other iconic music emporiums launch New York’s ’70s punk rock/new wave revolution. This ain’t no...
The Brill Building Sound Heralded Rock ‘n’ Roll’s Arrival
In New York in the ’60s, the Brill Building was the successor to Tin Pan Alley. Prologue: Tin Pan Alley...
Sunshine Pop a ’60s Soundtrack
Influenced by the Beach Boys, sunshine pop performers gave popular music a light touch in the ’60s. What Is Sunshine...
Folk Music Shaped the ’60s Countercultural Revolution
Overcoming the Red Scare of the ’50s, folk music enjoyed a resurgence of goodwill in the ’60s. High school, mid-’60s....
Forty Years Ago: 1983, and the Pursuit of Pop Perfection
The Police, Prince, Michael Jackson, David Bowie, ZZ Top, U2, and Lionel Richie peppered 1983 with career-defining hit records. MTV...
The Legendary John Hammond
Innovative producer Hammond was also a talent scout, civil rights activist…and father to blues musician John P. Hammond. Jazzman When...
Jim Croce: So Many Songs, So Little Time
A tragic plane crash shortened the career of a Philadelphia native who had full-blown potential. Three Plane Crashes Three prominent...
How Rock ‘n’ Roll Began
Rock ‘n’ roll began as an outcome of musical interactions between Black and white. How did it establish a stronghold...
The Sound of Philadelphia in Four Takes
The Philly Sound: Gamble & Huff, American Bandstand, Sigma Sound, the Geator, crooners and teen idols…Fugetaboudit! Prologue Like the overlapping...
Four Anti-War Rock Songs in the Bush Era
After an initial outpouring of support, Americans soured on Bush’s Iraq War. Here are four songs that capture those misgivings....
Feeling Funk, Y’all! Soul Music Gets a Facelift in the Seventies
George Clinton’s Parliament/Funkadelic, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Kool & the Gang took the reins from the great James Brown....
Late Seventies: Disco, Punk, and Classic Rock Collide in a Burst of Music Diversity
The Rolling Stones’ “Miss You” got rockers moving on the disco dance floor. A Musical Feast In the late seventies,...
The Beatles’ Greatest Hits? Three Choicest Cuts from the Sgt. Pepper Sessions
‘Strawberry Fields Forever,’ Penny Lane,’ and ‘A Day in the Life.’ Imagine if all three were on Sgt. Pepper. Prologue...
Fats Domino and the Sound of New Orleans
The New Orleans sound reflects the diversity and eccentricity of the local culture. Fats Domino ignited its first rock ‘n’...
Sly and the Family Stone in Five Celebrated Songs
Sly’s brand of ‘psychedelic funk’ was a perfect fit for the late sixties. Prologue It must have been Sylvester Stewart’s...
Five Cool Things About Steely Dan
The studio-based duo was on a timeless quest for sonic perfection. Prologue: The Birth of Steely Dan In the sixties,...
The Story of the First Rock ‘n’ Roll Concert
DJ Alan Freed hosted the gathering at the Cleveland Arena, capacity 8,600. Up to twenty thousand teens showed up. What...
Rock Songs About Drugs
Recreational drugs and rock ‘n’ roll: It was fun until it wasn’t. The songs endure. In the rock ‘n’ roll...
Stax Records’ Enduring Legacy of Memphis Soul Music
Stax-Volt was built on the unshakeable foundation of genuine Soul music uniquely African-American. Prologue In the fifties, there was...
Three Early Sixties Rock ‘n’ Roll Influencers
All of these acts thrived amid the screaming roar of the Fab Four. Prologue In March 1963, after being brushed...
How Rock ‘n’ Roll Began, Part 2
Assorted moments fused rock’s footprint: rockabilly, teen idols, Skiffle, the Twist, Buddy Holly’s tragedy, and the first power chord. Then...
Seeking a Definition of Progressive Rock
A mostly British phenomenon in the ’70s, progressive rock, or interchangeably “art rock,” was a refuge for rockers wanting to...
Five Cool Things About Pat Benatar
Recent Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Pat Benatar gave us a soundtrack for the ’80s. Prologue Last week,...
Rock HOF Inductees Carly Simon and Pat Benatar Charted Non-Stop Hits in the ’70s and ’80s
Carly Simon was a fixture on the charts in the ’70s. Then, Pat Benatar ruled rock radio throughout much of...
Best Rock Songs About Places, Revisited
Here’s a list of beloved songs about places we might have visited. The songs, as they say, are all over...
1962 Instrumental Oddity ‘Telstar’ – It’s the Melody
The rise and fall of ‘Telstar’ creator Joe Meek, who never saw a dime in royalties from his sixties megahit....
The Kinks’ ‘Lola’ Was the First Mainstream Rock Hit with an LGBT Theme
Ray Davies was an unlikely songwriter to lead a sexual revolution. He just wanted a hit record. Lola…a light-hearted song...
Paul Butterfield Was My First Blues Harmonica Hero
Butterfield’s swagger and his command of the blues harp created a link to white rock audiences. Prologue During my freshman...
Herb Alpert Is Perhaps the Most Successful Instrumental Performer in Pop History
Alpert’s unique trumpet sound is the upshot of experimental studio overdubbing and trips to Tijuana bullfights. About two years before...
Six Cool Things About The Band
Starting as strictly backup players to two legendary performers, The Band developed a likable and totally unique sound. Prologue The...
Linking Metal with Punk in the ’80s and ’90s, Grunge Had Its 15 Minutes as a Seattle Thing
The death of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins recalls a genre whose distinctive sound influenced bands in other musical hotspots,...
Top 10 ‘Friendliest’ Songs in the Rock Era
Here’s a Top 10 playlist of songs about friendship (plus a bonus round). Naturally, the Beatles, Stones and Dylan top...
1972 Gave Us the Greatest Soul Song Ever, the Temptations’ ‘Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone’
That year in rock was kind to the great Chuck Berry, who scored his first and only #1 hit with...
The Beach Boys in Two Songs
‘Sloop John B’ and ‘Sail On, Sailor’ were off the charted course from the Beach Boys’ idealized California culture. ‘If...
The Beatles’ White Album: Brilliance Overcame Adversity
Even with the bitter taste of the Maharishi and Yoko Ono’s unwanted presence, the Beatles created a masterpiece. Most rock...
James Taylor’s Apple Debut a Triumph Despite Secret Life
His drug addiction hidden from view, Apple Records could sense the immense talent in a young James Taylor, the first...
“John Barleycorn Must Die!” the Best Drinking Song Ever?
The story behind Traffic’s deep dive into British folk music. Prologue: Steve Winwood At the center of it all was...
The Jefferson Airplane Was a San Francisco Treat
The flight of the Jefferson Starship Enterprise was not a charted course. Did the Jefferson Airplane betray its “Haight-Ashbury” roots...
Laura Nyro: The Best Songwriter You’ve Maybe Never Heard Of
Six essentials about the reclusive Nyro, who wrote songs that others made into hits. Prologue Right around reaching my teenage...
Rubber Soul: The Beatles’ Pop Masterpiece
Rubber Soul marked the end of ‘Beatlemania’ and heralded the dawn of creating the gold standard in recording artistry. You...
Revolver: The Beatles At Their Collaborative and Creative Best
On recording the greatest record album of all-time. The Beatles album Revolver, forever in the shadow of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely...
Sheryl Crow’s Hit Song, “All I Wanna Do,” Gives Poet Wyn Cooper His 15 Minutes
The song was based on a poem that Crow’s producer found in a Pasadena used bookstore. The Nineties: Rock’s Last...
The Yardbirds’ Sixties ‘Rave-Up’ with Three Legendary Guitars
Two original Yardbirds have kept the flame burning long after the band’s final 1968 concert. Three Guitars It is a...
Awesome Rock Guitar Recordings
Here are five extraordinary guitar recordings, released during the golden age of rock. This is a chord. This is another....
Songs of ’71: John Lennon and Marvin Gaye Each Create a Masterpiece
50 years ago, ‘Imagine’ and ‘What’s Going On’ validated rock ‘n’ roll as a force for social change. Janet Jackson...
Unheralded Session Players ‘Funk Brothers’ Key to Motown Sound
Ace songwriting and production team Holland-Dozier-Holland helped make Berry Gordy’s dreams come true. Back in the Day If you came...
When Soul Music and Rock Shared the Top of the Charts
The sixties was a time for breaking down racial barriers. Music was no exception. The Way It Was By the...
‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Heaven’ found in a Speck of Northern Alabama
‘The Swampers’ in Muscle Shoals integrated soul, rock and the blues to become sought-after, elite instrumentalists You’re in rock ‘n’...
Phil Spector’s Let It Be Beatles
The late ‘Wall of Sound’ producer was allowed on George Martin’s sacred turf. The results were not pretty. The Late...
The Musical Journey of ‘House of the Rising Sun’
British Invaders Eric Burdon’s Animals made the song famous in 1964. A young Bob Dylan gave it a whack two...
Helping Bob Dylan Create His Masterpiece
Mike Bloomfield’s and Al Kooper’s excellent adventure recording “Like A Rolling Stone” Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper met at the...
The Allman Brothers Band Gave the Blues to Southern Rock
The band played a key role in both the blues and Southern rock’s revivals in the seventies. During my freshman...
Power-Riffing with Rock Legend Eddie Van Halen
Savoring instances of the charmed but tragic life of rock’s last guitar god. The rock world on Oct. 6 lost...
Four Awesome Bruce Springsteen Covers
One song was actually a collaboration. Most recipients of Bruce’s songwriting had career revivals. There is a commonality to these...
After Phenomenal Success, Cat Stevens Hit the ‘Road to Find Out’
This fall marks 50 years since the groundbreaking ‘Tea for the Tillerman’ hinted at Cat Stevens’ escape from pop stardom....
Unsung Passing: Peter Green, Founder of the Original Fleetwood Mac
Guitar virtuoso Green joined Eric Clapton and John Mayall as pioneers of British blues. He had the sweetest tone I...
Deja Vu All Over Again for ‘Captain Many Hands’
Oddly, multi-instrumentalist Stephen Stills’ artistry left CSN no choice but to add the ‘Y’ It was July 1968 and three...
Jimi Hendrix and his Electric Lady
The guitarist yearned for his own ‘psychedelic lair’ to cultivate a collaborative creative process. In the year 1969, guitarist extraordinaire...
Little Richard & Elvis: Sexual Heat Birthed the Dawn of Rock ‘n’ Roll
We mourn the passing of Little Richard, a rock ‘n’ roll pioneer who died May 9. If you love anything...
Led Zeppelin Wins Copyright Appeal Over ‘Stairway to Heaven’
 At stake: $79 million in royalties for iconic song. It’s over but for wild swings of interpretation. A handful...
Songs of 1970: Last Hurrahs for the Sixties’ Top-Selling Acts
The dawn of the seventies saw a Beatles farewell and Motown in disarray. It Was 50 Years Ago Today… An...
Seven Cool Things About Santana
The Woodstock guitar impresario has lived a charmed life. 1) An immigration success story Carlos Santana was born in Autlan...
Great Rock Albums Were Abundant in the Year 1969
50 years ago today, the greatest band ever called it quits while two huge ones launched. The Beatles’ Last Hurrah...
Two Beloved Hit Songs Were Minted When Graham Nash Swapped Rock Bands
‘Marrakesh Express’ and ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’ hugged the charts in 1969. You remember the Hollies…the Merseybeat-type band...
The Sixties Blues Revival
The blues had a baby and they named it rock ‘n’ roll. There’s this thing we call the blues. In...
The Beatles’ Early Recordings: Baby Steps Along Abbey Road
Revolving drummers. A chance meeting in Hamburg. The Beatles find a home at EMI. This story begins in the unlikeliest...
Best Summer Rock Songs from the Sixties and Seventies
I feature five from rock’s greatest decades, plus some honorable mentions. Summer just opens the door and lets you out....
Rocketman Elton John’s ‘Border Song’ a Cry for Peace, Down with Bigotry
Aretha Franklin honored the John/Taupin songwriting duo by covering ‘Border Song’ two years later. Unlike many of his musical brethren...
There Would Be No ‘Elton John’ Without Lyricist Bernie Taupin
With the release of the movie ‘Rocketman,’ we honor a unique and uber-successful songwriting partnership. Due to be released tomorrow...
John Fogerty’s Creedence Gig Was the Best of Times, Worst of Times
After leading the most popular band in America, Fogerty ended up in court accused of plagiarizing himself. Bob Dylan’s Advice...
The 27 Club: A Rock Club That Nobody Joins Willingly
It just so happens that rockers who died at age 27 left us the most wanting. Here are the first...
Satirical Rock Is About Subversion, Pushing Boundaries
Frank Zappa was the godfather of satirical rock. When he died, the genre went with him. For the record, folks:...
Bruce Springsteen Joins Clive Davis at Columbia Records
Bruce Springsteen, an unknown bar musician from New Jersey, plants a flag on the label of Bob Dylan. At the...
When The Rolling Stones Crossed Over to Atlantic
The label switch came with a cast of characters: Ahmet Ertegun, Marshall Chess and Prince Rupert Loewenstein. The first meeting...
Aretha Franklin Found Greatness with Atlantic R&B Pioneer
Atlantic Records producer Jerry Wexler’s breakthrough: Let Aretha be herself. As the old saying goes, there are no guarantees in...
Arena Superstar Billy Joel Looks Back Fondly on Writing and Recording
Joel on long-time producer Phil Ramone: “He was the king.” Among legacy rock stars and bands still performing, Billy Joel...
