Born Carol Klein, Carole King was the most successful female songwriter of the second half of the 20th century in the U.S., writing more than 100 Billboard 100 hits. King grew up in New York, and attended Queens College, where…
Sir Elton Hercules John was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight, in London. He learned the piano as a child and started his career in the R&B band Bluesology as a teenager. In 1967 he began a songwriting partnership with lyricist Bernie…
Progressive rock behemoths Yes emerged from London in the late 1960s. Starting out as a psychedelic pop band, they became one of its leading exponents of the emerging genre of progressive rock. Despite a revolving crew of members – bassist Chris Squire…
As he helpfully informs us in his song ‘Leningrad’, Billy Joel was born in ‘49, a Cold War kid from Long Island, New York. As a teenager, he enjoyed the music of The Beatles and Traffic and began playing in…
Emmylou Harris started as a folkie – born in Alabama, she dropped out of college to perform folk songs in Greenwich Village. She recorded an unsuccessful debut album, 1969’s Gliding Bird, and as a divorced solo mother she dropped out…
Joni Mitchell emerged at a time when the women’s rights movement was still building steam. She had to fight for recognition as a serious artist. Her image was often defined in terms of whom she was dating – a Rolling Stone…
I wasn’t planning to make more bad lyricist lists, but lots of people enjoyed the New Order list. Two obvious candidates for a bad lyricist list share a first name or a last name with Bernard Sumner, but this time…
Joni Mitchell isn’t always given the respect she deserves. In her prime she was often discussed for her famous boyfriends rather than her music; Rolling Stone infamously labelled her the Queen of El Lay in a 1971 piece. There’s also a perception of…
In the mid-1980s, Genesis and its spin-off projects – Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, and Mike and the Mechanics – were enjoying hit singles galore, with hits like ‘Sledgehammer’, ‘The Living Years’, ‘Invisible Touch’, and ‘Sussudio’. But before their mid-1980s chart dominance…
Stevie Wonder is one of the most outrageously talented figures to emerge from the popular music era. His first song to hit number one was recorded when he was 12 years old, and he continued to have hits through the…
In the 21st century, Queen have emerged as the most-loved band from the classic rock era. They enjoyed little critical respect and struggled to sell records in the US for much of their career, but they now outperform more acclaimed…
David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash were all members of famous 1960s bands before linking up as a trio. Crosby was a member of The Byrds, fired when his countercultural songs like ‘Triad’ were rejected by the group. Nash…
The Eagles achieved stratospheric success in the 1970s, effectively bridging the country rock and soft rock styles that were popular in the early 1970s. Songwriting team Don Henley and Glenn Frey pumped out a ton of popular singles, and their…
A gentle-sounding English folk-artist, Nick Drake hardly made a ripple during his short lifetime. He was too shy to play live and barely sold a record. Posthumously, his small catalogue has earned plenty of attention. His delicate and measured approach…
David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash all started their careers in other notable 1960s bands. Crosby left The Byrds after disagreements over counter-cultural songs like ‘Triad’ and ‘Mind Gardens’, Stills’ Buffalo Springfield broke up after tensions with band-mate Neil…
Before she released her record-breaking solo album Tapestry in 1971, Carole King had already enjoyed a prolific musical career. She’d inspired Neil Sedaka’s ‘Oh! Carol’ and written a hit song for her daughters’ babysitter (Little Eva’s ‘Loco-motion’). The 1960s hits…
Last week we looked at Best New Artist Grammy winners. There was a three-way tie for first place – Tony, Rich, and Geoff (with help from Geoff’s wife) all scored 34 Late Addendum: after I scheduled this post, EclecticMusicLover submitted…
English folk-singer Vashti Bunyan has enjoyed a unique career trajectory, starting when she recorded a Jagger-Richards composition in the mid-1960s. Her early singles failed to gain much attention, and Bunyan instead travelled by horse and cart to join a commune…
Born David Jones, and changing his name to avoid confusion with Davy Jones of The Monkees, Bowie pottered around as a solo artist in London with unsuccessful material like ‘The Laughing Gnome’. He eventually gained some attention with his 1969…
Syd Barrett was the creative force behind the original Pink Floyd lineup. His behaviour became too erratic, often attributed to schizophrenia and the use of psychedelic drugs. As a result, the group recruited David Gilmour as a live replacement. The…
Birmingham band The Moody Blues have one of the most misleading names in popular music. It fit to start with – their early repertoire was based on American blues, and their cover of Bessie Banks’ ‘Go Now’ topped the UK…
1970s singer-songwriter Judee Sill was the first artist signed to David Geffen’s Asylum record label. But she had a troubled life; after her father died, her relationship with her stepfather was difficult, and she slipped into a life of crime.…
Fleetwood Mac formed as a blues band in 1967, when Peter Green recruited Mick Fleetwood and John McVie as his rhythm section. The band went through a large turnover of guitarists and vocalists, including Green, Jeremy Spencer, Danny Kirwan, and…
Roxy Music were formed in 1971 by vocalist and keyboardist Bryan Ferry who, along with several of his band-mates, came from the same English art school background as The Who and The Rolling Stones. Accordingly, Roxy Music always felt conceptual…
With their dazzling instrumental chops, lengthy songs, and lush harmonies, Yes perhaps defined 1970s progressive rock better than any other band, despite illustrious competitors like King Crimson and Genesis. At their peak, Jon Anderson’s high pitched vocals delivered unintelligible pseudo-religious…
Pink Floyd are one of classic rock’s most renowned bands. Several generations have appreciated the studio wizardry of 1973’s The Dark Side of the Moon and the themes of alienation and self-examination of 1979’s The Wall. But the group’s catalogue…
Todd Rundgren emerged in the late 1960s as guitarist and songwriter for the Philadelphia rock band The Nazz. He’s scored a few recognisable hits – the early 1970s soft-rock of ‘Hello, It’s Me’ and ‘I Saw the Light’, as well…
The experimental band Can were formed in Cologne in 1968. Keyboardist Irmin Schmidt and bassist Holger Czukay came from avant-garde classical backgrounds, studying with Stockhausen. Schmidt’s mind was opened to the artistic possibilities of rock music on a trip to…
Congratulations to kingclover and ElecticMusicLover, who both scored 36/38 in last week’s tough ‘The’ Bands quiz. It included some obscure answers like The Donnas and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. This week, it’s a return to the badly drawn franchise. Can…
Singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt came from a prominent Texan family. Prodigiously intelligent, his family groomed him as a lawyer or senator but seeing Elvis Presley on the Ed Sullivan show led him into music. Struggling with manic depression and addictions,…
As a young aphorism, ABBA were one of the first pop bands I was aware of. My first impressions weren’t positive. The Swedish quartet’s reputation was at a low ebb in the 1980s, their 1970s disco-dabbling hits seen as dated…
Formed around former Box Tops lead singer Alex Chilton and Chris Bell, Big Star existed for a brief period of time in the early 1970s. They were spectacularly unsuccessful during their lifetime due to poor promotion and distribution. But their…
Billed as “the only band that matters”, The Clash released their debut single ‘White Riot’ in the iconic punk year of 1977. But they weren’t constrained by punk – their debut explored the reggae they heard on London’s streets and…
I’ve listed the ten worst songs of the 1970s, so it’s only fair to look at the highlights of the decade. If rock music came of age in the 1960s, the 1970s saw a proliferation of genres. Funk, disco, progressive…
Paul Simon’s songs are part of the American landscape, a thoughtful man documenting his inner dialogue in popular song. From Simon and Garfunkel songs like ‘America’ and ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ to solo songs like ‘American Tune’ and ‘Graceland’, his…
John Martyn was born Iain David McGeachy, the son of two opera singers – a surprising lineage given his characteristic slur. Martyn spent most of his childhood in Glasgow, playing rugby. His early music combined folk and blues, and at…
Michigan’s Stevland Hardaway Morris started his recording career young – taking the name Little Stevie Wonder, he recorded his first album at the age of 12. His second album, Recorded Live: The 12 Year Old Genius, and his 1963 single…
Queen formed in 1970 in London, originally a hard rock band with shades of progressive rock and metal. They adapted as musical fashions changed; they flirted with disco on 1982’s Hot Space and produced stripped-down, synthesizer-fuelled pop hits on 1984’s…
Steely Dan were the quiet achievers of the 1970s, recording an excellent series of meticulously written and arranged albums with jazzy chord changes and dark, sarcastic lyrics. The group was formed around Donald Fagen on lead vocals and guitar and…
Bassist and vocalist Tim Staffell quit trio Smile, but not before introducing his flatmate Freddie Bulsara to the band. Bulsara joined astronomy student and guitarist Brian May and dentistry student and drummer Roger Taylor. After a lengthy audition process, electronics student…
Born into a high-profile Texas oil family, Townes Van Zandt was groomed as Texas governor, but inspired by songwriters like Bob Dylan, he dropped out of college in the 1960s to pursue a musical career. Of MENSA level intelligence, and…
The 1970s were a great decade for albums. Acts like David Bowie, Marvin Gaye, Joni Mitchell, and Led Zeppelin released a swathe of great records. Amongst all the great music, however, plenty of abominable songs also made it onto the…
L.A.’s Randy Newman was born into the music business. His grandparents, uncles, and cousins all worked as film score composers. Newman is best known for his film scores, such as Toy Story and Ragtime. ‘You’ve Got A Friend In Me’…
Congratulations to Music Enthusiast Jim, who scored the fastest time while completing the Away song titles quiz. Good work as well to 2loud2old and Paul, who also recorded perfect scores. This week we are identifying 1970s songs by their opening…
Originating at Charterhouse School, one of England’s most prestigious public schools, Genesis recorded their first album as teenagers in 1968. They spent their early years losing money and making long-winded progressive rock albums. Their use of gentle 12-string guitars and bass…
It took me a while to warm up to the sophisticated LA grooves of Steely Dan. Growing up, classic hits radio played precisely five Steely Dan songs; ‘Do It Again’, ‘Reelin’ In The Years’, ‘Rikki, Don’t Lose That Number’, ‘Hey…
Against all odds, Phil Collins made a strong start to his tenure as Genesis’ lead vocalist. Recorded after Peter Gabriel left to pursue a solo career, 1976’s A Trick of the Tail was an impressive record. Collins couldn’t replicate Gabriel’s…
As I wrote in an earlier Syd Barrett post: When people talk about wasted potential in rock and roll, it’s usually premature deaths like Buddy Holly, Jimi Hendrix, or Kurt Cobain. But Pink Floyd’s original leader Syd Barrett also belongs on the list –…
Congratulations to everyone who scored 100% in last week’s Scrambled 1990s vocalist quiz, and especially to Sheik Yerbouti who just nudged out Tony, 2loud2old, and Geoff for the fastest time. This week we’re looking at 1970s artists on their album…
Even before she released her first solo album, New York’s Carole King had already enjoyed a prolific music career. She’d inspired Neil Sedaka’s ‘Oh! Carol’ and written a hit song for her daughters’ babysitter (Little Eva’s ‘Loco-motion’). The 1960s hits…
Many significant UK rock acts from the 1960s and early 1970s were deeply rooted in the blues. Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, and Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac were among many young bands steeped in blues tradition. Queen took…
Aretha Franklin was the Queen of Soul, a powerhouse vocalist and a talented pianist. Growing up in the Church, her music was always steeped in gospel. She delivered hits for a long period of time; her first R&B chart topper…
One glance at Mark Knopfler’s bandana will tell you that Dire Straits have never been fashionable. Emerging in 1978, at the height of punk, their literate bar-band rock appealed to conservative listeners not enamoured by the upstart sounds of The…
Van Morrison is a prolific recording artist, releasing more than 40 studio albums during his solo career, as well as fronting Them in the 1960s. He recorded a lot of non-album material, but his only non-album b-side that I’m aware…
Stewart Copeland, Sting, and Andy Summers were all veteran musicians when they formed The Police in London in 1977. Copeland had drummed for progressive rock band Curved Air, Sting had played in the jazz fusion band Last Exit, while Summers’…
Classically trained pianist Irmin Schmidt and music teacher Holger Czukay studied under Stockhausen. Both tuned into rock music as it progressed in the mid-1960s. Czukay’s student Michael Karoli played him The Beatles’ ‘I Am The Walrus’, while Schmidt discovered the…
It’s a long way to the top (if you wanna rock ‘n’ roll), and Australian hard rock band AC/DC spent much of the 1970s building their profile. They cracked the big time with 1979’s Highway to Hell, which peaked at…
English art-rock band Roxy Music was formed by vocalist Bryan Ferry and bassist Graham Simpson in 1970. They recruited saxophone and oboe player Andy Mackay and synth player Brian Eno (who “treated” the other players’ instruments through his synth). Drummer…
Patti Smith was one of the first punk artists to make a record. 1975’s Horses, produced by John Cale, was a confronting album. Musically it drew from 1960s garage-rock, while lyrically it was provocative. Smith was clearly influential on an…
Sir Elton John is one of pop’s biggest hit machines, churning out top forty singles through the 1970s, 1980s, and much of the 1990s. He set Bernie Taupin’s lyrics to music, using his piano skills and agile voice to transcend…
Congratulations to Tony who scored 18 out of 20 in 1990s one hit wonders quiz, and shoutouts to Geoff and jprobichaud who were close behind on 17. Also, I’m impressed by anyone who recognised 69 Boyz or Us3. This week’s…
Thanks to everyone who indulged me by participating in my piano clips challenge. The scoring was a little nebulous, but it looks like Rich Kamerman burnt his fuse out there alone for the highest score. This week you need to…
The Ward siblings formed a band almost by accident – Nelly and Matthew Ward lost their parents while they were minors, and moved in with their sister Annie in 1970. Annie Herring was married to record producer Buck Herring, who…
Expectations were high for Crosby, Stills, and Nash’s second album. Their 1969 debut album was acclaimed, and their appearance at Woodstock only increased their profile. The record company insisted that the trio add another member, after Stephen Stills had played…
In 1978 New Zealand art-rockers Split Enz were in crisis. The group had lost key original members like Phil Judd and Mike Chunn. Their art-rock was out of step in the late 1970s, pushed from the mainstream by punk and…
By 1976, David Bowie had already enjoyed a glittering career. His majestic 1969 hit ‘Space Oddity’ established his career, after a false start with the 1967 novelty ‘The Laughing Gnome’. Bowie’s first successful album was 1971’s Hunky Dory.1972’s glam rock…
The Clash were a key band from the first wave of British punk in the 1970s. Built around the songwriting team of vocalist Joe Strummer and guitarist Mick Jones, they quickly outgrew punk orthodoxy. The group topped their music with…
Philadelphia uber-talent Todd Rundgren started his recorded career with The Nazz, acting as songwriter and guitarist. When The Nazz broke up, Rundgren learned how to use the studio, frustrated by his lack of technical control in The Nazz. While his…
Townes Van Zandt was born into a prominent Texas family and had a high IQ, so his family groomed him to become a lawyer or senator. He suffered from manic depression, and was given insulin shock therapy, which erased much…
Background English folkie Nick Drake barely created a ripple during his lifetime. He recorded three albums of beautiful acoustic folk, but barely sold a copy during his lifetime. His acoustic music was sophisticated, with flourishes of jazz, and his acoustic…
The 1970s are beloved by music nerds. Artists in various genres cranked out a 40-minute album every year. The late 1960s staked out the territory for many genres; the 1970s was when they were explored more fully. Artists like Marvin…
Led Zeppelin were the archetypal hard rock band. They streamlined the sound of 1960s rock bands like Cream and The Who; an important innovation was John Bonham’s crisp, groove-based drumming, which contrasted with the busy style of The Who’s Keith…
Congratulations to Rich Kamerman and 2loud2old, who both scored 25/25 in last week’s quiz, with Rich scoring the slightly faster time. Maybe this week we should listen to what the Kamerman said? Bruce requested a 1970s quiz this week, so…
Rock chameleon David Bowie experienced two separate career peaks. Most artists improve with experience then run out of ideas, but Bowie reversed his decline and returned with a second set of excellent releases. In the early 1970s his career took…
Cat Stevens launched his career as a teen idol, scoring hits with heavily arranged songs like ‘I Love My Dog’ and ‘Matthew and Son’ in the 1960s. A near-fatal case of tuberculosis and a collapsed lung left him hospitalised, with…
So far, in this b-sides series, there have been four scenarios in which good songs find themselves languishing on the flip-side of a single. These are: i) When a great song should have been featured on an album, but is…
As much as I love The Beatles, their solo careers have always mildly disappointed me. If you put ten years of your life into a burst of creativity, it makes sense that you don’t have much left in the tank…
Adult contemporary superstar and Hebrew Hunk Neil Diamond is a fascinating figure to me. His music is an uncomfortable blend of Brill Building pop, gospel, and confessional writing, like he can’t make up his mind whether he wants to be…
Joni Mitchell paid her dues playing folk clubs in the mid 1960s, and she wrote songs for other folk artists like Dave Van Ronk, Buffy Sainte-Marie, and Judy Collins before she recorded her debut album. Her first song to gain prominence…
Brian Eno was born to a long line of postmen, but went to art school and embarked on a musical career, despite describing himself as a non-musician. Over a long and illustrious career, he’s transformed from a musical outsider to enjoying…
Growing up in a white middle class neighbourhood, The Clash were an important gateway band for me. Buying Clash albums introduced disco, hip hop, and dub into my record collection. While you could argue that explorations into disco and hip…
Most rock bands are remembered for their albums, but British pop-punk quartet Buzzcocks are most loved for their compilation Singles Going Steady. The group’s driving, tuneful, and lovelorn songs suited three-minute bursts. Their run of A-sides includes ‘Ever Fallen in…
Fleetwood Mac‘s 1977 album Rumours was a sales behemoth, jam packed with hits written by the group’s three songwriters, Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, and Lindsey Buckingham. But there was at least one great song that didn’t make the cut –…
Jackson Browne is the quintessential 1970s singer-songwriter, a sensitive individual who analysed his difficult relationships into songs. He was extremely well connected into the 1970s soft-rock scene – he dated Laura Nyro and Joni Mitchell, wrote the Eagles‘ first hit…
For some reason, hosting a birthday slumber party for my seven year old daughter on Friday reminded me of this song. The Records are a power-pop band from the late 1970s, best known for the minor hit ‘Starry Eyes’. The…
Congratulations to jprobichaud and Tony, who both top scored 14/15 in last week’s quiz. This week’s challenge is a rare single artist quiz, where you need to name 24 Rolling Stones albums. I scored 21/24, although I was confused by one…
It’s a fair bet that Queen’s Brian May is the only person to have achieved a number one pop song and a PhD in Astrophysics. He combined these two skill-sets in ”39′, an album track from 1975’s A Night At…
I grew up in, and still live in, Lower Hutt, New Zealand, a satellite city of the capital Wellington. Like your average satellite city, it can feel like a cultural vacuum, full of sprawling suburbia – if you want to…
The Eagles emerged from California in the early 1970s, initially as Linda Ronstadt’s backing band for her album Silk Purse. They were massively successfully, with a string of chart-topping singles and albums. In particular, their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) is one…
Written by guitarist Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, ‘Kashmir’ is one of Led Zeppelin’s most well known and best loved tracks. It’s from their sixth studio album, the sprawling double Physical Graffiti. As well as the Eastern scales than Page…
My walk to work this week has been different than usual. Can any of my perceptive readers guess which city I’ve been working in? This clue is a red herring, as I haven’t actually been working in Liverpool: I had…
Warren Zevon was an industry veteran by the time he made his major-label debut in 1976. He’d toured with the Everly Brothers as their band leader, and was rooming with Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks in 1975. Jackson Browne had…
Making and reading lists is one of the Great Pursuits of music geekdom, and I’ve certainly indulged from time to time. But while I generally limit myself to finite, single artist lists, a list written by Bill Wyman (but not…
It’s already Easter Sunday in New Zealand today, so it seems appropriate to cover a piece of music that I associate with Church. As soon as Church is over each Sunday, the vicar likes to hook his phone up to…
Paul Simon has enjoyed a long, worthwhile solo career since Simon and Garfunkel‘s breakup in 1970. A musical chameleon, he launched his post-duo career with an acoustic record that fitted into the singer-songwriter movement of 1972, then moved into jazz-inflected…
It sucks to be me, but I’ve just spent most of the last week at a work conference at a Thailand beach resort. This week’s selection is from Neil Young’s 1974 album On The Beach, while it’s also a commentary…
