Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 12-12-23

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Is technology ruining music? I’ll answer that with another question: If we had GPS in the 1960s, would we have gotten “Do You Know The Way To San José?” If you request Alexa to play “Do You Know The Way To San José” by merely stating its title, would Alexa play it or ramble on about making a left here and bearing right there, which would make for a real crap song? When presented with “Do You Know The Way To San José” by its writers, Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Dionne Warwick was not taken by it. “What is this whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa crap?” she asked. I’m paraphrasing. She eventually came around, for decades later she said that winning the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for her recording of that song was the highlight of her career. 

Dionne Warwick was born on this date in 1940. Lots of songs performed by her are included on today’s playlist.

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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 10-1-23

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In 1993, humor columnist Dave Barry surveyed his readers to find the worst song. The clear winner for Worst Overall Song and Worst Lyrics was “Mac Arthur Park.” Culture critic Joe Queenan disagreed with the results “because ‘Ebony and Ivory’ exists, as do ‘You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,’ ‘Baby, I’m-a Want You,’ ‘Feelings,’ ‘Benny and the Jets,’ ‘Witchy Woman’ and ‘Sussudio,’” adding “On a planet where somebody thought it would be a good idea to write ‘Scenes from an Italian Restaurant,’ the best ‘MacArthur Park’ is ever going to earn in the sucky-song sweepstakes is a tie.”

The late Richard Harris was born on this date in 1930. Celebrate his birthday with a piece of soggy cake and by listening to today’s playlist, which includes the song many hate.

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Throwback Thursday: 1972

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This Throwback Thursday we revisit 1972. What happened in music in 1972?:

Michael Jackson had the first of 13 solo US #1 Hot 100 singles with a song
about a rat.

Chuck Berry had his first US #1 single with a song about his penis.

Roberta Flack spent six weeks at #1 on the US Hot 100 with a song she
released in 1969.

Helen Reddy rerecorded a song from her 1971 album I Don’t Know How To Love Him. It became the first of her three US #1 Hot 100 singles and became an anthem for women’s equality.

The Staple Singers scored their first of two US #1 Hot 100 hits with a classic song that had only one verse.

Neil Young scored his only US #1 Hot 100 single.

Some of the other classic singles to peak in 1972 are “American Pie,” “Let’s Stay Together,” “Me & Mrs. Jones,” “Without You,” “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” “Alone Again (Naturally),” “Lean On Me,” “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone,” “School’s Out” and “The Harder They Come.”

David Bowie released The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders
from Mars.

The Rolling Stones released Exile on Main St.

Elton John released Honky Château.

As far as music goes, I’d say 1972 was pretty pretty pretty pretty good. Even the bad songs were good! Here are thirty highlights.

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