50 years ago: The King and I opened on Broadway

The King and I Richard Rodgers (music), Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics)

Cast Album

Stage Debut: March 29, 1951 Charted: May 26, 1951 Peak: 2 US Sales (in millions): -- Genre: show tunes

Soundtrack

Released: June 11, 1956 Peak: 11 US, 148 UK Sales (in millions): 2.0 US Genre: show tunes

Songs: Overture I Whistle a Happy Tune My Lord and Master Hello, Young Lovers March of the Siamese Children A Puzzlement Getting to Know You We Kiss in a Shadow/ I Have Dreamed Shall I Tell You What I Think of You? Something Wonderful Song of the King Shall We Dance? Something Wonderful (Finale) Singles/Hit Songs: As was common in the pre-rock era, songs from musicals were often recorded by artists not associated with the musical and released as singles. Here are some of the most notable hit singles resulting from the show: “We Kiss in a Shadow” – Frank Sinatra (#22, 1951) ”Hello, Young Lovers” – Perry Como (#27, 1951)

Rating: 4.440 out of 5.00 (average of 7 ratings for cast album and soundtrack combined) Quotable: “One of the all-time greats among musicals.” – Daily Variety Awards (Cast Album): (Click on award to learn more). Awards (Soundtrack): (Click on award to learn more).

About the Show: The King and I was the fifth collaboration for Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical came about when Fanny Holtzmann, a theatrical attorney, was looking for a part for her client, Gertrude Lawrence. Holtzmann thought Margaret Landon’s 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam, would be a perfect vehicle and contacted Rodgers & Hammerstein. WK The novel was based on the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, a British widow and school teacher who, in the 1860s, served as governess to the children of King Mongkut of Siam. WK She was hired as part of the king’s effort to modernize his country WK and tutor him in how to become a cultivated English gentleman. DF The musical is marked by the conflict between the king and Anna and the love which neither can admit. WK Rodgers was concerned that “the aging Lawrence had a voice of limited range and she was notorious for singing flat.” DF They’d also never written a show designed for a specific performer, and had tried to liberate Broadway of that very habit. DF However, Rodgers, later wrote, of some of the appealing elements of the story: “there was the contrast between Eastern and Western cultures…there was the intangibility of the attraction between teacher and king…there was the warmth of the relationship between Anna and her royal pupils; there was the theme of democratic teachings triumphing over autocratic rule.” DF However, they were still challenged to find a worthy co-star. Rex Harrison played the part in a 1946 film based on Landon’s book – but he was unavailable. WK Alfred Drake and Noel Coward, Lawrence’s oldest and dearest friend, were also considered. DF They ended up holding auditions and the first candidate was an actor named Yul Brynner, whose only Broadway musical credit was in Lute Song, a failed 1946 show starring Mary Martin. DF Rodgers had never heard of him, but wrote about his first impression. He “was a bald, muscular fellow with a bony, Oriental face…He looked savage, he sounded savage, and there was no denying that he projected a feeling of controlled ferocity. When he read for us…Oscar and I looked at each other and nodded…we had our king.” DF The musical debuted at Broadway’s St. James Theatre on March 29, 1951. WK Brynner was an overnight sensation and Lawrence “was once again the toast of Broadway.” DF They both won Tonys for their performances; The King and I was also given the Tony for Best Musical. With a run of nearly three years, it became, at the time, the fourth longest-running Broadway musical in history. WK The 1956 film version was, at the time, the most expensive film to date for 20th Century Fox. DF Brynner was tapped to reprise his role, but Lawrence died of cancer on September 6, 1952, so was replaced by Deborah Kerr, at Brynner’s urging. DF “She had the gracious quality of an English lady, but her powerful performances in From Here to Eternity on the screen and Tea and Sympathy on the stage had the kind of sexual tension that Brynner wanted to emphasize in the relationship between Anna and the King.” DF “Chemistry sizzled between…Brynner and…Kerr…, and the rich multilayered story had an emotional pull that was rare in film musicals. The film made breathtaking use of color and of a new widescreen photographic process called Cinemascope 55. The format’s enhanced sound quality provided a sumptuous setting for the Rodgers and Hammerstein score.” DF Daily Variety called it the “Blockbuster of the year. One of the all-time greats among musicals. Sure to wow all classes and nations. Socko in all departments: story, performances, production, score.” DF The film was nominated for nine Academy Awards, winning nine – including Best Actor for Yul Brynner.

Resources and Related Links: DF David Foil, liner notes from CD of The King and I soundtrack (1956/1993). WK Wikipedia Other Related DMDB Pages: First posted 8/11/2008; last updated 12/22/2021.

Roland Orzabal's Tomcats Screaming Outside released

Tomcats Screaming Outside Roland Orzabal

Released: April 3, 2001 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Genre: new wave

Tracks: Song Title (Writers) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Ticket to the World [5:48] Low Life (Orzabal) [4:36] (4/10/01, --) Hypnoculture (Orzabal) [3:13] Bullets for Brains [4:08] For the Love of Cain (Orzabal) [4:06] Under Ether [5:51] Day by Day by Day by Day [4:35] Dandelion [3:03] Hey Andy! (Orzabal) [4:25] Kill Love [5:40] Snowdrop [4:23] Maybe Our Days Are Numbered [4:47] All tracks written by Griffiths/Orzabal unless otherwise noted. Total Running Time: 54:35 The Players: Roland Orzabal (vocals, guitar, keyboards, programming) Alan Griffiths (guitar, keyboards, programming) David Sutton (bass) Nick D’Virgilio (drums)

Rating: 3.237 out of 5.00 (average of 14 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith formed Tears for Fears in 1981 after working with each other in the short-lived, ska-revival band Graduate. As Tears for Fears, they released three hugely successful albums in the 1980s before they went their separate ways. Orzabal continued to work under the Tears for Fears banner, releasing the albums Elemental in 1993 and Raoul and the Kings of Spain in 1995. Considering that Orzabal is the only constant through all the Tears for Fears albums, it is curious that Tomcats Screaming Outside is his first official solo album when it could just as easily be considered the third post-Curt Smith Tears for Fears album. In fact, this album and the previous two Tears for Fears’ albums all feature guitarist and keyboardist Alan Griffith, making him the sort of defacto Curt Smith replacement. Under any name, “Roland Orzabal is a musical actor, an abstract poet, and a music connoisseur. His lush lyrical imagery has provided vivid imagism and an emotion sparked from his own inquisitive nature.” AMG This album “illustrates Orzabal’s bright mind with classic philosophical disposition; however, he’s honest and eager, no longer concerned with the past. He refrains from psychologically picking his mind apart; rather, he’s plucking from social indifference and its want for quick desire. His focus on sharp electronics and the uncomplicated nature of songs such as ‘Hypnoculture’ and ‘For the Love of Cain’ present Orzabal’s newfound comfort. He’s still ambitious, yes, but not arrogantly so. ‘Dandelion’ grazes with nasty riffs, leaving Orzabal to twist his large vocals to stretch alongside them. ‘Ticket to the World’ and ‘Maybe Our Days Are Numbered’ ironically capture Orzabal’s fixation with a greater love, another hurt, and a life outside of what everyone already knows.” AMG “Tomcats Screaming Outside aptly defines his burgeoning creative desire as well as his hungry nature to write a song that reaches outside the heart and beyond the mind. The overall composition of this album is tough, a bit young with musical instrumentation, but a decent look at Orzabal’s keen talent as both a singer and a songwriter. He’s still got it.” AMG

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Roland Orzabal DMDB encyclopedia entry for Tears for Fears AMG All Music Guide review by MacKenzie Wilson WK Wikipedia Other Related DMDB Pages: First posted 3/24/2008; last updated 2/22/2022.

Neil Finn One Nil released

One Nil Neil Finn

Released: March 9, 2001 Peak: -- US, 14 UK, -- CN, 9 AU, 12 DF Sales (in millions): -- US, -- UK, 0.04 world (includes US + UK) Genre: adult alternative rock

Tracks: Song Title (Writers) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to charts. The Climber [4:13] Rest of the Day Off (Blake/ N. Finn/ Melvoin) [3:49] (3/2/01, 77 AU) Hole in the Ice (Coleman/ N. Finn) [4:11] (9/10/01, --) Wherever You Are [4:46] (3/26/01, 32 UK) Last to Know (N. Finn/ Melvoin) [3:02] (7/24/01, --) Don’t Ask Why (N. Finn/ Melvoin) [3:54] Secret God (N. Finn/ Melvoin) [5:27] Turn and Run [3:46] Elastic Heart [4:00] Anytime [3:24] Driving Me Mad [3:58] Into the Sunset [4:12] All songs written by Neil Finn unless noted otherwise. Total Running Time: 48:46

Rating: 3.752 out of 5.00 (average of 19 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: “Neil Finn remains, at his core, a purveyor of pure pop for now people. On this disc…he stays true to form, serving up something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.” BN “Finn's long-running lyrical concerns--love, loyalty, and, predominantly, self-doubt--have never been expressed more adroitly” AZ as Finn delivers his “most straightforward album since Crowded House's Woodface.” AMG “Curiously, for an album that plays to his strengths, a good portion is the result of a fruitful collaboration with Wendy & Lisa [best known for their stint in Prince & the Revolution], plus a production pairing with Tchad Blake and numerous cameo spots, including Sheryl Crow, Lisa Germano, and Mitchell Froom. For all the guests and star power, the record is surprisingly subtle…the songs are gently insinuating, slowly working their way into the subconscious.” AMG “The little details — the turns of phrase, the gently persuasive melodies, the slyly detailed productions — all confirm his status as a gifted craftsman.” AMG “Finn wastes little time in showing his considerable prowess. The opening track, The Climber, is vintage Finn, a superbly crafted mid-tempo pop tune with a sing-song melody.” RS “The swirling effects and treated guitars” AZ of “the bright, breezy Rest of the Day Off” BN “hint more at latter-day Split Enz and even, occasionally, Oasis, than Crowded House.” AZ Neil’s “wife Sharon is lauded as ‘the true companion at your side’ on Wherever You Are,” Q which, along with “the lilting Lullaby Requiem, [available only on the U.S. version] falls into the dreamy, introspective territory that yielded Crowded House's most memorable material, with wisps of vocal drifting over the arrangements.” BN In a similar vein, Turn and Run is “a rending ballad that teams Finn with Sheryl Crow,” BN although her contribution is limited to that of a backup singer rather than a full-fledged duet partner. However, “Finn does prove willing to kick things up a notch -- with the help of collaborators Wendy and Lisa Melvoin…who are brilliantly showcased on Last to Know, which snakes along with a Paisley Park-tinged gait” BN that “flashes Morrissey-inspired wit (‘Ill end up under a bus/ With my fingers crossed’).” EO They reappear again on ”Secret God where [they] assault a Joni Michell-ish jazz-folk canvas with grimy guitars, ravishing harmonies and a barking Bitches Brew outro.” Q “Monogamous shagging is unembarrassingly essayed on Don’t Ask Why;” Q “Elastic Heart has something of the soul about it.” Q “Anytime is a jolly song about popping your clogs and everywhere there are shafts of melody like sunshine in a wood.” Q Driving Me Mad appropriates its shuffling rhythm from the streets of New Orleans, though it's the song's melody – one of Finn’s trademark off-kilter doozies – that steals the spotlight.” BN This album once again displays that “Finn has become one of the most respected songwriters in music.” RS “How fine it would be if he were as big as Sting.” Q Still, even without that level of recognition, there is no doubt that this is “a very Finn, er, fine offering.” EO Notes: In the U.S. the album was released as One All with a different track listing.

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Neil Finn AMG All Music Guide review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine AZ Amazon.com review by Sarah Dempster BN Barnes & Noble review by David Sprague EO Eonline.com Q Q magazine review, originally from 5/01 print issue (#176) RS RollingStone.com review by Steve Baltin, originally in 5/21/02 print issue Other Related DMDB Pages: First posted 3/30/2008; last updated 6/1/2024.

 

RIAA/NEA’s Top Albums of the 20th Century

First posted 3/7/2012; updated 11/20/2020.

RIAA/NEA: Top Albums of the 20th Century

On March 7, 2001, The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) revealed the top ten songs from its list of the top 365 songs of the 20th century. According to the RIAA’s press release, the list was created “to promote a better understanding of America’s musical and cultural heritage in our schools.” Strangely, though, there were a handful of albums included on the list. I have listed the albums on this page and you can see the song list here. Note: Links on albums lead to dedicated DMDB pages. Click here to see other lists from publications and/or organizations. West Side Story (cast album, 1957) The Sound of Music (cast album, 1959) Oklahoma! (cast album, 1943) George Gershwin/Ira Gershwin/Dubose Heyward Porgy and Bess (1935) Miles Davis Kind of Blue (1959) My Fair Lady (cast album, 1956) John Coltrane A Love Supreme (1965) The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) Hair (cast album, 1967) Charlie Parker Ornithology (1946) South Pacific (cast album, 1949) Miles Davis Bitches Brew (1970) The King and I (cast album, 1951) The Music Man (cast album, 1957) Various Artists (including Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta) Grease (soundtrack, 1978) Show Boat (cast album, 1927) Mary Lou Williams Zodiac Suite: Town Hall Concert (live, 1945) Resources/Related Links: original RIAA press release: RIAA, NEA Announce ‘Songs of the Century’ TheAssociation.net CNN.com Wikipedia

The RIAA/NEA's Songs of the Century

RIAA/NEA: Top 365 Songs of the 20th Century

On March 7, 2001, The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) revealed the top ten songs from its list of the top 365 songs of the 20th century. According to the RIAA’s press release, the list was created “to promote a better understanding of America’s musical and cultural heritage in our schools.” It is one of the better lists around considering it actually acknowledges pre-rock era songs. It does, however, also strangely opt to include a handful of albums in the list. I’ve omitted those here and created a separate page focused on the albums here. Links on songs lead to more detailed reviews and information on the DMDB website. Click here to see other lists from publications and/or organizations. Judy Garland “Over the Rainbow” (1939) Bing Crosby “White Christmas” (1942) Woody Guthrie “This Land Is Your Land” (1940) Aretha Franklin “Respect” (1967) Don McLean “American Pie” (1971) The Andrews Sisters “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” (1941) Billy Murray & the Haydn Quartet “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” (1908) The Righteous Brothers “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1964) Scott Joplin “The Entertainer” (1902) Glenn Miller Orchestra “In the Mood” (1939) Bill Haley & the Comets “We’re Gonna Rock Around the Clock” (1954) Louis Armstrong “When the Saints Go Marching In” (1939) Jimmie Davis “You Are My Sunshine” (1940) Bobby Darin “Mack the Knife” (1959) The Rolling Stones “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (1965) Duke Ellington Orchestra “Take the ‘A’ Train” (1941) Fats Domino “Blueberry Hill” (1956) Kate Smith “God Bless America” (1939) Sousa’s Band “Stars and Stripes Forever” (1901) Marvin Gaye “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (1968) Otis Redding “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay” (1968) Tony Bennett “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” (1962) The Beach Boys “Good Vibrations” (1966) Ben E. King “Stand by Me” (1961) Lena Horne “Stormy Weather (Keeps Rainin' All the Time)” (1943) Chuck Berry “Johnny B. Goode” (1958) The Beatles “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (1963) Gladys Knight & The Pips “Midnight Train to Georgia” (1973) John Lennon “Imagine” (1971) Gene Autry “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (1949) Chubby Checker “The Twist” (1960) Roy Rogers & Dale Evans “Happy Trails” (1948) Hank Williams “Your Cheatin’ Heart” (1953) Fisk Jubilee Singers “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” (1909) Thelonius Monk “Round Midnight” (1947) Tina Turner “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” (1984) American Quartet “Over There” (1917) Hoagy Carmichael “Stardust” (1927) Fats Waller “Ain’t Misbehavin’” (1929) Ray Charles “Georgia on My Mind” (1960) Roy Orbison “(Oh) Pretty Woman” (1964) The Police “Every Breath You Take” (1983) The Temptations “My Girl” (1965) The Eagles “Hotel California” (1977) Ben Selvin Orchestra “Happy Days Are Here Again” (1930) Tammy Wynette “Stand by Your Man” (1968) Dave Brubeck “Take Five” (1961) Louise Homer “America the Beautiful” (1910) Percy Sledge “When a Man Loves a Woman” (1966) The Doors “Light My Fire” (1967) Led Zeppelin “Stairway to Heaven” (1971) Ben Bernie Orchestra “Sweet Georgia Brown” (1925) Cliff Edwards “When You Wish Upon a Star” (1940) The Beatles “Yesterday” (1965) The Kingsmen “Louie Louie” (1963) Billie Holiday “God Bless the Child” (1941) Bruce Springsteen “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984) Stan Getz & Astrud Gilberto “The Girl from Ipanema” (1964) Johnny Cash “I Walk the Line” (1956) John McCormack “The Star-Spangled Banner” (1917) The Edwin Hawkins Singers “O Happy Day” (1969) Jerry Lee Lewis “Great Balls of Fire” (1957) Marvin Gaye “What’s Going On” (1971) Johnny Mercer “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” (1946) Elvis Presley “Don’t Be Cruel” / “Hound Dog” (1956) W.C. Handy “St. Louis Blues” (1923) Vess Ossman “Yankee Doodle” (1894) The Mamas & the Papas “California Dreamin’” (1966) Willie Nelson “On the Road Again” (1980) Frank Stanley “Auld Lang Syne” (1907) Sidney Bechet “Summertime” (1939) Isaac Hayes “Theme from Shaft” (1971) Michael Jackson “Beat It” (1983) Les Brown’s Orchestra with Doris Day “Sentimental Journey” (1945) Carl Perkins “Blue Suede Shoes” (1956) Simon & Garfunkel “The Sounds of Silence” (1965) Nirvana “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (1991) Isham Jones Orchestra “It Had to Be You” (1924) Cab Calloway “Minnie the Moocher” (1931) Tennessee Ernie Ford “Sixteen Tons” (1955) Louis Armstrong What a Wonderful World” (1967) James Taylor “Fire and Rain” (1970) Village People “Y.M.C.A.” (1978) Heavy Weather “Birdland” (1977) Elvis Presley “Heartbreak Hotel” (1956) Roger Miller “King of the Road” (1965) Gloria Gaynor “I Will Survive” (1978) Marian Anderson “Ave Maria” (1936) Artie Shaw Orchestra “Begin the Beguine” (1938) Bob Dylan “Like a Rolling Stone” (1965) The Supremes “Stop! In the Name of Love” (1965) Bee Gees “Stayin’ Alive” (1977) Prince “1999” (1982) Tim McGraw “Please Remember Me” (1999) Gene Autry “Back in the Saddle Again” (1939) Big Joe Turner “Shake, Rattle and Roll” (1954) The Five Satins “In the Still of the Nite (I’ll Remember)” (1956) Roberta Flack “Killing Me Softly with His Song” (1973) Garth Brooks “Friends in Low Places” (1990) Arthur Gibbs & His Gang “Charleston” (1924) Ella Fitzgerald with Chick Webb & His Orchestra “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” (1938) Chauncy Olcott “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” (1913) Bob Dylan “The Times They Are A-Changin’” (1964) Patsy Cline “I Fall to Pieces” (1961) Whitney Houston “I Will Always Love You” (1992) < Nat “King” Cole “Mona Lisa” (1950) Peter, Paul & Mary “Blowin’ in the Wind” (1963) Buddy Holly & the Crickets “Peggy Sue” (1957) Bill Withers “Lean on Me” (1972) Hank Williams “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” (1949) Creedence Clearwater Revival “Proud Mary” (1969) The Carter Family “Can the Circle Be Unbroken (By and By)” (1935) Harry Richman “Puttin’ on the Ritz” (1930) Derek & the Dominos “Layla” (1971) Van Halen “Jump” (1983) U2 “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” U2 (1987) U.S.A. for Africa “We Are the World” (1985) Cyndi Lauper “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” (1983) Al Jolson “Swanee” (1920) The Peerless Quartet “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” (1911) Eddie Cantor “Makin’ Whoopee” (1929) The Miracles “The Tracks of My Tears” (1965) Helen Kane “I Wanna Be Loved By You” (1928) Bing Crosby “Pennies from Heaven” (1936) Little Richard “Tutti Frutti” (1955) Van Morrison ( “Brown Eyed Girl” 1967) The Flamingos “I Only Have Eyes for You” (1959) Steppenwolf “Born to Be Wild” (1968) Stevie Wonder “Superstition” (1972) Bruce Springsteen “Born to Run” (1975) Shirley Temple “On the Good Ship Lollipop” (1935) Roy Acuff “Wabash Cannonball” (1938) Al Hibbler “Unchained Melody” (1955) Martha & the Vandellas “Dancing in the Street” (1964) Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (1967) Billy Joel “Piano Man” (1974) Three Dog Night “Joy to the World” (1971) R.E.M. “Losing My Religion” (1991) Frank Sinatra “My Way” (1969) Al Green “Let’s Stay Together” (1971) Queen “We Will Rock You” / “We Are the Champions” (1977) Prince & the Revolution “Purple Rain” (1984) Abba “Dancing Queen” (1976) The Everly Brothers “Wake Up Little Susie” (1957) The Isley Brothers “Shout” (1959) James Brown “I Got You (I Feel Good)” (1965) B.B. King “The Thrill Is Gone” (1969) The Boswell Sisters “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” (1935) Bo Diddley “Bo Diddley” (1955) Harry Belafonte “The Banana Boat Song (Day-O)” (1956) Johnny Cash “Ring of Fire” (1963) Ritchie Valens “Donna” / “La Bamba” (1958) The Tokens “The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh)” (1961) John Denver “Take Me Home, Country Roads” (1971) Madonna “Material Girl” (1984) The Sugarhill Gang “Rapper’s Delight” (1979) Leadbelly “Goodnight Irene” (1950) The Chammps “Tequila” (1958) Doris Day “Whatever Will Be Will Be (Que Sera Sera)” (1956) The Byrds “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)” (1965) Sam & Dave “Soul Man” (1967) Stevie Wonder “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” (1973) Bob Hope & Shirley Ross “Thanks for the Memory” (1939) B.J. Thomas “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” (1969) Henry Mancini with Audrey Hepburn “Moon River” (1961) Lynyrd Skynyrd “Free Bird” (1974) Erroll Garner Trio “Misty” (1954) Johnny Mathis “Chances Are” (1957) Ketty Lester “Love Letters” (1962) Joan Jett & the Blackhearts “I Love Rock and Roll” (1981) Tracy Chapman “Fast Car” (1988) The Shirelles “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (1960) The Shangri-Las “Leader of the Pack” (1964) Wilson Pickett “In the Midnight Hour” (1965) Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?” (1956) Johnny Nash “I Can See Clearly Now” (1972) Santana “Oye Como Va” (1971) Loretta Lynn “Coal Miner’s Daughter” (1970) Harry Chapin “Cat’s in the Cradle” (1974) Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” (1978) Kenny Rogers “The Gambler” (1978) Gene Austin “Bye Bye Blackbird” (1926) The Platters “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” (1958) Beastie Boys “You Gotta Fight for Your Right to Party” (1986) Sister Sledge “We Are Family” (1979) The Carpenters “They Long to Be Close to You” (1970) Rod Stewart “Maggie May” (1971) Fred Astaire with Leo Reisman’s Orchestra “Night and Day” (1932) Rudy Vallee “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” (1932) The Kingston Trio “Tom Dooley” (1958) Patti Page “Tennessee Waltz” (1948) Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” (1972) Elton John “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” (1973) M.C. Hammer “U Can’t Touch This” (1990) Santana & Rob Thomas “Smooth” (1999) Ricky Martin “Livin’ La Vida Loca” (1999) George Beverly Shea “How Great Thou Art” (1955) Benny Goodman Orchestra “Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)” (1938) The Sons of the Pioneers “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” (1934) Jackie DeShannon “What the World Needs Now Is Love” (1965) Roy Orbison “Crying” (1961) Guns N’ Roses “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (1988) Count Basie Orchestra “One O’Clock Jump” (1937) Petula Clark “Downtown” (1964) Carole King “It’s Too Late” / “I Feel the Earth Move” (1971) Kool & the Gang “Celebration” (1980) The Tymes “So Much in Love” (1963) Carly Simon “You’re So Vain” (1972) Blondie “Heart of Glass” (1978) Bill Monroe & The Blue Grass Boys “Blue Moon of Kentucky” (1947) Mark Dinning “Teen Angel” (1959) Joan Baez “We Shall Overcome” (1963) Bonnie Raitt “Something to Talk About” (1991) Thomas A. Dorsey “Take My Hand Precious Lord” (1932) Dion “Runaround Sue” (1961) Art Tatum “Tea for Two” (1939) Eddie Cochran “Summertime Blues” (1958) Dean Martin “Everybody Loves Somebody” (1964) Lesley Gore “It’s My Party” (1963) Little Eva “The Loco-Motion” (1962) The Drifters “On Broadway” (1963) Janis Joplin “Me and Bobby McGee” (1971) Jim Croce “Time in a Bottle” (1973) Jimmy Buffett “Margaritaville” (1977) Wilbert Harrison “Kansas City” (1959) The Penguins “Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)” (1954) Muddy Waters “Got My Mojo Working” (1957) The Impressions “People Get Ready” (1965) The Animals “The House of the Rising Sun” (1964) Jefferson Airplane “White Rabbit” (1967) Paul Simon “Graceland” (1986) The B-52s “Love Shack” (1989) R. Kelly “I Believe I Can Fly” (1996) Sheryl Crow “All I Wanna Do” (1994) Celine Dion “My Heart Will Go On” (1997) Geraldine Farrar “My Old Kentucky Home” (1910) Dion “Abraham, Martin & John” (1968) Danny & The Juniors “At the Hop” (1957) Ray Charles “What’d I Say” (1959) The Chordettes “Mr. Sandman” (1954) The Ronettes “Be My Baby” (1963) Sonny & Cher “I Got You Babe” (1965) Charlie Daniels Band “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” (1979) Irene Cara “Flashdance...What a Feelin’” (1983) Talking Heads “Burning Down the House” (1983) Billy Ray Cyrus “Achy Breaky Heart” (1992) Dixie Chicks “Wide Open Spaces” (1998) Dionne Warwick “Walk on By” (1964) Allman Brothers Band “Ramblin’ Man” (1973) Mahalia Jackson “Move on Up a Little Higher” (1948) The Pointer Sisters “I’m So Excited” (1984) Louis Prima & Keely Smith “That Old Black Magic” (1958) The Four Tops “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)” (1966) Aerosmith “Walk This Way” (1976) Kim Carnes “Bette Davis Eyes” (1981) Bette Midler “The Wind Beneath My Wings” (1989) Eric Clapton “Change the World” (1996) The Ink Spots “If I Didn’t Care” (1939) The Mills Brothers “Paper Doll” (1942) Billie Holiday “Strange Fruit” (1939) Bobbie Gentry “Ode to Billy Joe” (1967) Frank Sinatra “Strangers in the Night” (1966) Edwin Starr “War” (1970) Charlie Rich “Behind Closed Doors” (1973) Bob Seger “Old Time Rock ‘N’ Roll” (1979) The Go-Gos “We Got the Beat” (1982) Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five “The Message” (1982) Cole Porter “You’re the Top” (1934) Mary Wells “My Guy” (1964) Sam Cooke “You Send Me” (1957) Glen Campbell “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” (1967) Nilsson “Everybody’s Talkin”” (1968) Neil Young “Heart of Gold” (1972) John Cougar Mellencamp “Jack and Diane” (1982) Public Enemy “Fight the Power” (1989) Whispering Jack Smith “Me and My Shadow” (1927) Alvino Rey Orchestra “Deep in the Heart of Texas” (1941) Buffalo Springfield “For What It’s Worth” (1967) Dionne Warwick & Friends “That's What Friends Are For” (1985) Shania Twain “You’re Still the One” (1998) Fleetwood Mac “Go Your Own Way” (1977) Pink Floyd “Another Brick in the Wall Part II” (1979) Vaughn Monroe “Riders in the Sky (A Cowboy Legend)” (1949) Barbra Streisand “The Way We Were” (1973) Dolly Parton “9 to 5” (1980) Bobby McFerrin “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” (1988) Connie Francis “Who’s Sorry Now” (1958) KC & Sunshine Band “That’s the Way (I Like It)” (1975) Billy Jones “Yes! We Have No Bananas” (1923) The Weavers “On Top of Old Smoky” (1951) The Kinks “You Really Got Me” (1964) Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young “Ohio” (1970) Tom Petty “Free Fallin’” (1989) Faith Hill “This Kiss” (1998) Coleman Hawkins Orchestra “Body and Soul” (1940) Helen Reddy “I Am Woman” (1972) George Benson “This Masquerade” (1976) Sophie Tucker with Ted Lewis “Some of These Days” (1927) Bessie Smith “Down Hearted Blues” (1923) Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys “New San Antonio Rose” (1944) Les Paul & Mary Ford “How High the Moon” (1951) Brenda Lee “I’m Sorry” (1960) Sly & the Family Stone “Everyday People” (1968) Linda Ronstadt “When Will I Be Loved” (1975) The Grateful Dead “Uncle John’s Band” (1970) George Michael “Faith” (1987) Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes “Up Where We Belong” (1982) Hank Williams, Jr “All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over”. (1984) Elton John “Candle in the Wind” (1973/1997) Amy Grant “El Shaddai” (1982) Dizzy Gillespie “Salt Peanuts” (1945) Enrico Caruso “Pagliacci, Act I: Vesti La Giubba (On with the Play)” (1907) Paul Whiteman Orchestra “Whispering” (1920) Jimmie Rodgers “Blue Yodel (T for Texas)” (1928) John Lee Hooker “Boogie Chillen” (1949) Johnny Horton “The Battle of New Orleans” (1959) Donna Summer “She Works Hard for the Money” (1983) The Jackson 5 “I Want You Back” (1969) George Jones “He Stopped Loving Her Today” (1980) Will Smith “Men in Black” (1997) Marty Robbins “El Paso” (1959) The Chuck Wagon Gang “I’ll Fly Away” (1948) Herbie Hancock “Rock-It” (1983) Jelly Roll Morton “King Porter Stomp” (1923) Robert Johnson “Cross Road Blues (aka ‘Crossroads’)” (1936) Eddy Arnold “Cattle Call” (1945) The Original Dixieland Jazz Band “Tiger Rag” (1918) Vernon Dalhart “The Prisoner’s Song” (1925) The Coasters “Yakety Yak” (1958) Joni Mitchell “Big Yellow Taxi” (1970) Stevie Winwood “Higher Love” (1986) Shirley Caesar “No Charge” (1975) Alabama “My Home’s in Alabama” (1980) Mariah Carey with Boyz II Men “One Sweet Day” (1995) Lee Ann Womack with Sons of the Desert “I Hope You Dance” (2000) The Fairfield Four “Don’t Let Nobody Turn You Around” (1947) Ramsey Lewis Trio “The In-Crowd” (1965) Francis Craig Orchestra with Bob Lamm “Near You” (1947) Merle Haggard “Sing Me Back Home” (1967) The Modern Jazz Quartet “Django” (1954) The Staple Singers “Respect Yourself” (1971) Lauryn Hill “Doo Wop (That Thing)” (1998) The Judds “Mama He’s Crazy” (1984) TLC “No Scrubs” (1999) Chicago “Saturday in the Park” (1972) Destiny’s Child “Bills, Bills, Bills” (1999) Bebe & Cece Winans “Addictive Love” (1991) The Jimi Hendrix Experience “All Along the Watchtower” (1968) Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Lists from other publications and/or organizations” original RIAA press release: RIAA, NEA Announce ‘Songs of the Century’ TheAssociation.net CNN.com Wikipedia First posted 3/7/2012; last updated 9/16/2023.