Showing posts with label Righteous Brothers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Righteous Brothers. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

The Top 100 Love Songs of All Time

Love Songs:

Top 100

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, here are the top 100 love songs of all time as determined by aggregating more than 40 lists covering more than 900 songs. See links at the bottom of the page.

Click here to see other genre-specific song lists.

1. Whitney Houston “I Will Always Love You” (1992)
2. The Righteous Brothers “Unchained Melody” (1965)
3. Lionel Richie & Diana Ross “Endless Love” (1981)
4. Elton John “Your Song” (1970)
5. Al Green “Let’s Stay Together” (1971)
6. Celine Dion “My Heart Will Go On” (1997)
7. Etta James “At Last” (1961)
8. Eric Clapton “Wonderful Tonight” (1977)
9. Boyz II Men “I’ll Make Love to You” (1994)
10. Bryan Adams “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” (1991)

11. The Temptations “My Girl” (1965)
12. Elvis Presley “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (1961)
13. Percy Sledge “When a Man Loves a Woman” (1966)
14. Roberta Flack “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” (1969)
15. Aerosmith “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” (1998)
16. Bee Gees “How Deep Is Your Love” (1977)
17. Joe Cocker “You Are So Beautiful” (1974)
18. The Beach Boys “God Only Knows” (1966)
19. Beyoncé with Jay-Z “Crazy in Love” (2003)
20. Cyndi Lauper “Time After Time” (1984)

21. Madonna “Crazy for You” (1985)
22. Adele “Make You Feel My Love” (2008)
23. The Beatles “Something” (1969)
24. Paul McCartney “Maybe I’m Amazed” (1970)
25. Sinéad O’Connor “Nothing Compares 2 U” (1990)
26. Foreigner “I Want to Know What Love Is” (1984)
27. Sonny & Cher “I Got You Babe” (1965)
28. John Legend “All of Me” (2013)
29. Journey “Faithfully” (1983)
30. The Emotions “Best of My Love” (1977)

31. REO Speedwagon “Keep on Loving You” (1980)
32. Berlin “Take My Breath Away” (1986)
33. The Pretenders “I’ll Stand by You” (1994)
34. Stevie Wonder “I Just Called to Say I Love You” (1984)
35. The Jackson 5 “I’ll Be There” (1970)
36. Marvin Gaye “Let’s Get It On” (1973)
37. Frank Sinatra “The Way You Look Tonight” (1964)
38. Peter Gabriel “In Your Eyes” (1986)
39. Bruno Mars “Just the Way You Are (Amazing)” (2010)
40. Olivia Newton-John “I Honestly Love You” (1974)

41. Celine Dion “The Power of Love” (1994)
42. The Flamingos “I Only Have Eyes for You” (1959)
43. Mariah Carey “Vision of Love” (1990)
44. Shania Twain “You’re Still the One” (1997)
45. Willie Nelson “Always on My Mind” (1982)
46. Stevie Wonder “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” (1973)
47. Elvis Presley “Love Me Tender” (1956)
48. Ed Sheeran “Thinking Out Loud” (2014)
49. Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (1967)
50. Savage Garden “Truly, Madly, Deeply” (1997)

51. Queen “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” (1979)
52. Aretha Franklin “You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman” (1967)
53. Journey “Open Arms” (1981)
54. Billy Joel “Just the Way You Are” (1977)
55. Celine Dion “Because You Loved Me” (1996)
56. Commodores “Three Times a Lady” (1978)
57. Taylor Swift “Love Story” (2008)
58. Captain & Tennille “Love Will Keep Us Together” (1975)
59. Natalie Cole with Nat “King” Cole “Unforgettable” (1991)
60. U2 “With or Without You” (1987)

61. Frank Ocean “Thinkin’ ‘Bout You” (2011)
62. K-Ci & JoJo “All My Life” (1997)
63. Alicia Keys “Fallin’” (2001)
64. Dolly Parton “I Will Always Love You” (1974)
65. Barry White “You’re the First, the Last, My Everything” (1974)
66. Jackie Wilson “Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher and Higher” (1967)
67. The Beatles “And I Love Her” (1964)
68. Donna Lewis “I Love You Always Forever” (1996)
69. Rod Stewart “Have I Told You Lately” (1993)
70. Leona Lewis “Bleeding Love” (2007)

71. Modern English “I Melt with You” (1984)
72. Bangles “Eternal Flame” (1989)
73. Paul McCartney & Wings “My Love” (1973)
74. Ray Charles “I Can’t Stop Loving You” (1962)
75. Ed Sheeran with Beyoncé “Perfect” (2017)
76. Sam Cooke “You Send Me” (1957)
77. Rihanna with Calvin Harris “We Found Love” (2011)
78. Nat “King” Cole “When I Fall in Love” (1956)
79. LeAnn Rimes “How Do I Live” (1997)
80. Jason Mraz “I’m Yours” (2008)

81. Snow Patrol “Chasing Cars” (2006)
82. The Smiths “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” (1986)
83. Patsy Cline “Crazy” (1961)
84. The Supremes “Baby Love” (1964)
85. Extreme “More Than Words” (1991)
86. Carpenters “They Long to Be Close to You” (1970)
87. Luther Vandross “Here and Now” (1989)
88. Ben Folds “The Luckiest” (2001)
89. Chicago “You’re the Inspiration” (1984)
90. Styx “Babe” (1979)

91. Chris DeBurgh “The Lady in Red” (1986)
92. Vanessa Williams “Save the Best for Last” (1992)
93. Goo Goo Dolls “Iris” (1998):
94. Ben E. King “Stand by Me” (1961)
95. Bill Medley with Jennifer Warnes “I’ve Had the Time of My Life” (1987)
96. The Ronettes “Be My Baby” (1963)
97. Christina Perri “A Thousand Years” (2011)
98. Maroon 5 “She Will Be Loved” (2002)
99. Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack “Tonight I Celebrate My Love” (1983)
100. The Cure “Love Song” (1989)

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First posted 2/14/2012; last updated 5/12/2021.

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Saturday, December 7, 2019

Cynthia Weil: Top 30 Songs

First posted 12/7/2019.

Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil

Songwriter born 10/18/1940 in New York City, NY. Worked frequently with Barry Mann, whom she married in 1961. Their song “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” as recorded by the Righteous Brothers, is featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era, 1954-1999. For a complete list of this act’s DMDB honors, check out the DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia entry.

Top 30 Songs
Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. This list includes songs both written and sung by King. The recording artist is noted in parentheses. Songs which hit #1 on these charts are noted: United States Billboard Hot 100 pop chart (US), Cashbox (CB), Hit Records (HR), Radio & Records (RR), Billboard adult contemporary (AC), Billboard R&B (RB), United Kingdom pop chart (UK), Canadian pop charts (CN), and Australian pop chart (AU).

DMDB Top 1%:

1. You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ (The Righteous Brothers, 1964) #1 US, CB, HR, UK, CN

DMDB Top 5%:

2. On Broadway (The Drifters, 1963)
3. Here You Come Again (Dolly Parton, 1977) #1 CW
4. You’re My Soul and Inspiration (The Righteous Brothers, 1966) #1 US, CB, HR, CN
5. We Gotta Get Out of This Place (The Animals, 1965)
6. Don’t Know Much (Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville, 1989) #1 AC
7. Somewhere Out There (Linda Ronstadt & James Ingram, 1986)
8. On Broadway (George Benson, 1978)

DMDB Top 10%:

9. He’s So Shy (The Pointer Sisters, 1980)
10. You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ (Daryl Hall & John Oates, 1980)
11. Running with the Night (Lionel Richie, 1983)
12. If Ever You’re in My Arms Again (Peabo Bryson, 1984)
13. Love Will Conquer All (Lionel Richie, 1986)
14. Saturday Night at the Movies (The Drifters, 1964)
15. Never Gonna Let You Go (Sergio Mendes, 1983)

DMDB Top 20%:

16. All of You (Julio Iglesias & Diana Ross, 1984)
17. He’s Sure the Boy I Love (The Crystals, 1962)
18. Kicks (Paul Revere & the Raiders, 1966) #1 CN
19. Somewhere Down the Road (Barry Manilow, 1981) #1 AC
20. Just Once (Quincy Jones & James Ingram, 1981)
21. Hungry (Paul Revere & the Raiders, 1966)
22. Uptown (The Crystals, 1962)
23. Walking in the Rain (The Ronettes, 1964)
24. Baby Come and Get It (The Pointer Sisters, 1983)
25. I’ll Take You Home (The Drifters, 1963)

Beyond the DMDB Top 20%:

26. Blame It on the Bossa Nova (Eydie Gorme, 1963)
27. Conscience (James Darren, 1962)
28. Where Have You Been All My Life (Arthur Alexander, 1962)
29. Bless You (Tony Orlando, 1961)
30. So Long Dixie (Blood, Sweat & Tears; 1972)

Awards:

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Friday, December 6, 2019

Barry Mann: Top 30 Songs

First posted 12/6/2019.

Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil

Rock songwriter born Barry Imberman on 2/9/1939 in Brooklyn, NY. Often worked with Cynthia Weil, whom he married in 1961. Their song “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” as recorded by the Righteous Brothers, is featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era, 1954-1999. For a complete list of this act’s DMDB honors, check out the DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia entry.

Top 30 Songs
Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. This list includes songs both written and sung by King. The recording artist is noted in parentheses. Songs which hit #1 on these charts are noted: United States Billboard Hot 100 pop chart (US), Cashbox (CB), Hit Records (HR), Radio & Records (RR), Billboard adult contemporary (AC), Billboard R&B (RB), United Kingdom pop chart (UK), Canadian pop charts (CN), and Australian pop chart (AU).

DMDB Top 1%:

1. You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ (The Righteous Brothers, 1964) #1 US, CB, HR, UK, CN

DMDB Top 5%:

2. On Broadway (The Drifters, 1963)
3. Here You Come Again (Dolly Parton, 1977) #1 CW
4. Sometimes When We Touch (Dan Hill, 1977) #1 CN
5. You’re My Soul and Inspiration (The Righteous Brothers, 1966) #1 US, CB, HR, CN
6. We Gotta Get Out of This Place (The Animals, 1965)
7. Don’t Know Much (Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville, 1989) #1 AC
8. Somewhere Out There (Linda Ronstadt & James Ingram, 1986)
9. On Broadway (George Benson, 1978)
10. You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ (Daryl Hall & John Oates, 1980)

DMDB Top 10%:

11. I Love How You Love Me (Paris Sisters, 1961)
12. Saturday Night at the Movies (The Drifters, 1964)
13. Never Gonna Let You Go (Sergio Mendes, 1983)

DMDB Top 20%:

14. He’s Sure the Boy I Love (The Crystals, 1962)
15. Kicks (Paul Revere & the Raiders, 1966) #1 CN
16. Who Put the Bomp in the Bomp Bomp Bomp (Barry Man, 1961) #1 CN
17. Just Once (Quincy Jones & James Ingram, 1981)
18. Hungry (Paul Revere & the Raiders, 1966)
19. Uptown (The Crystals, 1962)
20. Walking in the Rain (The Ronettes, 1964)
21. How Much Love (Leo Sayer, 1977)
22. Baby Come and Get It (The Pointer Sisters, 1983)
23. I’ll Take You Home (The Drifters, 1963)

Beyond the DMDB Top 20%:

24. Blame It on the Bossa Nova (Eydie Gorme, 1963)
25. Conscience (James Darren, 1962)
26. Where Have You Been All My Life (Arthur Alexander, 1962)
27. Bless You (Tony Orlando, 1961)
28. So Long Dixie (Blood, Sweat & Tears; 1972)
29. I Just Can’t Help Believin’ (Elvis Presley, 1970)
30. I Will Come to You (Hanson, 1997)

Awards:

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Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Phil Spector: Top 50 Songs

image from thoughtco.com

Phil Spector

Top 50 Songs

Phil Spector was born December 26, 1939 in the Bronx, New York. He is best known as a record producer who developed what has been called “the Wall of Sound,” an approach to producing a dense orchestral asthetic within studio recordings. His personal life was troubled by a history with gun violence and in 2003 he was convicted of second degree murder. In honor of his birthday, here are his 50 biggest hits as a writer and/or producer:

Click here to see other best-of lists from performers and here to see other best-of lists from songwriters and/or producers.

Awards:

Top 50 Songs

Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards.

1. John Lennon “Imagine” 1971)
2. The Beatles “Let It Be” (1970)
3. The Righteous Brothers “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1964)
4. The Righteous Brothers “Unchained Melody” (1965)
5. George Harrison “My Sweet Lord” (1970)
6. The Ronettes “Be My Baby” (1963)
7. Ike & Tina Turner “River Deep, Mountain High” (1966)
8. The Crystals “Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home)” (1963)
9. John Lennon “Instant Karma (We All Shine On)” (1970)
10. The Dixie Cups “Chapel of Love” (1964)

11. The Crystals “He’s a Rebel” (1962)
12. The Beatles “The Long and Winding Road” (1970)
13. Ben E. King “Spanish Harlem” (1960)
14. The Teddy Bears “To Know Him Is to Love Him” (1958)
15. John Lennon “Jealous Guy” (1971)
16. John Lennon “Stand by Me” (1975)
17. The Crystals “Then He Kissed Me” (1963)
18. John Lennon “Happy X-Mas (War Is Over)” (1971)
19. George Harrison “Give Me Love, Give Me Peace on Earth” (1973)
20. George Harrison “What Is Life” (1971)

21. John Lennon “Mother” (1970)
22. John Lennon “Working Class Hero” (1970)
23. Paris Sisters “I Love How You Love Me” (1961)
24. John Lennon “God” (1970)
25. Ramones “Rock and Roll High School” (1979)
26. The Beatles “Across the Universe” (1970)
27. The Ronettes “Baby I Love You” (1963)
28. John Lennon “Power to the People” (1971)
29. The Ronettes “Walking in the Rain” (1964)
30. Curtis Lee & the Halos “Pretty Little Angel Eyes” (1961)

31. The Crystals “There’s No Other Like My Baby” (1961)
32. The Righteous Brothers “Just Once in My Life” (1965)
33. The Crystals “He’s Sure the Boy I Love” (1962)
34. Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” (1962)
35. Sonny Charles & the Checkmates Ltd. “Black Pearl” (1969)
36. The Ronettes “Do I Love You?” (1964)
37. The Righteous Brothers “Ebb Tide” (1965)
38. Connie Francis “Second Hand Love” (1962)
39. Ray Peterson “Corrine, Corrina” (1960)
40. The Crystals “Uptown” (1962)

41. George Harrison “Bangla-Desh” (1971)
42. The Ronettes “Born to Be Together” (1965)
43. Darlene Love “Today I Met the Boy I’m Gonna Marry” (1963)
44. Darlene Love “A Fine, Fine Boy” (1963)
45. John Lennon “Woman Is the Nigger of the World” (1972)
46. Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans “Why Do Lovers Break Each Others’ Hearts” (1963)
47. Gene Pitney “Every Breath I Take” (1961)
48. Ramones “Do You Remember Rock and Roll Radio” (1980)
49. George Harrison “Isn’t It a Pity” (1970)
50. The Ronettes “The Best Part of Breakin’ Up” (1964)

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First posted 12/26/2017; updated 7/19/2021.

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Saturday, December 10, 2016

Today in Music (1966): The Beach Boys hit #1 with "Good Vibrations"

Good Vibrations

The Beach Boys

Writer(s):Mike Love, Brian Wilson (see lyrics here)

Released: October 10, 1966

First Charted: October 21, 1966

Peak: 11 US, 11 CB, 11 GR, 12 UK, 2 CN, 11 AU, 1 DF (Click for codes to charts.)

Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, 0.6 UK

Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 3.0 radio, 45.3 video, 377.54 streaming

Awards:

Click on award for more details.

About the Song:

“In the early sixties, the Beach Boys were a shimmering vision of American prosperity: five bright, handsome, presentable young men singing in pinched, nasal harmony about sun and surf and cars and girls.” BR They “presented an overwhelmingly white version of rock ‘n’ roll” BR modeling their “glee-club harmonies” BR after the vocal group the Four Freshmen. With the arrival of the Beatles in American in February 1964, the Beach Boys saw them as a threat and composer Brian Wilson stopped writing songs about surfing. BR He became enamored with the kinds of studio techniques producer Phil Spector employed in his famous “Wall of Sound” approach to recording.

In his obsession to outdo the Beatles artistically, Brian Wilson threw everything into the Beach Boys’ 1966 album Pet Sounds, which would see the Beach Boys begin “ to throw off their striped shirt surfer image.” LW Wilson became especially intent on making the song “Good Vibrations” into a “masterpiece, greater than anything he’d done before.” LW He was so determined “to make it perfect” SS that he pushed back against his bandmates and the record company who wanted it finished for inclusion on the album.

After suffering from nervous breakdowns, Wilson opted to stay home while the rest of the band toured. This allowed him “to pour all his creative energies into this one song.” SS He went wild in the studio using “an array of exotic instruments including sleigh bells, Jews harp, wind chimes, harpsichord, flutes, organ and a theremin.” LW The latter is a keyboard instrument best known for its use in soundtracks to horror films. HL Mike Love wrote the lyrics, Carl Wilson provides the “warm, tremulous lead vocal,” BR and the rest of the Beach Boys served up backing vocals, but none of them actually played on the song. KL

At the time of its release, “Good Vibrations” was the most expensive single ever released FB with one claim putting the total recording cost as high as a million dollars. DJ It was pieced together from hundreds of recording sessions NPR and more than seventy hours of tape TC generated in four studios over seventh months time. RS500 The result was “one of the most universally acknowledged classic pop records of the 1960s.” SS The “symphony in miniature” SS is the “crowning achievement” RS500 for Brian Wilson, who has been called “rock and roll’s finest composer ever.” PW

As for the term “good vibrations,” Wilson said, “my mother used to tell me about vibrations. I didn’t really understand too much of what she meant when I was a boy. It scared me…to think that invisible feelings existed.” DT He told Rolling Stone that his mother had explained how dogs barked at some people, but not at others. “A dog would pick up vibrations from some people that you can’t see, but you can feel. And the same thing happened with people.” FB

Wilson was convinced of the song’s good vibe, saying it would be better than the Righteous Brothers‘ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin.’” RS500 Beach Boy Bruce Johnston was a little more nervous, saying, “’we’re either going to have the biggest hit in the world – or the Beach Boys’ career is over.’” HL It turned out the public appreciated the song‘s vibe as well; it met with instant success, selling 400,000 in four days SJ and becoming the group’s first million-seller TB and third #1.

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First posted 10/22/2011; last updated 9/16/2023.

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