Song of the Day 7/11: John Fogerty, “Centerfield”
Phillies centerfielder Odúbel Herrera is lost for the season to a suspension for domestic violence, and his replacement, Andrew McCutchen, tore up his knee. With the team fading fast in…
Song of the Day 7/10: The “5” Royales, “Dedicated to the One I Love”
A lot of people think the Shirelles version of this song is the original, but it was merely the first version to hit the charts. Written by Lowman Pauling of…
Song of the Day 7/9: James Taylor, “Something in the Way She Moves”
El Somnambulo speculated on whether, if the Beatles had never existed, James Taylor would have had a recording career, because his first album was released by Apple Records, the Beatles'…
Song of the Day 7/8: Barclay James Harvest, “Titles”
The rom-com "Yesterday" is set in a world in which the Beatles never existed. One of the gags in the film is that, because there were no Beatles, there was…
Song of the Day 7/6: Frank Sinatra, “Summer Wind”
Though it's not as well known as "My Way" or "New York, New York," most people associate this song with Sinatra. Someone who loved and lost like Frank has a…
Song of the Day 7/5: Barnstorm, “Turn to Stone”
Even Joe Walsh fans tend to forget that after he left the James Gang and before he joined the Eagles, Walsh moved from Cleveland to Colorado, where he formed a…
Song of the Day 7/4: Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the USA”
This song has a complicated history because of its use as a rollerball in the culture wars, but it's interesting that the version that became a hit was never planned…
Song of the Day 7/3: Ray Charles, “America the Beautiful”
This should be the national anthem, and I don't mean just the song itself but this rendition of it. Accept no substitutes. It is no accident that Charles starts with…
Song of the Day 7/2: Joan Osborne and the Funk Brothers, “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted”
Most remakes of Motown songs aren't worth the electricity it takes to run the equipment, but there are exceptions. Like, what would happen if you reassembled the Funk Brothers --…
Song of the Day 7/1: The Larks, “The Jerk”
No, it's not about Trump, though it would be deserved given his privateering of the Lincoln Memorial for his July 4th celebration. It's that nearly-lost kind of pop tune, the…
Song of the Day 6/30: Elton John and Taron Egerton, “Your Song”
"Rocketman," the Elton John biopic/fantasy/jukebox musical, has generated only about one-tenth the box office, and even less of the buzz, of "Bohemian Rhapsody," but it has exceeded analyst expectations and…
Song of the Day 6/29: CeeLo Green and Daryl Hall, “Fuck You”
I think of this song every time Donald Trump opens his mouth. It's been nine years since CeeLo Green (born Thomas DeCarlo Callaway), along with collaborators including Bruno Mars, wrote…
Song of the Day 6/28: Martha and the Vandellas, “Heat Wave”
In meteorological terms, what we're in just barely qualifies as a heat wave, but if you're compiling a Global Warming soundtrack, this is the lead single. It worked magic for…