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Just think of all the music that’s distinctly American. Jazz. Rock and roll. Motown. The blues. Zydeco. (And if we didn’t invent it here, we found a way to make it better.) We tap our toes, we dance, we thrill to the music of America.
Born in the U.S.A. (album)
Seven albums into his amazing career, Bruce Springsteen threw his devoted fans a curve. “What’s this?” they asked....
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Disco Music
Oh, come on, loosen up. I know it’s been fashionable for the last 30 years to put disco down, and I was there with you for much of...
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Mariah Carey
Somewhere in America, there’s a little kid who’ll see Mariah Carey on some talk show, won’t know that she’s sold...
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Dance with My Father, by Luther Vandross
I have to admit, I didn’t appreciate Luther Vandross enough while he was alive. What a smooth, pure, R&B voice he had....
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Come Away with Me, by Norah Jones
When I first heard Norah Jones, I assumed she was maybe in her 40′s, judging solely by that dusky voice. Then, of course, I saw a...
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MTV Unplugged by Tony Bennett
“I’ve always been unplugged,” Tony Bennett said. Even so, of all the artists who’ve appeared in this MTV showcase,...
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The Way We Were, by Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand was at the height of her popularity when she paired with Robert Redford in The Way We Were. Movie: yawn. Song:...
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Teen Idols
In his song “The Boy in the Bubble,” Paul Simon reminded us: “Every generation throws a hero up the pop charts.”...
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“Unchained Melody”
Remember the great 1955 prison film Unchained? Well of course you don’t. But Alex North and Hy Zaret wrote a memorable theme song for...
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Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 (later just The Jacksons) recorded or performed together, with various family members in the group, for more than 25 years....
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