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Sometimes you like a song at first, but the more you hear it, the less you can tolerate it. The great ones are different. They express the thoughts…preserve the moments…and capture the imagination. Winner: “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” Loser: “MacArthur Park.”
Song: "Over the Rainbow"
Louis B. Mayer is one of the greatest executives in the history of motion pictures. But he almost made the mistake of his life when he...
Read MoreSong: "Mack the Knife"
It’s Bobby Darin’s signature recording that we recognize as a Great American Thing. “Mack the Knife” is a song from...
Read MoreSong: "A Change Is Gonna Come"
Question: How many American Idol contestants does it take to completely ruin a song? Answer: If it’s truly a classic, like “A...
Read MoreSong: "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
This song changed American music when it first came out, so choosing it for the list was my decision (as all selections are). But I thought...
Read MoreSong: "Respect"
Aretha Franklin (Great American Things, July 18, 2009) was already a star before she released “Respect.” But this went all the...
Read MoreSong: "Born to Run"
In the liner notes to his Greatest Hits album, Bruce Springsteen (Great American Things, April 22, 2009) wrote this about “Born to...
Read MoreSong: "Unforgettable"
This is one of the greatest songs from the Great American Songbook. Nelson Riddle arranged it, and Nat King Cole (Great American Things,...
Read MoreSong: "Desperado"
There’s a Web site devoted to love song lyrics, and “Desperado” is featured there. I’m sorry, but that...
Read MoreSong: "I Can't Make You Love Me"
“I Can’t Make You Love Me” is a virtually perfect song. It combines incredibly powerful lyrics with an arrangement that...
Read MoreSong: American Pie
“American Pie” is an eight-and-a-half minute epic, written in symbolic language that caused everyone to wonder who were these...
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