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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.
Music: Billboard Milestones
No explanation needed here, except to say that these accomplishments relate to the Billboard Hot 100 chart, created in 1958, and the...
Read MoreMusic: Doo-Wop
While some say the origin of doo-wop goes back as far as The Mills Brothers (Great American Things, December 13, 2009) and The Ink Spots,...
Read MoreSong: "Forever and Ever, Amen"
There’s a genuineness to Randy Travis that draws people to him. That sincerity, combined with a terrific country voice and some...
Read MoreMusic: Zydeco
It’s the ultimate feel-good music from Louisiana Cajun and Creole country. Using the accordion as its featured instrument, Zydeco...
Read MoreSingers: The Mamas & The Papas
Popular music was heading down dual tracks in the 1960s. Most of the attention went to the band track, led of course by the Beatles...
Read MoreSong: "I Heard it Through the Grapevine"
Quick: Who sang “I Heard it Through the Grapevine?” Chances are, your first answer was Marvin Gaye. He had the biggest hit with...
Read MoreSingers: The Rascals
Depending on when you first started listening to this band, you may either consider them a frenetic blue-eyed-soul group, or a mellow,...
Read MoreMusic: The iPod
Later this year, the iPod will celebrate its 10th birthday. Of all the products Apple has created that have changed our lives, none...
Read MoreSong: "As Time Goes By"
It’s the bane of a songwriter’s existence that the songs they write that become hits are forever associated with the...
Read MoreSong: "The Way You Look Tonight"
Every so often I have to pay homage to the Great American Songbook, and one of my favorites is “The Way You Look...
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