Here Are Some “Songs With A “Y”…
I’m looking at a playlist comprised solely of songs that begin with the letter “Y”, and of course, one of my favorite songs of all time fits that bill nicely!
“Yellow” by Coldplay
This group has a special meaning to me. I discovered this gorgeous song in 2000 while in London working with Prince Edward Wessex on a TV project…we put them on E! News before the album even had a US release date.
“Look at the stars
Look how they shine for you
And everything you do
Yeah they were all yellow”
Here’s the video from youtube, seen over SIX HUNDRED MILLION times…I guess it caught on!
Enjoy this incredible anthem!
They are an incredible band with such an incredible body of music – and I will have more on that soon….
Next up one of America’s greatest singer/songwriters:
“You’ve Got A Friend” by Carole King
This is probably one of the best known cats in music history, thanks to this iconic album cover!
Carole King blew the music world away in 1971 with her solo album “Tapestry”, one of the best selling albums of all time – it is filled with such classic songs as “So Far Away” and “I Feel The Earth Move”, as well as this classic.
“When you’re down and troubled,
And you need some love and care,
And nothing, nothing is going right
Close your eyes and think of me,
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest night.
You just call out my name
And you know wherever I am
I’ll come running to see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I’ll be there
You’ve got a friend”
Here she is performing this iconic song live, her voice as perfect as ever – and a special drop-in guest as well:
King’s close friend James Taylor recorded his version of the song shortly thereafter and it was a huge #1 hit…and one of the most beautiful songs ever written.
Next up, a trip to the iconic Hollywood Bowl for a performance from a group that is as iconic as they are ironic!
In 2017 I saw The Village People at the Bowl – and they performed this classic “Y” song – “YMCA!”
And yes, EVERYONE in the audience not only sings along, but they form the letters as well!
Oh, and now a short pause for some classic Pearl Jam:
“Yellow Ledbetter” is a great song – and remember, Alex and I stayed in the Pearl Jam Suite at the Edgewater Inn in Seattle!
Alex rocked out on the guitar and amp in the room – here’s a look at all of the cool stuff you get in the room:
“Don’t let ’em put you down
Don’t let ’em push you around
Don’t ever let them change your point of view”
Enjoy the timelessness of “Young Turks”:
Finally, time to check in with an Artist who had an unequaled run of success:
Stevie Wonder was a child wonder, and grew into one of the most insightful and enduring Artists of all time….so why not a little “Y” thanks to “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life”, performed live at The White House:
This iconic Artist had THREE consecutive “Album Of The Year” Grammys – unprecedented! See why by clicking on my story here:
Finally, a little David Bowie for you:
Sure,”Fame” was classic, but this is only for “Y” songs, so let’s listen to the title track of the album that “Fame” comes from!
Of course, my favorite Bowie song is the one he wrote with Queen during a wine-fueled weekend!
See the story of “Under Pressure” here!
There you have it, some “songs with a Y!”
Why no “Yesterday” by The Beatles? Well, perhaps too obvious,e even for me!
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Leave a comment and let me know, as you always do, what “songs with a Y” I missed!
Categories: 70's Music, Art, Classic Rock, Music, Obscure Music, Pop Culture, Talent/Celebrities
johnrieber 
These are all good songs, John, but I like Young Turks the best. It always makes me feel a little sad though.
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Oh no, Robbie! Rod Stewart will be featured on my wife show soon – he was charming, hilarious and he cooked with Kelly as well!
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I love Rod Steward, it is the lyrics of the song that I find a little sad.
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All great choices, John! The first one that popped into my head was Yesterday by the Beatles. I’m glad that you included Coldplay, Bowie, and Pearl Jam. I think every DJ dance party I’ve ever been to includes YMCA.
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I mention at the end of the story that I left that off deliberately…but it’s a classic, isn’t it?
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I was listening to David Bowie today. He has a tatoo on my life. My left shoulder.
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You hit a home run here, John! I still have my Carole King Tapestry album. It is ‘well loved’. I didn’t realize until decades later that she was the writer for so many hits. When we moved to Groton, James Taylor would occasionally show up unannounced at an old nearby restaurant (Bull Run) and perform. I was never lucky enough to be there when that happened, but our neighbors were.
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I love James Taylor and Carol King singing You’ve A Friend! one of my favourite songs. So many great “Y” songs. Thanks.
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Thank you! My wife took em to The Hollywood Bowl two years ago for the James Taylor / Carole King concert…they shared the stage all night long, clearly having a blast signing tougher…it was terrific!
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Lots of great ‘y’s here and Coldplay is one of my fav bands, so thanks for helping the world to become aware of them)
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Well, I always tell that story but totally understand that they were going to conquer the world with OR without my help! Thanks for reading!
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‘Tapestry’ holds up just as well today as it did on release. So does ‘Young Americans’, one of my favourite Bowie songs from that period in his career.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I agree Pete…of all of the “sounds” that Bowie experimented with, this was my favorite….I have an “Alexa” and routinely will ask it to play one of his 70’s albums…lots of fun to have playing while writing!
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