Counting Down My Favorite “Music A – Z”…
As I near the end of my look at songs based on letters, I have come to the letter “Y”, which some of music’s greatest Artists!
Let’s begin with a band that I not only love, but had the chance to help introduce to America….
7 – “Yellow” by Coldplay
This group has a special meaning to me. I discovered this gorgeous “Y” song in 2000 while in London working with Prince Edward Wessex on a TV project…I featured the band 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”
“Yellow” made Coldplay a worldwide sensation, and justifiably so…their debut album “Parachutes” showed the band’s talent – and they never looked back.
Here’s the video from youtube, seen almost 1.3 BILLION TIMES!
I was happy to help expose the song to US audiences, because I actually played this song on TV in America first, when I was running E! Entertainment Television. At the time I first heard this song, the band didn’t have a US record label…
I bought this CD single in London while working with Prince Edward on a TV documentary series called “Royalty A – Z”…months before the album was even released in the US…you can read my story about that adventure here:
Next up one of America’s greatest singer/songwriters:
6 – “You’ve Got A Friend” by Carole King
This is probably one of the best known cats in music history!
Carole King blew the music world away in 1971 with her solo album “Tapestry”, 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:
King’s close friend James Taylor recorded his version of the song shortly thereafter and it was a huge #1 hit…they tour together, my wife Alex and I saw the show it’s it really amazing – next up is another 70’s song that was one of the biggest hits of the summer of 1978!
5 – “You’re The One That I Want”—John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John
This infectious pop gem is from the movie “Grease”, and the song is the finale of the film’s main romantic storyline, as Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson finally profess their love for each other:
Danny, played by Travolta, tries to win Sandy back by changing his image from a “greaser” to a jock – but Sandy, played by Newton-John, has transformed her look as well, appearing with a new leather-clad “greaser queen” style.
The song is the moment they reveal their changes to each other and embrace their future together.
Very catchy, great dancing, and a fun way to wrap up the film!
The film was produced by Allan Carr, who had a wild career in Hollywood….see his best and worst moments here!
Next up, here’s another duet – this time from the best selling duo of the 80’s!
4 – “You Make My Dreams (Come True)” by Daryl Hall & John Oates
Yes, Daryl Hall and John Oates, who NEVER went by the “Hall & Oates” moniker, released a ton of massive hit songs in the 80’s like “Maneater”, “Out Of Touch” “Kiss On My List”, “Private Eyes” and more…but this one is iconic!
In the song, the lyrics describe a person who brings the singer’s scattered “thoughts and dreams” together. The relationship makes the singer feel complete and gives them the confidence to overcome challenges. The lyrics include lines such as:
“What I want, you’ve got and it might be hard to handle”
“What I’ve got, full stock of thoughts and dreams that scatter and you pull them all together”
So there you go! While perhaps not Shakespeare, it is catchy for sure – check it out:
Sadly, they broke up acrimoniously…here is that story:
Next up, one of the most legendary performers of all time!
3 – ‘You Are the Sunshine of My Life’—Stevie Wonder
“You Are the Sunshine of My Life” is a classic 1973 soul-pop song performed by Stevie Wonder. It was released as the second single from his album “Talking Book“, and topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Here is a terrific live performance by Stevie from the White House:
Wonder is the only Artist to win THREE consecutive Album Of The Year Grammy Awards…see that story here:
Next up one of the most popular Artists of the 90’s:
2 – “You Outta Know” by Alanis Morissette
Jagged Little Pill, Alanis Morissette’s third studio album, became a global phenomenon after its 1995 release. Its raw, confessional style and blend of alternative rock with pop sensibilities resonated with millions of listeners, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time.
Her Initial “Jagged” Rejection:
After being dropped by her Canadian record label, Morissette moved to Los Angeles, where she met producer and co-writer Glen Ballard. They wrote and recorded the demos for Jagged Little Pill together in just a few weeks. The project was initially rejected by every record label they approached.
Madonna’s Maverick Records eventually signed Morissette after hearing the demos. The label’s initial expectation was simply to sell enough copies to justify a follow-up album.
Instead, it was a juggernaut! The lyrics were brutally honest and confessional:
‘Cause the love that you gave that we made
Wasn’t able to make it enough for you to be open wide
No, and every time you speak her name
Does she know how you told
Me you’d hold me until you died?
‘Til you died, but you’re still alive
And I’m here, to remind you
Of the mess you left when you went away
It’s not fair, to deny me
Of the cross I bear that you gave to me
You, you, you oughta know
Here is the video:
Finally, time to sit down with Queen Freddie!
1 – ‘You’re My Best Friend’—Queen
Simply one of the greatest live performers of his generation, Freddie Mercury and Queen were mesmerizing:
This song is a terrific pop confection:
… Ooh, you make me live
Whatever this world can give to me
It’s you you’re all I see
Ooh, you make me live now, honey
Ooh, you make me live
… Oh, you’re the best friend that I ever had
I’ve been with you such a long time
You’re my sunshine and I want you to know
That my feelings are true
I really love you
Oh, you’re my best friend
Here is the video:
I have shared stories about the band – including a wild collaboration with David Bowie!
See that here:
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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 Cinema, 70's Music, Art, Classic Rock, Great Films, Music, Obscure Music, Pop Culture, Talent/Celebrities
johnrieber 
There’s lots to like here, John. I rewatched Grease recently and enjoyed it very much for the umpteenth time.
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Robbie, isn’t it just a fun movie? When my wife asks me how my day is going, I always quote John Travolta from the film, when he is asked about how his summer was….”you know: rockin’, rollin’ and what not!”
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That’s very nice
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I hate to sound like a grumpy old man, but in my opinion, the ’70s and ’80s were the best decades for music. It was wonderful to be alive during those years.
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Well I agree completely! Let the new generation have their Taylor swift – the same monotone sound, disposable music that won’t last…but literally every song I highlighted will be played in supermarkets forever! HA!
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Amen to that! Not sure what’s happened to the industry, but there was so much talent back then, and no one looked or sounded alike. I was watching the “We Are the World” video the other day with my wife, and we were commenting that today, you couldn’t find that many diverse, talented people in one room.
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Queen is my favorite!
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We were supposed to see Darryl Hall recently, but they canceled the concert a few days ahead due to “unforeseen circumstances.” I read a rumor on Facebook that tickets sales were poor and that he had some health issues.
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Not sure anything good is happening with him…he does interviews where he eviscerates John Oates…it seems his treatment of John really got nasty after Oates released a memoir where he took credit for writing some of the hits that Daryl has always insinuated were his…and the business issue that tore them apart wasn’t even the first time they had sold off part of their catalog. Point is, Daryl is known to yell regularly from the stage at the sound engineers for not having the right mix for him…as they say, a “prickly pear”
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I remember you writing about their falling out in the past. It’s sad when these longtime partnerships go south.
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Thank you for tonight’s ‘homework’ . . . must really look what I may have missed 🙂 . . .
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A good set, apart from Hall and Oates – can’t stand them! Best for me was Queen, followed closely by Coldplay. But no Carly Simon?
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What “Y” song were you thinking for Carly?
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The obvious one – You’re So Vain 😊
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Talk about a brain freeze! I never thought of it! Thanks for that, a classic to be sure!
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It happens to the best of us! 🤣
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All great songs. Who would have thought there would be that many songs starting with Y! My favourite is You’ve Got a Friend.
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My wife and I saw Carole King and James Tylor at the Hollywood Bowl..they performed the entire night together and it was magical!
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That would have been awesome!!
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I know and like almost all of these apart from Alanis Morissette’s songs, which I’m not too keen on.
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Alanis struck a nerve with young women at the exact same time that Nirvana and Pearl Jam did with young men…the 90’s had some really dark music and themes to be sure
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I agree with Pete….and I have always been a huge fan of Queen chuq
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For me, Coldplay are possibly the most overrated band in my lifetime, and I will never understand their huge popularity. As for ‘Tapestry’, that would get my vote as the best album by anyone, ever.
Best wishes, Pete.
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