2012
Classic Tracks: Bill Withers, “Ain’t No Sunshine”
Bill Withers said that “Ain’t No Sunshine,” was inspired the toxic relationship of an alcoholic couple—an unlikely source for such a loving song, but...
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2012
Classic Tracks: Eddie Money, “Two Tickets to Paradise”
Eddie Money burst onto the scene at an interesting time. The new wave was in full flower, with countless bands drawing on ’50s rock...
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Classic Tracks: George Harrison’s “Got My Mind Set on You”
The last solo single by a Beatle to top the charts, George Harrison's "Got My Mind Set On You" was an anomaly in that...
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Classic Tracks: The Go-Go’s “Our Lips Are Sealed”
Nothing says 1980s L.A. like The Go-Go’s on the radio. Those sweet, bright, infectious songs were the perfect soundtrack for a sunny day
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Classic Tracks: Bonnie Raitt’s “Thing Called Love”
The late, great engineer Ed Cherney discusses the recording of Bonnie Raitt’s rambunctious, John Hiatt-penned commercial breakthrough, “Thing Called Love.”
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Classic Tracks: Metallica’s “Enter Sandman”
Today, San Francisco Bay Area–based band Metallica are aptly called “The Monsters of Metal.” But that wasn’t always the case. After finding their hometown...
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Classic Tracks: Talking Heads’ “Road to Nowhere”
Written in the same creative cycle as songs for 'True Stories,' "Road To Nowhere" marked a return to Americana for the group
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Classic Tracks: Blue Oyster Cult’s “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper”
Blue Oyster Cult talks about recording "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," keeping the vibe of the original demo...and that SNL "More Cowbell" skit.
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Classic Tracks: Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side”
Engineer Ken Scott talks in detail about the recording of Lou Reed’s 1973 hit “Walk on the Wild Side”
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Classic Tracks: Classics IV’s “Traces”
Cover-band mates cum pop stars: As old as rock itself, this dream, born from endless hours spent woodshedding hits of the day, can come...
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Classic Tracks: Motley Crue’s “Girls, Girls, Girls”
Aquanet hairspray flew off the shelves when the new wave synth-pop acts of the early 1980s gave way to an onslaught of glam rock...
2007
Classic Tracks: John Cougar Mellencamp’s “Pink Houses”
Early one summer morning in 1983, a 32-year-old John Mellencamp, dba John Cougar, drove himself home to Bloomington, Ind., from the Indianapolis airport.
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Classic Tracks: Elvis Costello & The Attractions’ “Pump It Up”
Conceived during a night of "assisted insomnia," Elvis Costello's "Pump It Up" has become a signature song for the artist, with its erudite wordplay...
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Classic Tracks: The Romantics’ “What I Like About You”
Sometimes the rock 'n' roll myth of using music to get out of a dead-end life actually comes to pass—much as it did for...
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Classic Tracks: Pat Benatar’s “Love Is a Battlefield”
It's fortunate that most creative people are extremely confident in their visions and fight for their beliefs. Many hits would not see the light...
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Classic Tracks: David Crosby’s “Laughing”
At the dawn of the 1970s, David Crosby was on top of the rock world, as 'If I Could Only Remember My Name' and...
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Classic Tracks: Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight”
The story behind Phil Collins' classic "In The Air Tonight" and arguably the most famous drum fill of all-time.
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Classic Tracks: Paul McCartney’s “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey”
Only an artist with the confidence and musical genius of Paul McCartney could write a song with 12 sections and make it a hit.
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Classic Tracks: The Doobie Brothers’ “What a Fool Believes”
No one was more surprised than Michael McDonald when the song he wrote for the Doobie Brothers, “What a Fool Believes,” earned Grammys for...
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Classic Tracks: Bruce Springsteen’s “The River”
Take a deep dive into The River, and how 16 months of sessions resulted in Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band's classic.
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Classic Tracks: Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer”
While it started as a songwriting exercise inspired by Alice Cooper, "Psycho Killer" became the New Wave standard-bearers' calling card.
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Classic Tracks: The Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up”
Engineer Chris Kimsey salvaged “Start Me Up" from the Some Girls sessions, and this time, everything clicked.
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Classic Tracks: Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game”
Between that brooding, melancholy, impossibly romantic voice and languorous guitar, how could "Wicked Game" not become a hit?
Classic-Tracks
Classic Tracks: The Staples’ “Respect Yourself”
“Respect Yourself” was released as a single in the fall of 1971, reaching #2 on the R&B charts and #12 on the pop charts.
Classic-Tracks
Classic Tracks: Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love”
Tom Dowd recalls recording "Sunshine Of Your Love" as an exercise in "protecting" Ginger Baker's drums from Eric Clapton's Marshall stacks.
Classic-Tracks
Classic Tracks: Bob Seger’s “Night Moves”
'Night Moves' was a good move for Bob Seger—both the Number One single and the title track of his album released in 1976.
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Classic Tracks: Kool & The Gang’s “Celebration”
When's the last time you heard Kool & The Gang's triumphal, anthemic, R&B smash "Celebration"? At your cousin's wedding last summer?
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Classic Tracks: The Clash’s “London Calling”
For the mix of the track "London Calling," Strummer described an image of the London fog swirling off the river Thames...
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Classic Tracks: The Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive”
Written while on vacation in Bermuda and recorded on a terrible console, the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive" became a disco classic.
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Classic Tracks: Thomas Dolby’s “She Blinded Me With Science”
The creator of this month's quirky Classic Track was born Thomas Morgan Robertson on October 14, 1958, in Cairo, Egypt.
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Classic Tracks: T. Rex’s “Bang a Gong (Get It On)”
Though many American rock fans are familiar with T. Rex's "Bang A Gong (Get It On)," which made it to Number Ten in the...
Classic-Tracks
Classic Tracks: John Coltrane’s “My Favorite Things”
Legendary producer Tom Dowd sheds light on the recording of John Coltrane's classic rendition of "My Favorite Things."
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Classic Tracks: Heart’s “Barracuda”
The first time I saw Heart perform, in 1975, they were second or third on the bill at a show headlined by the recently...
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Classic Tracks: KC & The Sunshine Band’s “That’s the Way (I Like It)”
When George McCrae's smash hit "Rock Your Baby" hit Number One in mid-1974, few could have predicted that it would usher in the Age...
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Classic Tracks: Genesis’ “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway”
It's not surprising that decades down the line many people don't realize that Peter Gabriel was once a driving member of Genesis.
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Classic Tracks: The O’-Jay’s “For the Love of Money”
"For the Love of Money" made it to the Top 10 in the spring of 1974 (Number 9 pop, Number 3 R&B) and catapulted...
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Classic Tracks: Blondie’s “The Tide Is High”
In 1984, in the liner notes on the band's first album, the members of Camper Van Beethoven wrote about their small-town roots, complaining about...
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Classic Tracks: Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing”
A stinging critique of the 1980s even as they happened, Dire Straits' "Money For Nothing" had a lengthy genesis, as related here by engineer...
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Classic Tracks: Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid”
In the fall of 1970, Black Sabbath mounted an aural assault on the music world with the release of their second album, Paranoid. Creating...
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