Thriller (12) is the sixth studio album by American singer and songwriter Michael Jackson, released in November 1982, by Epic Reocrds. It was produced by Quincy Jones, who had previously worked with Jackson on his 1979 album Off the Wall. Jackson wanted to create an album where “every song was a killer”. With the ongoing […]
Top 40 Cover Songs (4)
“I Will Always Love You“ (4) is a song written and originally recorded in 1973 by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. Written as a farewell to her business partner and mentor Porter Wagoner, expressing Parton’s decision to pursue a solo career, the country single was released in 1974. The song was a commercial success for Parton, […]
Top 40 Cover Songs (9)
“The Man Who Sold the World” (9) is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. The title track of Bowie’s third studio album, it was released in November 1970 in the US and in April 1971 in the UK by Mercury Records. Produced by Tony Visconti, it was recorded at Trident and Advision Studios in […]
Top 40 Cover Songs (10)
“Tainted Love” (10) American artist Gloria Jones recorded the original version in 1964; the song was written and produced by Ed Cobb and arranged by LIncoln Mayorga. It was the B-side of her 1965 single “My Bad Boy’s Comin’ Home”, which was a commercial flop, failing to chart in either the US or the UK. […]
Top 40 Cover Songs (12)
“Take Me to the River” is a 1974 song written by singer Al Green and guitarist Mabon “Teenie” Hodges. Al Green originally recorded the song for his 1974 album, Al Green Explores Your Mind. Writing in The Independent in 1994, Tim de Lisle wrote: “Musically, it was much like any other track sung by Green […]
Top 40 Cover Songs (15)
“Time After Time” (15) is a 1983 song by American singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper, co-written with Rob Hyman. It was the second single released from her debut studio album, She’s So Unusual, with Hyman contributing backing vocals. The track was produced by Rick Chertoff and released as a single in January 1984. The song became Lauper’s […]
The Top 40 Cover Songs (16)
“Hotel California” is the title track from the Eagles’ album of the same name and was released as a single in February 1977. Writing credits for the song are shared by Don Felder (music), Don Henley, and Glenn Frey (lyrics). Joe Walsh came up with the dual-guitar descending arpeggio part that ends the song: he […]
The Top 40 Cover Songs (19)
“I Fought the Law” (19) was written in 1958 by Sonny Curtis, and recorded in 1959 when he joined the Crickets, taking the place of the late Buddy Holly on guitar. Joe B. Maudlin and Jerry Allison continued their positions on the stand-up bass and drums, respectively, while Earl Sinks filled the role for vocals. […]
The Top 40 Cover Songs (20)
“Stand by Me” (20) is a song originally performed in 1961 by American singer-songwriter Ben E. King and written by him, along with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who together used the pseudonym Elmo Glick. According to King, the title is derived from, and was inspired by, a spiritual written by Sam Cooke and J. […]
The Top 40 Cover Songs (21)
“Summertime” (21) is an aria composed in 1934 by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera. The lyrics are by DuBose Heyward, the author of the novel Porgy on which the opera was based, although the song is also co-credited to Ira Gershwin. Gershwin began composing the song in December 1933, attempting to create his own […]