Great Pop Songs

Ah, memories.  I was thinking about blasts from the pasts that transport me back in time.  Smells do it, and songs do too.

When certain songs come on the radio (or I play them on youtube), I am able to take a nostalgic walk down memory lane.  Tons of tunes bring back fun or precious memories, but it's these below that make me float.

Rocky Mountain High by John Denver: Late 1972.  I was a freshman at College of the Canyons longing to get farther from home.  Dreaming of  a place of quiet solitude among the forest and the streams, a place where it rains fire in the sky, and seeking the serenity of a clear blue mountain lake . . . that was the place for me.  

John Denver; we lost a great musician when he died

Listen to the Music by the Doobie Brothers.  Don't ya feel it comin', day by day . . . this 70s song has a catchy feel-good rhythm to it.

Take it Easy by the Eagles.  What a fun song to sing while driving down the highway.   I may have stood on a corner in Winslow Arizona when we passed through in 1962, but I'm not sure.

Layla by Derek and the Dominos [Eric Clapton]: Layla was a radio staple in summer 1972, the year I graduated from high school.  My job that summer was babysitting a couple of children full-time, and most days we spent at least part of the afternoon at the neighborhood swimming pool.  The radio was always on there, and when Layla came blasting out it was the tune and the fantastic guitar-picking that put me in a good mood every time.  When no one is looking I play my air guitar along with Clapton.  One of the best rock songs ever.

Betcha By Golly Wow by the Stylistics: This dreamy tune from my senior year often played late at night while I was lying in my upstairs bedroom looking at the sky.  I was pushing my way through the Book of Mormon for the first time, and I would leave my curtains open to think while watching the moon and stars move across the night sky.

I'm Stone in Love With You by Stylistics: I was in love.  With a cowboy, the giver of The Book of Mormon.

Too Late to Turn Back Now by Cornelius Brothers: It was too late for me too, in a marvelous way.  Transports me right back to the fall of 1972, a time of great discoveries.

I Only Want to be With You by Dusty Springfield: No one belts it out like Dusty.  Her energy is contagious.  This number gets me right up out of my seat.

The Last Song by Edward Bear: Pleasant voice, pleasant tune.  Kind of a mournful idea that sometimes two people don't want the same things in life.  One can hang on longer than the other. 

I Can See Clearly Now by Jimmy Cliff:  Freshman year at College of the Canyons.  I could see clearly as all get out.

Galveston by the great Glen Campbell: Most anti-Vietnam War songs were hostile and bitter.  Glen's  is wistful and honest.

I will leave the rest for another time.