Currently browsing: Music
Just think of all the music that’s distinctly American. Jazz. Rock and roll. Motown. The blues. Zydeco. (And if we didn’t invent it here, we found a way to make it better.) We tap our toes, we dance, we thrill to the music of America.
Song: "Piano Man"
Despite Billy Joel’s long and successful career, his numerous top ten hits and best-selling albums, if you’re asked to think of...
Read MoreSong: “Crazy”
Hugh Nelson wrote this song in 1961 for a country singer named Billy Walker. Two good things then happened. Hugh decided he’d prefer...
Read MoreSinger: George Strait
He didn’t seek a crossover to rock, as Garth Brooks did. And he didn’t get caught up in his own persona, as Hank Williams, Jr....
Read MoreSong: "Louie Louie"
What? This…this…filthy song listed as a Great American Thing? You may think you know what the lyrics are. You can read some...
Read MoreMusic: Aaron Copland
Though certainly not the first American composer whose music captured the national mood, Aaron Copland created ballets, popular works, and...
Read MoreSinger: Buddy Holly
He died at the way-too-young age of 23. He’d only been recognized on the music scene for a year and a half. And yet he managed...
Read MoreSong: "Let's Stay Together"
We’re going to call him Rev. Al Green, because that’s who he is today. He was still just Al in 1972, when he recorded...
Read MoreSinger: Linda Ronstadt
There are those who are just good singers. “Just” isn’t meant to be pejorative; certainly we welcome all the good singers...
Read MoreMusic: Motown
I’m a little bit embarrassed that Motown hasn’t been on this list before now. I’ve definitely recognized a good many of...
Read MoreSong: "Embraceable You"
This may be the ultimate example of a Gershwin song. With music by George (Great American Things, Feb. 24, 2010) and lyrics by Ira,...
Read More