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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.
Music: Great Movie Songs
This recognition isn’t for songs that were incorporated into a movie’s soundtrack, but for songs that made their debut in a...
Read MoreMusic: New Orleans Jazz Festival
I’m sure at one time the festival was all about jazz, and the organizers wouldn’t change the name after all these years. But...
Read MoreSong: "Mack the Knife"
It’s Bobby Darin’s signature recording that we recognize as a Great American Thing. “Mack the Knife” is a song from...
Read MoreSinger: Paul Simon
Who needs Garfunkel? Paul Simon not only wrote most of the successful songs during his partnership with Art, but demonstrated that he was...
Read MoreMusic: Beach Music
Is it possible that those of you who live outside the Carolinas and Virginia may not know what I mean by Beach Music? If not, you probably...
Read MoreSong: "A Change Is Gonna Come"
Question: How many American Idol contestants does it take to completely ruin a song? Answer: If it’s truly a classic, like “A...
Read MoreSinger: Steven Curtis Chapman
Amy Grant probably has sold more records. Michael W. Smith is probably better known. But if you had to look to one person as the face of...
Read MoreSinger: Carole King
One of the standard descriptions of a musical artist today is “Singer-Songwriter.” If Carole King didn’t create that...
Read MoreSong: "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
This song changed American music when it first came out, so choosing it for the list was my decision (as all selections are). But I thought...
Read MoreMusic: Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
If the names aren’t familiar to you, the songs they wrote will be. Leiber and Stoller began writing songs for more or less obscure...
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