Posts From Greg Brodsky
Tom Petty, a True Rock ‘n’ Roll Star—An Appreciation
He idolized the Byrds and he famously incorporated their 1967 song, “So You Want to Be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star,” into the Heartbreakers concert repertoire.
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The Ed Sullivan Show: Sixties Pop Music Showcase
The Sunday night variety show presented scores of up-and-coming pop stars during the ’60s. Here are some favorites and some unique anecdotes about each one.
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Steam: ‘Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye’
The band didn’t even exist. When one of its songwriters needed a B-side in 1969, they recorded it and the song became a surprise hit. Now, of course, it’s a sports staple.
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The 44 (Count ’em!) Number One Singles of 1974
Only one song stayed at the top for three weeks or more. Top 40 radio programmers in the U.S. were still playing rock music alongside pop, R&B and disco.
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10 Big Rock Acts Without a US Top 10 Hit Single
Back when Top 40 radio played rock hits, most legendary acts achieved chart success. For some reason, Hendrix, ELP, AC/DC, Tull and more never had a pop hit. See who else and what their biggest hits were.
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Supertramp Founding Member Rick Davies Dies
The keyboardist and one of the group’s primary vocalists wrote such songs as “Bloody Well Right” and “Goodbye Stranger,” while singing lead on both.
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Henry Diltz: Eyewitness to Laurel Canyon’s ‘60s Music Legends
The legendary photographer shares his recollections—and photos—of many of that vibrant music scene’s fixtures like Mama Cass, CS&N, and the Monkees.
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Mark Volman, Singer with the Turtles, Zappa and Flo & Eddie, Dies
After earning their first hit with 1965’s Bob Dylan cover “It Ain’t Me Babe,” he and the Turtles’ Howard Kaylan went on to achieve enormous pop success with “She’d Rather Be With Me,” “Elenore,” “You Showed Me,” and the #1 hit, “Happy Together.”
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Tom Shipley of Folk-Rock Duo Brewer & Shipley (‘One Toke Over the Line’) Dies
The pair were friends for 65 years and musical partners for over 60. Brewer died in 2024.
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10 (More) Great 1960s Instrumental Hits
During the swinging decade, these classics from Herb Alpert, the Surfaris, Hugo Montenegro and more were essential tracks on the AM radio dial.
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