Some of the most iconic pop and rock songs of the past half century have been covers. These two weeks, I will take a look at these classics and their overshadowed originals. As I’ve gone through some of these covers that have vastly overshadowed their originals, I’ve been struck by a few things. First, it’s…

Some of the most iconic pop and rock songs of the past half century have been covers. These two weeks, I will take a look at these classics and their overshadowed originals. I love the odd story of The Roar of the Greasepaint — The Smell of the Crowd, a 1964 musical. That’s not to say…

Some of the most iconic pop and rock songs of the past half century have been covers. These two weeks, I will take a look at these classics and their overshadowed originals. I love “Torn.” It’s a gorgeous pop ballad with a a fundamental tension: The lyrics depict a woman broken and drained, no fight…

Some of the most iconic pop and rock songs of the past half century have been covers. These two weeks, I will take a look at these classics and their overshadowed originals. In 1979, minor new wave artist Robert Hazard wrote a song about how women are never passionate or committed in the bedroom. He…

Some of the most iconic pop and rock songs of the past half century have been covers. These two weeks, I will take a look at these classics and their overshadowed originals. Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” is an all-time treasure. Rolling Stone ranked it one of the five greatest songs in rock history. Her rendition is so full…