CBS's 250 Songs About America
This past weekend CBS Sunday Morning unveiled its selection of 250 songs representing America. They call it "The Essential American Songbook" and it can be found here.
I have a number of comments. First, their list of "American music experts" {Hillary Clinton?!} left something to be desired; it was too narrow and the East Coast was overrepresented. Second, a number of songs (three [!] versions of New York, New York) and artists (Bob Dylan) are over-represented.
Here are some songs I believe should have been included, in no order. I believe I have all of the original artists. You may play them at the colored links.
- 16 Tons, Tennessee Ernie Ford
- Christmas Song, Nat King Cole
- Theme From 'Hawaii 5-0', Mort Stevens and His Orchestra
- Can't Take My Eyes Off You, Frankie Valli (note: there are "love songs" on the CBS list)
- Freight Train, Elizabeth Cotton
- Street Life, Randy Crawford
- We've Only Just Begun, Carpenters
- Hound Dog, Elvis Presley
- Johnny's Theme, Doc Severinsen* and the NBC Orchestra
- Midnight Train to Georgia, Gladys Knight and the Pips
- Lazy, Hazy, Days of Summer, Nat King Cole
- Home on the Range, Vernon Dalhart
- El Paso, Marty Robins
- Powerhouse, Raymond Scott (the part familiar to most begins at 1:14)
- 76 Trombones, Robert Preston (or the entire cast album of The Music Man)
Feel free to leave a comment with a song you think should have been on the list.
* The original bandleader to play Johnny's Theme the first 3 years (of 30) of the Tonight Show was Skitch Henderson. I could not find him playing the song. BTW: the song was written by Sal Mineo for Annette Funicello. It was not a hit so he retooled it for Johnny Carson.
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