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Song of the Day #6,130: ‘It Keeps You Runnin” – The Doobie Brothers

Continuing my look at the albums of 1976…

Tom Johnston, founding member and lead singer of The Doobie Brothers, had a rough time in the early 70s. An arrest for marijuana possession was followed by a debilitating case of stomach ulcers that landed him in the hospital.

The band had to turn elsewhere in order to keep up their touring schedule, and enlisted singer/songwriter Michael McDonald to sit in on keyboards and lead vocals. McDonald expected the gig to end with the tour, but to his surprise the band asked him to stay on as they entered the studio to record a new album.

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Song of the Day #6,129: ‘Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To)’ – Diana Ross

Continuing my look at the albums of 1976…

When I saw that Diana Ross released an album in 1976, I decided it had to make the cut this week. Through more than 6,000 Songs of the Day, I’ve never featured a solo song by Ross (though I’ve written about quite a few by The Supremes).

Ross’ seventh album, titled Diana Ross, came out in ’76. It was her second self-titled album (the first was her debut). She later released albums titled Diana and Ross, so she more than covered her bases.

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Song of the Day #6,128: ‘Fly Like an Eagle’ – Steve Miller Band

Continuing my look at the albums of 1976…

If you buy into the theory that three great songs make a great album, Steve Miller Band’s Fly Like an Eagle certainly fits the bill.

Best known for its trio of hits — ‘Fly Like an Eagle,’ ‘Take the Money and Run,’ and ‘Rock’n Me’ — Miller’s ninth album was his first to go multi-Platinum, following up on the breakout success of The Joker a few years earlier. It remains his most popular release.

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Song of the Day #6,127: ‘Candy Store Rock’ – Led Zeppelin

Continuing my look at the albums of 1976…

My late 80s high school friend group was more into 70s rock bands than 80s pop and New Wave. Our favorites were The Who, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin.

That Led Zeppelin fandom, for me at least, spanned six albums: Led Zeppelin II, III, and IV, plus Houses of the Holy, Physical Graffiti, and In Through the Out Door. 1976’s Presence never broke through.

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Song of the Day #6,126: ‘We Are the World’ – USA for Africa

The #1 song in America the week of April 13, 1985, was a charity single that sold more than 20 million copies, becoming the eighth best-selling single of all time worldwide. I’m referring, of course, to ‘We Are the World,’ a song conceived as a way to raise money for and awareness of the famine in Africa.

‘We Are the World’ was written by Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson and performed by a laundry list of music stars. The song featured so many big names that it’s easier to list the major 80s icons who weren’t there: namely, Prince and Madonna.

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