We continue the adventure of our Top 3 Inspirational pieces of music by category.  Yesterday we covered Classical, Rock and Folk; today we’ll try to cover Pop (Nearly impossible to pick the top 3), tomorrow on to R&B and Broadway and who knows what else.

Please remember that these are my personal most Inspirational songs – not necessarily my favorites, but the ones that have had the most Inspirational impact on my life as a composer and music listener.

Here goes.

POP
1. Hey Jude – The Beatles / John Lennon and Paul McCartney

In 1968, John Lennon and his wife Cynthia Lennon separated due to his affair with Yoko Ono. Soon afterwards, Paul McCartney drove out to visit Cynthia and Julian, her son with Lennon. “We’d been very good friends for millions of years and I thought it was a bit much for them suddenly to be personae non gratae and out of my life,” McCartney said. Later, Cynthia Lennon recalled, “I was truly surprised when, one afternoon, Paul arrived on his own. I was touched by his obvious concern for our welfare… On the journey down he composed ‘Hey Jude’ in the car. I will never forget Paul’s gesture of care and concern in coming to see us.”

I was on my way out the door, rushing to an important appointment and very late.  Hey Jude came on the radio for the first time.  Announced as a new Beatles song, I just had to stop for a quick listen to the first couple of bars before rushing off.  I stood, briefcase and coat in hand, transfixed as the song played – all 7 minutes of it.  When it was over, I calmly walked back to the phone, called my appointment and cancelled it.  Then I changed the course of my life and went out and bought the single.

2. What A Fool Believes – The Doobie Brothers / Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins

The single reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 14, 1979, remaining in that position for just one week. However, the song received 1980 Grammy Awards for both Song of the Year and Record of the Year.

“What a Fool Believes” was one of the few non-disco No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 during 1979.

From the totally catchy fresh new style of the opening chords which launched a thousand hits, to the whiskey/gutter tough melodic sound of Michael’s instantly identifiable voice, this song captured a sound, feel and groove that I aspired to and fell in love with and tried to emulate over and over for years.  But it was Michael’s genius and Michael’s sound and nobody ever done it better.

3. I Get Around – The Beach Boys / Brian Wilson and Mike Love

As far as researchers can gather, the instrumental track was recorded on April 2, 1964. The session, produced by Brian Wilson.  The vocals were recorded during a session eight days later on April 10. The lead vocal features Mike Love on the verses and Brian Wilson on the choruses with backing vocals from Brian, Carl & Dennis Wilson, Mike Love and Alan Jardine.

Brian Wilson was my hero.  His Pop song writing was the best of an incredible time in Pop music history.  The era belonged to the Beatles, but the Beach Boys were right up there.  This song captures the vocal style genius of Brian’s work which was heavily influenced by The Four Freshmen, one of my favorite groups as a kid.  With Brian’s fantastic falsetto leading the way and his tight harmonies like no other Pop group out there, the Beach Boys set the table for my own harmonic style.  Simply a great sound.

Honorable Mention – I Wanna Hold Your Hand – The Beatles / Lennon and McCartney

In September 1980, Lennon told Playboy magazine:
“ We wrote a lot of stuff together, one on one, eyeball to eyeball. Like in ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand,’ I remember when we got the chord that made the song. We were in Jane Asher’s house, downstairs in the cellar playing on the piano at the same time. And we had, ‘Oh you-u-u/ got that something…’ And Paul hits this chord [E minor] and I turn to him and say, ‘That’s it!’ I said, ‘Do that again!’ In those days, we really used to absolutely write like that—both playing into each other’s noses.”

This song broke the 1/4/5 chord progression barrier that had been Pop music’s unwritten law throughout the 50s.  It’s why the song sounds so fresh, because we were all so used to the same old chord progression that literally thousands of songs had used.  Then along came this song and broke it all open.  Again, the genius of the Beatles.  Pop music would never be the same.

RUNNERS UP
It Might Be You – Stephen Bishop / with music written by Dave Grusin, and lyrics written by Alan & Marilyn Bergman
The First Time – Roberta Flack / Ewan MacColl
Killing Me Softly With His Song — Roberta Flack / Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel.
Man In A Mirror – Michael Jackson / Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett
Like A Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan
Don’t Stand So Close To Me – The Police / Sting
Good Vibrations – The Beach Boys / Brian Wilson
Sympathy For The Devil – The Rolling Stones / Mick Jagger and Keith Richards

Help, I can’t stop.  Too many great songs to choose from.  Too many life moments defined by the music.  Whoever said I could do this as a Top 3?  Impossible.