The Beatles Songs: "Taxman"

Because it's that time of year again... "Taxman" was not only a rare political statement by the Beatles, it also brought George's songwriting front and center, once and for all. But all is not it appears to be; from the intro to the famous solo, the Fab Four were starting to play some sonic tricks on their audience. Read a detailed breakdown of "Taxman" in my Beatles fact sheet.

The 10 Greatest Oldies About Money

At tax time, more than ever, money and the lack thereof is on everyone's mind -- but oldies music wrestled with the mercurial nature of the beast for decades, pondering ...

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The 10 Greatest R&B Hits of 1958

1958 was arguably the high water mark for both '50s R&B and the first wave of rock and roll, the moment where rhythm and blues was able to have its pop crossover success without becoming diluted -- but it was also the year that served as a dividing line between R&B's past (blues and swing, mostly) and its future (dances, girl groups, and the onslaught of soul). Read all about the greatest rhythm and blues hits of 1958 right here.

Sunshine Pop for Spring: Carpenters

Richard Carpenter may have removed the "The" from the Carpenters' name in order to make them seem more hip, but it would be hard to imagine a less hip group in the Nixon era than the one that gave us "Top Of The World," "We've Only Just Begun" and "Close To You." Yet it was that very calm and reassuring nature -- especially filtered through the peerless vocals of "lead sister" Karen -- that endured them to legions of fans. Read more about their unlikely trip to stardom in my Carpenters profile.

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