Born Roberta Lee Streeter on July 27, 1942 in Chickasaw County, Mississippi, Bobbie Gentry is one of the most influential artists most people have never heard of.

She chose her stage name after watching Ruby Gentry, a 1952 movie about a woman who overcame poverty to make something out of her life.

She charted eleven hits on Billboard Hot 100, won three Grammy awards, put Southern Gothic on the map, had a successful Vegas show, was a model and partial owner of the Phoenix Suns and, most importantly, one of the first female artists to write and produce her own music.

She has impacted generations of country artists and her legacy should be honored, which is why we’re dedicating this week to a genuine gem, Ms. Bobbie Gentry.

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Big Boss Man is a blues song first recorded by Jimmy Reed in 1961. It was written by Luther Dixon and Al Smith and has been covered by artists such as Elvis Presley and B.B. King. Bobbie Gentry’s version was included on her second studio album, The Delta Sweete (1968), which was re-released by Capitol Records as Tobacco Road in 1971 without the songs Big Boss Man and Parchman Farm.

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Bobbie Gentry wrote and recorded Fancy in 1969. It was included on the 1970 album, Fancy, which earned a Grammy nomination. According to Gentry, the song was her strongest women’s lib statement, and it became a crossover hit, peaking at No. 26 on Hot Country and No. 31 on Billboard Hot 100. Reba McEntire covered it in 1990 on her Rumor Has It album. Her version hit No. 8 on Hot Country.

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Written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, I’ll Never Fall In Love Again has been covered by several artist, with Dionne Warwick’s version being the highest chart-topper in the US at No. 6 on Billboard Hot 100. Bobbie Gentry’s version appeared on her 1969 album, Touch ‘Em With Love and again on Fancy. Her version hit No. 1 in the UK.

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Ode to Billie Joe is Bobbie Gentry’s most successful song. From the album, Ode to Billie Joe (1967), it’s about indifference and the inability to connect with one another, even over shared grief. The album knocked the Beatles’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band off the top spot of Billboard Hot LP after a 15-week reign. The song, Ode to Billie Joe, became an international hit, landing at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 and earned Gentry three Grammy awards.

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Sittin’ Pretty was written by Bobbie Gentry and Kelly Gordon. The song was originally included on Gentry’s third studio album, Local Gentry (1967), which was re-released in 1971 as Sittin’ Pretty. Though the song (and album) didn’t chart, it’s one of our favorite jams here at Vinyl.

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Written by John Hartford, Gentle on My Mind was first recorded by Glen Campbell and released in 1967 on the album, Gentle on My Mind. It won four Grammy awards, two for Hartford and two for Campbell. The song was also included on the album, Bobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell (1968). Gentry had toured with Campbell and frequently performed on his TV show. That album hit No. 1 on Billboard Top Country and No. 11 on Billboard Top LPs chart.

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Apartment 21 was written by Bobbie Gentry and recorded during the Fancy recording sessions. The song was released as a stand-alone single in 1970 with a b-side of Seasons Come, Seasons Go. Though it peaked at No. 81 on Billboard Hot 100 and No. 19 on Adult Contemporary, it is considered by several critics to be among Gentry’s best work.

If you don't have Ani DiFranco's music in your playlist, you're missing out on one righteous babe.

Born Angela Maria DiFranco in Buffalo, New York on September 23, 1970, Ani is unlike any other artist. She's political, an entrepreneur, a philanthropist, a poet, a pioneer, and she writes and performs awesome music.

At age 18, she became one of the first independent musicians to create her own record label, Righteous Babe, and since has produced albums for a variety of artists.

To label her as a folk artist is inaccurate. Part folk, alternative, jazz, punk, funk and hip hop DiFranco's music crosses genres.

Her clever and raw lyrics mixed with the quality of her musical performances are what make Ani so special. If you haven't given her a listen, we're certain after a few samples, you'll want to hear more.

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Buildings and Bridges is from Ani DiFranco's fifth studio album, Out of Range (1994). Though the album wasn't as commercially-successful as some of her others, it's one of our favorites. Buildings and Bridges is about being able to adapt in the face of difficult times because, as Ani says, what doesn't bend breaks.

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Shameless is from Ani DiFranco's seventh album, Dilate. Released in 1996, Dilate is her highest-selling and most critically-acclaimed album. Written by DiFranco, Shameless is about coveting another man's wife. She has performed it live multiple times and has been applauded for openly discussing bisexuality during a time when that wasn't done. 

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O.K. is from Ani DiFranco's eleventh studio album, Revelling/Reckoning (2001). Your Next Bold Move, the lead track of Reckoning, was used in GASCD, a 2002 political compilation. Peaking at No. 50 on US Billboard 200, there are several great songs on this double album, but O.K. is more than just okay. It's one of our favorites.

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Written by Ani DiFranco and originally released on her 1995 album, Not a Pretty Girl, 32 Flavors is one of our favorite Ani songs. A pun on Baskin-Robbins’s slogan “31 flavors”, it was used in a 1999 NFL commercial and was covered by Alana Davis on her debut album, Blame it on Me (1997). Her version of the song peaked at No. 37 on Billboard Hot 100.

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Deep Dish is from Ani DiFranco's eighth studio album, Little Plastic Castle. Released in 1998, it is her highest-charting album, reaching No. 22 on Billboard Top 200. There are several great jams on Little Plastic Castle, but we chose Deep Dish because of the upbeat tempo and awesome use of horns. It's a perfect way to welcome Friday.

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Both Hands is from Ani DiFranco's debut album, Ani DiFranco. The album was recorded in September 1990 and was the first Righteous Babe release. We like most songs on the album, but Both Hands stands out as a touching ballad that showcases Ani's softer side. We also like the live version of the song from her 1997 album, Living In Clip.

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Up Up Up Up Up Up is the title track for Ani DiFranco's ninth studio album, Up Up Up Up Up Up. Released in 1999, the album landed at No. 29 on US Billboard 200, and the song Jukebox earned a Grammy nomination for Female Rock Vocal Performance. We think the song, Up Up Up Up Up Up is one of the best on an album full of bests.

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Fire Door was originally included on Ani DiFranco's debut album, Ani DiFranco. Though we like the original, we prefer the live version from her 1997 album, Living In Clip. Rolling Stone named that album one of the Essential Recordings of the 90s. Fire Door's sporadic guitar, upbeat tempo, and poetic lyrics make the song one of the best on the album.

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Bliss Like This is from Ani DiFranco’s thirteenth studio album, Educated Guess (2004). The album was recorded alone at her homes in Buffalo and in New Orleans and has more jazz elements than some of her previous work. We especially like the song, Bliss Like This because of the fun-loving lyrics and the swanky vibe of the music.

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Back Back Back is from Ani DiFranco's tenth album, To the Teeth. Released in 1999, it is a tad more political than some of her other work. The album addresses topics like America's gun culture and the Columbine massacre. The music fuses jazz, funk, and folk, and Back Back Back is an ode to self-reflection and a call to denounce anger.

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Originally from Ani DiFranco's second studio album, Not So Soft (1991), Gratitude is a song about the harassment that women endure, even from so-called-friends. The song is one of Ani's most popular for live performances, and the version from So Much Shouting So Much Laughter (2002), Ani's second live album, is our favorite. 

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Napoleon is from Ani DiFranco's album, Dilate (1996). Slant Magazine ranked Dilate as one of the best albums of the 1990s. Napoleon is a passionate song about, in our opinion, the music industry. Ani created her record label, Righteous Babe, and has maintained complete artistic control over her work. It is one of the things we respect most about this artist. 

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First recorded by Dionne Warwick in 1962, Wishin' and Hopin' was written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach. It became a hit for Dusty Springfield in 1964. Ani DiFranco recorded a version for the 1997 movie, My Best Friend's Wedding that, along with the Austin Powers movies, led to renewed popularity of Bacharach-David music.

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Hell Yeah is from Ani DiFranco's 1994 album, Out of Range. The song is about being too afraid to tell someone that you like them. The lyrics are beautiful, quirky, and unique, and Hell Yeah is ranked in the top five on our list of most poetic songs. Not surprising seeing as Out of Range is among our top five most poetic albums.

Born on March 28, 1986 as Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, Lady Gaga is music royalty and, in our opinion, a leading candidate poised to take the throne.

No matter what you think of her unconventional and provocative work, there’s no denying her knack for wowing us common folk. Whether it’s the outfits on the red carpet, the Super Bowl and acting performances, or that unbelievable voice, this Lady’s got chops.

It’s our honor this week to pay tribute to her ship with seven of our favorite Gaga songs.

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Written and produced by Lady Gaga and RedOne, Hair is from Gaga's 2011 album, Born This Way. The melody of the song was inspired by Kiss, Iron Maiden, and Bruce Springsteen. Released worldwide as the album's second promotional release (the first was The Edge of Glory), Hair was not originally intended to be a single but ended up peaking at No. 12 on Billboard Hot 100.

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Alejandro was released as the third single from Lady Gaga’s 2009 EP, The Fame Monster. Another hit written and produced by Gaga and RedOne, the song’s lyrics are about bidding ex-lovers farewell, and the melody takes influence from ABBA, Madonna, and Ace of Base. It landed at No. 5 on Billboard Hot 100, making it her seventh consecutive single to hit the Top 10 in the US.

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Paparazzi was the last single released from Lady Gaga's debut album The Fame (2008). Gaga wrote the song with music producer and then boyfriend, Rob Fusari. Back in the day, Fusari compared Gaga’s vocals to Freddie Mercury and created the moniker "Lady Gaga" after Queen's song, Radio Ga Ga. Paparazzi is about Gaga’s struggles with fame. The song landed at a very successful No. 6 on Billboard Hot 100.

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Yoü and I is from Lady Gaga’s album, Born This Way (2011). Co-produced by Robert John “Mutt” Lange, it had been originally intended to be used solely as a promo, but after a few live performances, Interscope released the song as the album’s fourth single. Nominated for a Grammy, Yoü and I samples Queen’s We Will Rock You, features Brian May on electric guitar, and is allegedly about ex-boyfriend Lüc Carl.

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Poker Face is from Lady Gaga’s 2008 album, The Fame. Written by Gaga and RedOne, it topped the charts in over 20 countries and became the best-selling song of 2009 in the world. The main gist behind the song is it’s about sex and bisexuality with an ode to her previous rock-n-roll boyfriends mixed in. It was nominated for a Grammy for Song and Record of the Year and won for Best Dance Recording.

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Written and produced by Lady Gaga and RedOne from The Fame Monster (2009), Bad Romance is about being attracted to doomed relationships. It landed at No. 2 on Billboard Hot 100, won two Grammy awards, sold over 12 million copies worldwide, and RIAA has certified it platinum 11 times. The music video was nominated for ten awards at the MTV VMAs, winning seven including Video of the Year.

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Million Reasons was written by Lady Gaga, Hillary Lindsey, and Mark Ronson for Gaga’s 2016 album, Joanne. The song sprung from conversations with Lindsey about the men in Gaga’s life. Written on an old-school typewriter, it originally peaked at No. 57 on Billboard Hot 100, but after her Super Bowl LI performance, it re-entered the charts at No. 4 tying LL Cool J and J-Lo’s Control Myself for highest re-entry.

Born in Alberta, Canada on Nov. 7, 1943, Joni Mitchell is a nine-time Grammy winner, Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame inductee, artist, poet, singer, and songwriter.
 
If you haven't heard Joni Mitchell's music you've certainly heard a cover of one of her songs or know someone she has influenced. Prince, Nora Jones, Herbie Hancock, Sarah McLaughlin, Tori Amos, Kanye West, Taylor Swift, Madonna, Stevie Nicks, Tina Turner, k.d. Lang, Janet Jackson, and countless others have said Mitchell was a direct influence on their work.

What makes Joni so great, in our opinion, is her songs. She has a range of melodies from upbeat and rhythmic to relaxing and sensuous, but all of them have unique, thought-provoking lyrics that paint a picture in a way that it can only be described as pure poetry.
 
Though we could play a month of Joni, we've picked fourteen of our very favorites from this poetic goddess who’s been a great inspiration to us all here at Vinyl.

1. Big Yellow Taxi - from Ladies of the Canyon

Joni Mitchell wrote Big Yellow Taxi after her first trip to Hawaii. It was recorded and originally released from her 1970 album, Ladies of the Canyon. Though it was a hit in Canada, the song didn't gain popularity in the US until after Mitchell released a live version in 1974. The song's been covered by several artists, including the Counting Crows.

2. Raised On Robbery - from Court and Spark

Joni Mitchell had released a new album every year since 1968, but in 1973, she took some time off to work on Court and Spark (1974). Raised On Robbery was the album’s first single. Released in December 1973, it landed at No. 65 on Billboard Hot 100, and the album went on to become one of Mitchell’s greatest commercial successes.

3. Both Sides Now - from Clouds

Written by Joni Mitchell, Both Sides Now was originally recorded by Judy Collins. Released as a single in 1968, it won a Grammy. Joni released her own version in 1969 from the album, Clouds. The song was inspired by a passage in Saul Bellow's Henderson the Rain King (1959) and has been covered by dozens of artists.

4. You Turn Me On, I'm a Radio - from For the Roses

Released from the album For the Roses (1972), Joni Mitchell wrote You Turn Me On, I’m a Radio as a response to pressure Asylum Records was putting on her to write a hit song. She believed using radio-themed lyrics would entice stations to play the tune. With Graham Nash on harmonica, the single became Joni’s first Top 40 in the US.

5. Free Man In Paris - from Court and Spark

Free Man In Paris is from Joni Mitchell's 1974 album, Court and Spark. The song is about close friend David Geffen, during a trip the two took to Paris. It's one of Joni's most popular hits and has been covered by numerous artists. In the 1970s, an instrumental version was used as the theme for CBC's The Saturday Evening News.

6. All I Want - from Blue

All I Want is from our favorite Joni Mitchell album, Blue (1971). The album is one of the greatest of all time, and the songs were inspired by Joni's relationship with two men - Graham Nash and James Taylor. Blue and All I Want reference her relationship with Taylor and dealing with his heroin addiction. She really did knit him a sweater.

7. Night Ride Home - from Night Ride Home

Night Ride Home is from Joni Mitchell’s 1991 album, Night Ride Home. Though the album wasn’t commercially-successful, several songs received critical praise. Night Ride Home was originally titled “Fourth of July” and had been written about an evening in Hawaii. She first performed it in promotion of her 1988 album, Chalk Mark In a Rain Storm.

8. Help Me - from Court and Spark

Help Me is from Joni Mitchell’s 1974 album, Court and Spark. Commercially, it is her most successful song. Landing at No. 7 on Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Easy Listening charts, it is her only US top ten hit. Several artists have covered it, Prince references it in The Ballad of Dorothy Parker, and it’s been featured in South Park and Shameless.

9. Face Lift - from Taming the Tiger

Face Lift is from Joni Mitchell’s 1998 album, Taming the Tiger. Along with songs like Little Green and Chinese Café, Face Lift discusses the details of Joni getting pregnant and giving her daughter up for adoption in 1965, the main drive behind her songwriting. After the two reunited in 1997, Joni said she no longer felt the need to write.

10. Chelsea Morning - from Clouds

Joni Mitchell wrote Chelsea Morning while living in New York, before she had a record deal. It was included on her second album, Clouds (1969), because several artists had already covered it, including Judy Collins who had released a version a month before the release of Clouds. Fun Fact: Chelsea Clinton’s name was chosen because of Collins’ version.

11. A Case of You - from Blue

A Case of You is from Joni Mitchell’s 1971 album, Blue. Written around 1970, the song was inspired by her break up with Graham Nash. Mitchell plays the dulcimer, and James Taylor plays the guitar. It’s been covered over 300 times, but our favorite - hands down - is Prince’s version, which can be found on the 2007 album, A Tribute to Joni Mitchell.

12. Black Crow - from Hejira

Black Crow is from Joni Mitchell's 1976 album, Hejira. The album was inspired by a cross-country car trip she took from Maine to LA. The song, Black Crow, is about the difficulty Mitchell had when she left her second home in British Columbia's Sunshine Coast. Commercially, the album didn't perform well, but it's still one of our favorites here at Vinyl.

13. The Magdalene Laundries - from Turbulent Indigo

The Magdalene Laundries is from Joni Mitchell's album, Turbulent Indigo. For the cover, Joni  took inspiration from Vincent van Gogh and painted a self portrait. Released in 1994, the album won a Grammy and is her most-successful since the 1970s. The Magdalene Laundries is about the suffering of Irish woman in the Magdalene Asylum.

14. River - from Blue

Though never released as a single, River is one of Joni Mitchell's most popular songs. From the 1971 album Blue, River was inspired by Joni's breakup with Graham Nash. The piano solo borrows from Jingle Bells, and it's often been called a Christmas song. There are over 400 recordings, placing it second to Both Sides Now for most covers.

Kneel for Queen, one of the greatest bands of all time.

Formed in London in 1970, Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon came to international fame in 1974.

Pioneers of the music video and ultimate charity concert performances, Queen created some of the most memorable, universal, and best-selling songs the world has ever known.

Though we could show favor for this music royalty for a month of Sundays, we'll do our best to pay homage with 14 must-have Queen hits.

Flash was written by Brian May and recorded by Queen for the 1980 film, Flash Gordon. There are two versions of the song. Flash's Theme is from the album and includes dialogue from the beginning of the movie. The single version features excerpts from the entire film and can be found on Queen's 1981 Greatest Hits album.

Written by John Deacon, Another One Bites the Dust is from The Game (1980). Inspired by Chic's Good Times, the song is Queen's best-selling single. When released, evangelical critics claimed it promoted smoking marijuana when played backwards. Today, since the bassline has nearly 110 beats per minute, it's been used to teach proper CPR in the UK.

From Sheer Heart Attack (1974), Killer Queen was written by Freddie Mercury and was Queen's first international hit. It landed at No. 2 in the UK and No. 12 in the US. The song's about a high-class call girl and falsely attributes the phrase "Let them eat cake" to Marie Antoinette. Mercury used a grand and upright piano to create a Vaudeville sound.

Written by Brian May, Fat Bottomed Girls is from Queen's 1978 album, Jazz. It was released as a double A-side with Bicycle Race, and the music video was filmed at the Dallas Convention Center. Each song references the other, with Fat Bottomed Girls reaching No. 11 on the UK charts and No. 24 on Billboard Hot 100.

Freddie Mercury wrote Crazy Little Thing Called Love in 1979. Released as a single from Queen's 1980 album, The Game, it became their first No. 1 hit on Billboard Hot 100. In interviews, Mercury said he had written the tune for Elvis Presley in about five minutes, and it marked the first song he played the guitar for during live performances.

I Want to Break Free was written by John Deacon and released in 1984 from Queen's album, The Works. The music video was a spoof of the British soap opera, Coronation Street, where the members of the band dressed as female characters. In the UK, viewers understood the joke, but in the US, it was not well received.

Somebody to Love was written by Freddie Mercury and included on Queen's 1976 album, A Day at the Races. It uses similar techniques to their hit Bohemian Rhapsody, only with an infused gospel sound instead of opera. The song questions God's role in a life without love, and Mercury was influenced by Aretha Franklin when he wrote it.

Written by Freddie Mercury, Play the Game is the lead track on Queen's 1980 alum, The Game. It opens with overlapping sounds from an Oberheim synthesizer, marking the band's acceptance of electronic instruments in an otherwise "no synth" stance on their sound. The album cover and music video are the first time Mercury appeared with a mustache.

We Will Rock You was written by Brian May and included on Queen's 1977 album, News of the World. Meant to be played before We Are the Champions, together, they have become a staple at sporting events and one of the greatest songs of all-time. We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2009.

Also from the 1977 album, News of the World, We Are the Champions was written by Freddie Mercury and is considered one of Queen's most popular songs. It's meant to be played after We Will Rock You. Together, they were the last songs the band played at the charity concert Live Aid in 1985, one of Mercury's greatest live performances.

Written by drummer Roger Taylor, Radio Ga Ga is from the 1984 Queen album, The Works. The song hit No. 1 in 19 countries and landed at No. 2 in the UK and No. 16 in the US on Billboard Hot 100. It discusses the issue of video killing radio and was performed at every concert from 1984 until Freddie Mercury’s death.

You're My Best Friend was written by bassist, John Deacon and released from Queen's 1975 album, A Night at the Opera. Deacon had written the song for his wife, and it was originally recorded with a Wurlitzer electric piano. Freddie Mercury hated playing the Wurlitzer, opting to use a grand piano instead during live performances of the song.

Inspired by the 1978 Tour de France, Bicycle Race is from Queen's album, Jazz. Written by Freddie Mercury, it released with Fat Bottomed Girls. The music video was banned in several countries because it showed nude models racing bikes around Wimbledon Stadium. Despite the lyrics, Mercury didn't like bike riding, but he was a Star Wars fan.

Freddie Mercury wrote Bohemian Rhapsody for Queen's 1975 album, A Night at the Opera. They made a promotional video for the song, which is considered revolutionary today. The video was created because the lyrics were too awkward to lip-sync during live performances on TV shows like the BBC's Top of the Pops.

If you don’t know who Fleetwood Mac is, that travesty can easily be rendered. If you know who they are but don’t have them in your playlist, we’re speechless.

For those who don’t know Fleetwood Mac, we’re not going to waste time with historical happenings and the large list of former group members. We’ll cut to the chase.

Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, and Stevie Nicks are Fleetwood Mac, one of the greatest bands of all time.

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Monday Morning is the first track from Fleetwood Mac's 1975 multi-platinum selling album, Fleetwood Mac. Lindsey Buckingham originally wrote the song for Buckingham Nicks (1973), the only album produced from when he and Stevie Nicks performed as a duo before joining Fleetwood Mac. Monday Morning was released as the B-side for Say You Love Me in 1976.

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Tusk is from Fleetwood Mac’s 1979 album, Tusk. Originally recorded with the USC Marching Band, the song has set a record for highest number of musicians performing on a single. Tusk started as a rehearsal riff that Lindsey Buckingham used for sound checks. Mick Fleetwood was the one who suggested that they use it for the title track of the album, which was untitled at the time.

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Big Love is from Fleetwood Mac’s 1987 album, Tango in the Night. It was released as the album’s first single and hit No. 5 in the US. It was written by Lindsey Buckingham and originally intended for his third solo album. After he left Fleetwood Mac in 1987, on solo tours, he performed a guitar-only version, which he also performed with Fleetwood Mac on the live album, The Dance (1997).

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Written by Stevie Nicks, Gypsy is from Fleetwood Mac’s Mirage album (1982). Intended for her solo album, Bella Donna (1981), the song’s a nostalgic look at her life before Fleetwood Mac, when she and Lindsey Buckingham lived together. After Stevie’s best friend Robin Snyder Anderson died of leukemia, it took on new meaning for Nicks as a tribute to someone’s passing.

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Dreams is from Fleetwood Mac's eleventh studio album, Rumours (1977). Written by Stevie Nicks about a tumultuous time in the band's history, Dreams became Fleetwood Mac's only No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100. She recorded it alone in Sly Stone, of Sly and the Family Stone's recording booth. The Corrs recorded a version for Legacy: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac's Rumours (1998).

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Another great hit from Fleetwood Mac's 1977 album, Rumours, Don't Stop was written by Christine McVie about her separation from John McVie. With Gold Dust Woman as the B-side, Don't Stop was released in March 1977. It peaked at No. 3 on Billboard Hot 100. Bill Clinton used the song in his first presidential campaign, most notably at the 1992 Democratic National Convention, then again in 2000.

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Landslide is from Fleetwood Mac’s 1975 album, Fleetwood Mac. Stevie Nicks wrote it after Buckingham Nicks was dropped from Polydor Records, when she and Lindsey Buckingham were fighting and Nicks was considering going back to school. Landslide is one of the band’s most covered songs. The Dixie Chicks, Smashing Pumpkins, andcast of Glee, to name a few, have all released a version.

Born Erica Abi Wright in Dallas, Texas on Feb. 26, 1971, Erykah Badu is the Queen of Neo Soul.

At the age of 4, she got her first glimpse at stardom when she sang and danced at the Dallas Theater Center and The Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL).

She changed the spelling of her name when she was 14 and adopted Badu as a surname. The term “kah” signifies the inner self, and Badu is her favorite jazz scat sound.

Badu’s professional career took off when she opened for D’Angelo in 1994 in Fort Worth. Soon after, she signed to Kedar Entertainment and released her first album, Baduizm, in 1997.

Often compared to Billie Holiday, Erykah Badu has busted her ass to earn the title of Queen of Neo Soul. She is a singer-songwriter, mother, record producer, disc jockey, activist, artist, actress, doula, holistic healer, and quite possibly one of the coolest people we have ever seen in real life.

This week we pay tribute to this amazing talent with seven of our favorite Badu jams.

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Erykah Badu’s Southern Girl features Rahzel, a former member of The Roots who also produced the song. It was released in 1999 and hit No. 24 on Billboard R&B Singles and No. 76 on Hot 100. It was also included on the soundtrack for the 2001 movie, Pootie Tang.

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Appletree is the third and last single from Erykah Badu’s album, Baduizm (1997). In the US, it was released as a radio promo and hit No. 67 on Billboard Hot R&B. In the UK, it was released as a single and hit 47 on their charts. She included the song, as Apple Tree, on her 1997 Live album.

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Honey is the lead single from Erykah Badu’s 2007 album, New Amerykah Part One (4th World War). The song was produced by 9th Wonder and samples Nancy Wilson’s 1978 song, I’m In Love. Honey hit No. 22 on Billboard Hot R&B and No. 88 on Billboard Hot 100.

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Back in the Day, sometimes referred to as "Puff,” is from Erykah Badu's 2003 album, Worldwide Underground. Badu has said that writing and recording for the album took place following a long bout of writer's block. Back in the Day peaked at No. 62 on Billboard Hot R&B.

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Bag Lady is the first single released from Erykah Badu's 2000 album, Mama's Gun. The song hit No 1. on Billboard Hot R&B charts and No. 6 on Billboard Hot 100. It earned Badu two Grammy nominations and is Motown's last No. 1 hit on the R&B charts under the original record label name.

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Written by Erykah Badu and James Poyser, Window Seat is the lead single from Badu's 2010 album, New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh). The song hit No. 16 on Billboard Hot R&B, but it is more popular for its controversial video in which Badu appears naked on the streets of Dallas.

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Contrary to popular belief, Tyrone was not included on Erykah Badu’s 1997 debut album, Baduizm. The song was originally released as the lead single from her 1997 Live album. It earned Badu a Grammy nomination and has been referenced in movies and other artists’ songs.

Sam Cooke was born Samuel Cook on Jan. 22, 1931 in Clarksdale, Mississippi. His family moved to Chicago in 1933 where he started his singing career at the age of six with his siblings in a group called the Singing Children.

At 14, he became the lead singer of Highway QC’s, but it was in 1950, when he took over as lead singer for the Soul Stirrers, that his career took off. He is often credited with bringing gospel music to the attention of younger crowds, particularly girls.

He launched his solo career in 1956 under the alias Dale Cook as to not alienate his gospel base, but by 1957, he added an “e” to his last name to signify a new start to his life, and the hits started rolling in.

In 1961, Cooke created his own record label, SAR Records, and was one of the first black performers to manage their own musical careers.

Cooke was married twice. His first wife, Dolores Elizabeth Milligan Cook, died in a car accident in 1959. Though they were divorced, Cooke paid for the funeral expenses. In addition to fathering at least three children out of wedlock, he also had three children with his second wife, Barbara Campbell Cooke. Their youngest child, Vincent, drowned in the family pool when he was 2 years-old.

Cooke died at the age of 33 on Dec. 11, 1964. He was shot in the chest and killed at the Hacienda Motel in LA by Bertha Franklin, the motel’s manager. Though his death was ruled a justifiable homicide, the circumstances surrounding the events of that night have been called into question by Cooke’s friends and family.
 
Despite the shadows cast by the manner in which he died, Sam Cooke is the King of Soul. With 30 US Top 40 hits between 1957 and 1964, plus three more posthumously, his contributions to music gave rise to greats like Aretha Franklin, Bobby Womack, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye and put Otis Redding and James Brown on the map. This week we pay tribute to his work with seven of our favorite Sam Cooke hits.

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Sam Cooke's A Change Is Gonna Come has been preserved in the Library of Congress and has become an anthem for civil rights. Released in 1964 from the album, Ain't That Good News, the song was inspired by personal events when he and his entourage were turned away from a whites-only motel in Shreveport, Louisiana, only to be arrested for disturbing the peace after they arrived at another hotel.

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Chain Gang was released in 1960 from Swing Low. It peaked at No. 2 on Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B Sides and at No. 9 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was Sam Cooke’s first single for RCA Victor and his second-biggest hit in the US. It was inspired after a chance meeting Cooke had with prisoners on a highway while on tour. He felt bad for the men and gave them several cartons of cigarettes.

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Cupid was released on May 16, 1961. Sam Cooke’s producers had asked him to write a song for a girl they had seen on a Perry Como TV show, but once they heard Cupid, they changed their minds. During recording, it was Cooke’s idea to drop in the sound of an arrow being fired. The single combines Latin, R&B, jazz, and pop elements, making it quite possibly one of the best pop songs ever recorded.

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You Send Me was written and recorded by Sam Cooke. It was released as his debut single by Keen Records on Sept. 7, 1957, with Summertime as the B-side. You Send Me was Cooke’s first single outside the gospel genre, and it landed at the top spot on Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B Sides. Cooke gave the writing credits to his brother, L.C. Cook, because he didn’t want his publisher to profit from the song.

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Twistin' the Night Away was written and recorded by Sam Cooke for his 1962 album, Twistin' the Night Away. Recorded with The Wrecking Crew, Twistin' the Night Away landed at No. 9 on Billboard Hot 100 and took the top spot on Hot R&B Sides. Rod Stewart recorded the song for his 1972 album, Never a Dull Moment and again for the 1987 movie, Innerspace, which also features Cooke's song, Cupid. Both of Stewart's versions landed on Billboard Hot 100.

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(What a) Wonderful World, sometimes Wonderful World, was written and recorded by Sam Cooke in an impromptu recording session. Released in 1960, it would be Cooke's last release with Keen Records. It hit No. 12 on Billboard Hot 100. Herman and the Hermits covered the song in 1965 and their version landed at No. 4. There's no footage of Cooke singing the song live despite ABKCO founder, Allen Klein offering a $10,000 reward to anyone who could find one.

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Sam Cooke wrote and recorded Meet Me at Mary's Place in 1964 for the album, Ain't That Good News. It was the A-side for his cover of the Pete Seeger and Lee Hays song, If I Had a Hammer. Though the Ain't That Good News album was well-received, neither Meet Me at Mary's Place nor If I Had a Hammer charted for Cooke. Regardless of the lack of commercial success, Meet Me at Mary's Place is one of our favorite Sam Cooke songs of all-time.

Mother and daughter duo, Naomi and Wynonna, are The Judds. One of the most successful acts in country music, the Ashland, Kentucky natives have won five Grammy Awards, eight CMA Awards, and had 25 singles on the country charts between 1983 and 2000, 14 of which hit number one and another six made the top ten. This week we're honoring this dynamic duo with a seven-song tribute that will have you singing, “Mama, we're crazy…we're crazy over Wynonna and Naomi.”

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Mama He's Crazy was recorded by The Judds and released as the second single from the 1983 EP, Wynonna & Naomi, and again on their 1984 debut album, Why Not Me. The song marked the duo's second hit on the country charts and their first number one. The song was so successful, Pinkard & Bowden released a parody called Mama She's Lazy that went to 39 on the country charts.

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Rockin' With the Rhythm of the Rain was written by Brent Maher and Don Schlitz. Recorded by The Judds and released as the third single from the 1985 album, Rockin' with the Rhythm, the song marked their seventh number one country hit and spent twelve weeks on the charts. It was one of four number one hits from that album, and Billboard named it the Top Country Album of 1986.

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Why Not Me was the first single and title track of The Judds first studio album, Why Not Me. Released in 1984, the song was their second number one and spent fifteen weeks on the country charts. One of four number one hits from that album, Why Not Me won a Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with a Vocal in 1986, as did Mama He's Crazy in 1985.

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Written by Naomi Judd, Paul Overstreet, and John Jarvis, Love Can Build a Bridge was recorded by The Judds and released in 1990 as the second single and title track from their album, Love Can Build a Bridge. The song was later covered by Children for Rwanda as a charity single for Save the Children and by a 10-year-old Britney Spears in 1991 on Star Search.

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Girls' Night Out was the second single and third number one hit from The Judds 1984 album, Why Not Me. Released in 1985 and written by Brent Maher and Jeffrey Bullock, Girls' Night Out spent one week at the top spot and another fourteen weeks on the country charts. It is one of our favorites here at Vinyl.

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Written by John Jarvis, Naomi Judd, and Craig Bickhardt, Cadillac Red is from The Judds' 1989 album, River of Time. Though two of the songs from that album hit number one, Cadillac Red was not released as a single. River of Time was the second to last studio album The Judds would ever make.

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Written by Paul Kennerley, Have Mercy was recorded by The Judds for their 1985 album, Rockin' with the Rhythm. The song was the first to be released from that album and became the duo's fifth number one single on the country charts.

Born on Oct. 20, 1950 in Gainesville, Florida, Thomas Earl Petty was a singer, songwriter, producer, actor, and musician. In addition to having a successful solo career, he was also the lead singer of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and a member and co-founder of the supergroup the Travelling Wilburys. Heavily influenced by Elvis Presley and the Beatles, he sold more than 80 million records worldwide, making him one of the greatest-selling artists of all-time.

Fresh off a 2017 reunion tour with the Heartbreakers that kicked off in Oklahoma City on April 20 and ended Sept. 25 at the Hollywood Bowl, it would seem that Tom Petty had no intentions of backing down from writing, producing, and performing music, but on Oct. 2, he was found unconscious, in full cardiac arrest, at his home in California. He died later that evening at UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica. He was 67 years old. This week we pay tribute to a great talent that will certainly be missed but never forgotten.

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I Won't Back Down was the lead single for Tom Petty's debut solo album, Full Moon Fever. Released in April 1989, the song reached the twelfth spot on Billboard Hot 100. Jeff Lynne co-wrote the song, and George Harrison sang and played guitar for the recording session. In January 2015, Petty and Lynne were given co-writing credits for Sam Smith's Stay With Me for its likeness to I Won't Back Down.

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Written by Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne, Learning to Fly is from Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker's 1991 album, Into the Great Wide Open. The song only reached twenty-eight on Billboard Hot 100 but stayed at the top spot Billboard Hot Rock Tracks for six weeks. It's been covered by Bonnie Tyler, Lady Antebellum, and the Weepies, and is the official song of the US Air Force Academy's skydiving team, Wings of Blue.

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American Girl is the second single released from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers self-titled debut album. Though it was released in 1977, the song didn't chart until it was re-released in 1994. It's been used in numerous TV shows and movies and has been covered by a ton of artists. Currently, Rolling Stone has it ranked at #76 on their 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time.

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Don’t Do Me Like That was written by Tom Petty and recorded by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in 1979 as the lead single for the album, Damn the Torpedoes. Petty almost gave the song to the J. Geils Band but was talked out of it by producer Jimmy lovine. The song was the band’s first top 10 hit, landing at number 10 on Billboard Hot 100.

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Free Fallin’ is from Tom Petty's debut solo album, Full Moon Fever. It was released in October 1989 and peaked at #7 on Billboard Hot 100. It is Petty’s longest-charting single and is ranked among Rolling Stone‘s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It was used in the movie Jerry Maguire and the TV show The Sopranos. After Petty’s death, Free Fallin’ hit #2 on Spotify Global Viral 50.

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Written by Tom Petty and recorded while he was working on Wildflowers, Mary Jane’s Last Dance was first released in 1993 on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ compilation album, Greatest Hits. The song climbed to #14 on Billboard Hot 100, becoming the band’s first Top 20 in the 1990s. It was originally titled Indiana Girl and opened with “hey, Indiana girl, go out and find the world,” but Petty didn’t feel right about the lyrics, so he changed it.

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Into the Great Wide Open is from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ eighth studio album, Into the Great Wide Open (1991). The album was produced by Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne after the success of Petty’s Full Moon Fever. The song was the third single released and peaked at #92 on Billboard Hot 100. The music video starred Johnny Depp, Gabrielle Anwar, and Faye Dunaway.