Channeling AM Pop – Part 1

No matter how much grown-ups try to shield us from the truth, as children we all eventually learn about violence, death, and heartbreak. As a small boy on Long Island in 1980, I can still remember the somber mood, Jimmy Carter, and all those yellow ribbons tied around trees in support of the American hostages in Iran. One October morning, I stumbled into the kitchen for breakfast and found my mom weeping at her sewing machine. She saw me, tried to compose herself, and then told me dad’s cop buddy down the street had shot and killed himself during the night, leaving behind a widow and a small child.

American hostages in Iran

Two months later, John Lennon was shot and killed outside his apartment building in New York City, leaving behind a widow and a small child. Three months after Lennon, President Reagan was shot in Washington (and, as we did not have cable television, the few channels we had just kept showing the shooting over and over). Six weeks after Reagan, Pope John Paul II was shot in Vatican City. By the time Marvin Gaye was shot and killed in 1984, shootings seemed like old hat. Anyway, guns don’t kill people, right? People kill people. And guns make it a whole lot easier.

John Lennon signing an autograph for the man who shot him hours later

As a kid I often found myself in the car with either mom or dad- and listening to the radio. With dad, it was FM, but with mom it was AM. What was the difference? Well, that is a complicated question but there were times in America when the distinction between FM and AM radio was well understood. Back in the day, FM stations were known for playing longer album cuts while AM’s focus was on shorter singles. But in my experience- in New York in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s- FM was for classic rock and driving around with dad listening to the Eagles, the Charlie Daniels Band, and Bad Company, while AM was for ‘60s oldies and songs that were a bit more peaceful and eclectic and driving around with mom listening to the Beatles, the Mamas and the Papas, the Association, and lots of one hit wonders.

Pope John Paul II shot in St. Peter's Square

At least on Long Island, the FM radio signal was always crystal clear while the AM signal was scratchy. By the late ‘80s, the AM dial on Long Island was nearly devoid of music and mom eventually moved onto FM adult contemporary. I was not there for most of AM radio’s ‘60s and ‘70s hey day- when it and not FM ruled the airwaves and Top 40 music included Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra, the Beatles, and Motown- but it must have been a wonderful time; and this explains why there is still such fondness and nostalgia for music now called AM pop. For me, the best of AM pop is top shelf and helps to soothe me in what sometimes feels like a harsh and challenging world. Here are some of my favorite AM pop songs. Enjoy!

The Beatles

01. Neil Diamond – “Brooklyn Roads” (1968)
02. Don Mclean – “Vincent” (1971)
03. The 5th Dimension – “(Last Night) I Didn’t Get to Sleep at All” (1972)
04. The Beatles – “In My Life” (1965)
05. Marvin Gaye – “What’s Going On” (1971)
06. Paul McCartney and Wings – “Silly Love Songs” (1976)
07. Seals and Crofts – “Summer Breeze” (1972)
08. The Turtles – “Me About You” (1967)
09. The Beatles – “Let It Be” (1970)
10. Tommy James and the Shondells – “I Think We’re Alone Now” (1967)
11. The Walker Brothers – “The Moon’s a Harsh Mistress” (1975)
12. Marvin Gaye – “God Is Love” (1971)
13. Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah – “Lake Shore Drive” (1971)
14. The Beatles – “Here Comes the Sun” (1969)
15. Jim Croce – “Photographs and Memories” (1972)
16. The New Seekers – “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing” (1971)

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...

Recommended Links:

“Are You John Lennon?”

Mad Men - Final Scene