My Girl" is a 1964 song recorded by The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label which became a number one hit in 1965. Written and produced by The Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Ronald White, the song became the Temptations' first U.S. number-one single, and is today their signature song. Robinson's inspiration for writing this song was his wife, Miracles member Claudette Rogers Robinson. The song was featured on the Temptations album The Temptations Sing Smokey.

Musically, the song is notable because the six ascending guitar notes in the opening riff over the C chord are a perfect example of a C major pentatonic scale, played exactly from octave to octave. Similarly, the analogous riff in the song that is played over the F chord is a perfect example of an F major pentatonic scale, also with notes ascending from octave to octave.

"My Girl" climbed to the top of the U.S. pop charts after its Christmas time 1964 release, making it the Temptations' first number-one hit. The single was also the first number-one hit on the reinstated Billboard R&B Singles chart, which had gone on a fifteen-month hiatus from 1963 to 1965. The success of this single launched a series of Ruffin-led hits, including "It's Growing" (1965), "Since I Lost My Baby" (1965), "My Baby" (1965), "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" (1966), "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" (1966), "(I Know) I'm Losing You" (1966), "All I Need" (1967), "(Loneliness Made Me Realize) It's You That I Need" (1967), "I Wish It Would Rain" (1967), and "I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)" (1968). The former background figure quickly became the group's main (and, excepting irregular leads by Kendricks and Williams, only) lead singer by the end of 1965. After many Ruffin-led hits, he started to develop a large ego. He was later fired from the group.  In 2004, "My Girl" was ranked number 88 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time

Make It Happen" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. Written and produced by Carey and C+C Music Factory's David Cole and Robert Clivillés, it was released on April 4, 1992, by Columbia Records as the third single from her second studio album, Emotions (1991). Following its commercial release as a single, "Make It Happen" was the subject of a US$500,000 copyright infringement lawsuit. The pop-, R&B-, and dance-influenced track incorporates traces of gospel in its bridge and crescendo. Described by author Chris Nickson as Carey's most personal and inspirational song (up until "Hero"), it tells of her personal struggles prior to her rise to fame, and how her faith in God helped sustain her.

The song was praised by music critics, many of whom applauded Carey's incorporation of several musical genres, as well as the song's personalized lyrical content. Aside from its critical acceptance, "Make It Happen" was successful in the United States, but charted weakly internationally compared to her previous singles. It peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and finished at number 42 on Billboard's Year-End Chart. The song reached number 7 in Canada and the top 40 in the United Kingdom and Australia, but did not reach the top 50 in the Netherlands and Germany.

The song's music video was filmed in a cathedral-like church. A benefit event inside, titled "Save Our Church", features Carey as the main performer, leading a choir in song as she sings to the constant cheering and applause of the crowd. Aside from the video's message of prayer and religion, the video features men and women of different backgrounds. Carey included the song on the set lists of all of her concert tours throughout her career, and the track was included on her compilation albums Greatest Hits (2001) and Playlist: The Very Best of Mariah Carey (2010).

Tommy James and the Shondells are an American rock and roll group whose period of greatest success came in the late 1960s. They had two No. 1 singles in the U.S. — "Hanky Panky" (1966) and "Crimson and Clover" (1969) — and also charted twelve other Top 40 hits, including five in the top ten: "I Think We're Alone Now", "Mirage", "Mony Mony", "Sweet Cherry Wine", and "Crystal Blue Persuasion".

The band formed in 1959 in Niles, Michigan, first as the Echoes, then under the name Tom and the Tornadoes, with Tommy James (then known as Tommy Jackson), then only 12, as lead singer. In 1964 James renamed the band The Shondells because the name "sounded good." At this time, the Shondells were composed of Tommy James (vocals and guitar), Larry Coverdale (lead guitar), Larry Wright (bass), Craig Villeneuve (keyboards) and Jim Payne (drums). Later that year, the band recorded the Jeff Barry/Ellie Greenwich song "Hanky Panky" (originally a B-side by The Raindrops). Released by a local label, Snap Records, James's version sold respectably in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois, but Snap Records had no national distribution.  The single failed to chart nationally, and The Shondells disbanded in 1965 after graduating from high school.   Meanwhile in 1965 Pittsburgh dance promoter Bob Mack unearthed the forgotten single, playing it at various dance parties, and radio stations there touted it as an "exclusive". Listener response encouraged regular play, and demand soared. Bootleggers responded by printing up 80,000 black market copies of the recording, which were sold in Pennsylvania stores.   James went to New York City, where he sold the master of "Hanky Panky" to Roulette Records, at which time he changed his last name to James. With national promotion, the single became a No. 1 hit in July 1966. Before long, Kessler and Pietropaoli were forced to leave after a dispute when planned monies were not paid to them by Roulette. They were replaced by Eddie Gray and Peter Lucia; Magura departed as well.

Sentimental Journey is the debut solo album by former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, released in 1970, as the band was splintering apart. Although Starr was the third member of the group to issue solo work (after George Harrison and John Lennon), Sentimental Journey is notable for being the first non-avant-garde studio album by a member of the band, in light of the experimental, soundtrack or live releases his aforementioned bandmates had already released. Paul McCartney's debut, McCartney, would follow three weeks after Sentimental Journey's release.

Sentimental Journey received fair reviews upon its release, although many critics found the idea of Starr covering standards a bit odd considering his musical background. His fame in the Beatles was all that was required, however, to get it all the way to #7 in the UK - with no single release to promote it - and #22 in the US. Although the style of the album took many by surprise, Starr's swift follow-up, Beaucoups of Blues, would be just as radical a stylistic shift.   The pub on the cover of the album is The Empress in Dingle, Liverpool, which is one of the nearest pubs to Ringo's place of birth. The superimposed figures in the windows of the pub are Ringo's relatives.

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" is a song credited to Lennon–McCartney, but written by Paul McCartney and released by The Beatles on their 1968 album The Beatles (also referred to as The White Album). It was released as a single that same year in many countries, but not in the United Kingdom, nor in the United States until 1976.

Paul McCartney wrote the song around the time that highlife and reggae were beginning to become popular in Britain. The tag line "ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on, bra" was an expression used by Nigerian conga player Jimmy Scott-Emuakpor, an acquaintance of McCartney.  The song is in the key of B flat and written in 4/4. The alternative version on Anthology 3 is in the key of A major

During May 1968, The Beatles gathered at George Harrison's Esher home, in Surrey, to record demos for their upcoming project. "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" was one of the twenty-seven demos recorded there. Paul performed this demo solo, with only an acoustic guitar. He had also double-tracked his vocal, which was not perfectly synchronised, creating an echoing effect.

World Where You Live" is a 1986 song by rock group Crowded House. It was the second single from the group's debut album Crowded House. Though it was the second single, "World Where You Live" was the first internationally released single, as the first single "Mean To Me" was only released in Australia. It was released a month after the album Crowded House was released.

The song later appeared on Crowded House's greatest hits compilation Recurring Dream and was performed at the group's farewell concert Farewell to the World.

Stop and Smell the Roses is the eighth studio album by Ringo Starr, released in 1981 following the twin commercial disasters of Ringo the 4th (1977) and Bad Boy (1978).

After meeting soon-to-be second wife Barbara Bach on the film set of Caveman in early 1980, Starr contacted Paul McCartney to initiate some sessions. With Wings then in limbo and McCartney II just released, McCartney booked time with Starr from 11–21 July in France to record three songs: "Private Property" and "Attention" (both McCartney originals) plus a cover of "Sure To Fall".

Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" is a song written by John Lennon and Yoko Ono and released in 1971 as a single by John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir.

The song reached number 4 on the UK Singles Chart (where release was delayed until 1972). Ostensibly a protest song about the Vietnam War, it has become a Christmas standard, appearing on several Christmas albums, and was voted the ninth favourite Christmas song in a poll by music channel VH1. The song was re-released in the UK on 20 December 1980, shortly after Lennon's murder on 8 December, and peaked at number 2 in the chart battle for the Christmas number one.

The lyric is based on a campaign in late 1969 by Lennon and Ono, who rented billboards and posters in eleven major cities around the world that read: "WAR IS OVER! (If You Want It) Happy Christmas from John and Yoko". In 1971, the United States was deeply entrenched in the unpopular Vietnam War. The line "War is over, if you want it, war is over, now!", as sung by the background vocals, was taken directly from the billboards.  The melody and chord structure are from the folk standard "Stewball", about a race-horse. Lennon and Ono added the key changes (shifting back and forth between A and D) and the "War is over" counter-melody.

It was recorded at Record Plant Studios in New York City in late October 1971, with the help of producer Phil Spector. It features heavily echoed vocals and backing vocals from children of the Harlem Community Choir.    The recording starts with spoken Christmas greetings from Ono and Lennon to their children: Ono whispers "Happy Christmas, Kyoko", then Lennon whispers "Happy Christmas, Julian". The lyric sheet from the 1982 album The John Lennon Collection erroneously gives this introduction as "Happy Christmas, Yoko. Happy Christmas, John".

Go On... was the third album by American pop band Mr. Mister. It was released in 1987, and featured a more serious tone than their previous album Welcome to the Real World, which was commercially successful. This album did not fare as well commercially and would become the last publicly released album by the band before they broke up in 1989.

In their retrospective review, Allmusic contended that Go On... retained the same themes, stylistics, and quality of work as their previous releases, and "The only significant change was in record sales." They particularly praised the album's lyrics, commenting, "during the height of the materialistic '80s, Go On was an example of a band using its pop culture bully pulpit to suggest that the "greed is good" philosophy was leaving a spiritual vacuum in American culture

Virenia Gwendolyn "Nia" Peeples (born December 10, 1961) is an American R&B and dance music singer and actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as Nicole Chapman on Fame. She is also known for her role as Karen Taylor Winters on The Young and the Restless and as Sydney Cooke on Walker, Texas Ranger.

Peeples was born in Hollywood, California, the daughter of Elizabeth Joan (née Rubic), a flamenco dancer, and Robert Eugene Peeples. She was raised in West Covina. Her maternal grandparents were immigrants from the Philippines, and were of Filipino, Spanish, French, and German descent. Her father, who was originally from Mississippi, was of Scottish, Irish, English, Native American, and Italian ancestry.

In 1988 she hit #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart with "Trouble," which climbed to #35 on the Hot 100. Her most successful pop single is "Street Of Dreams," which hit #12 on the Hot 100 in 1991.

She made a music video in 1986 of "All You Can Dream", directed by Alan Bloom and conceptualised by Keith Williams, for the purposes of promoting the values of UCLA. She appeared in Prince's video for Raspberry Beret.

Paul Mauriat (4 March 1925 – 3 November 2006) was a French orchestra leader, conductor of Le Grand Orchestre de Paul Mauriat, who specialized in the easy listening genre. He is best known in the United States for his million selling remake of André Popp's "Love is Blue", which was #1 for 5 weeks in 1968. Other recordings for which he is known include El Bimbo, "Toccata" and "Penelope."   During World War II, Mauriat started his own dance band and toured concert halls throughout Europe. In the 1950s he became musical director to at least two well-known French singers, Charles Aznavour and Maurice Chevalier, touring with them respectively   

Red Rose Speedway is the second album by Paul McCartney & Wings, released in 1973 after the relatively weak commercial performance of the band's debut Wild Life, which had been credited only to the then-unknown Wings. The album reached number 1 on the Billboard 200. As of 2012, the album is currently available on the iTunes store but out of print in the compact disc format.

In early 1972, McCartney decided to expand Wings to a five-piece band, by adding an additional guitarist, and to begin touring with the group. The group spent many months on the road across Europe, beginning with a tour of British universities, and continuing in the summer in bigger European venues - where Paul and wife Linda McCartney would encounter their first of several marijuana busts over the ensuing years. Both tours were bookended by Red Rose Speedway's long string of studio sessions, which started that March in Los Angeles and finished in London that October.

Despite not releasing an album in 1972, the first year of his professional career that McCartney had failed to do so, Wings managed to release three singles: "Give Ireland Back to the Irish" which was banned by the BBC for political reasons; an updated rendition of the nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb;" and "Hi, Hi, Hi" which was banned by the BBC for drug references (McCartney explains this on the commentary portion of the video on the "McCartney Years" DVD)and backed with "C Moon" on the b-side. Consistent with the practice of the early Beatles, none of those songs were included on the album.

Rick Wakeman's Criminal Record is the seventh studio album by English progressive rock keyboardist Rick Wakeman. Released in 1977, the album is a loosely-based concept album on criminality. Wakeman intended the record to be similar to his first conceptual release, The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1973), but it did not turn out as he wished.

The album is entirely instrumental, with the exception being "The Breathalyser" in which Bill Oddie, one third of the comedy trio The Goodies, provides vocals. The record features Chris Squire and Alan White of Yes fame, on bass guitar and drums respectively. From a musical perspective, the reflect the title of the track, similar to Six Wives.

In 2006, Hip-O Select released a limited, numbered edition (5000 copies) compact disc, the first CD issue of the album ever available outside of Japan

More Hot Rocks (Big Hits & Fazed Cookies) is the second compilation album of Rolling Stones music released by former manager Allen Klein's ABKCO Records (who usurped control of the band's Decca/London material in 1970) after the band's departure from Decca and Klein. Released in late 1972 as the follow-up to the hugely successful Hot Rocks 1964–1971, it was another success for Klein and ABKCO.

Seduction was a female dance-pop, urban contemporary, house, and freestyle trio from New York assembled and produced by Robert Clivillés and David Cole (later of C+C Music Factory), consisting of members April Harris (born March 25, 1967), Michelle Visage (September 20, 1968), and Idalis DeLeon (born June 15, 1966).   Originally intended as a studio project, and prior to any assemblage of the aforementioned trio, the first track produced, "Seduction" (later renamed "Seduction's Theme"), featured vocals by Carol Cooper, and was released to dance clubs. Against its producers' expectations, it ended up becoming a hit. Envisioning a potential hit phenomenon, Cole and Clivillés set to the task of assembling a group of girls who displayed talent, sex appeal, and multiformat potential. Visage, DeLeon and Harris were chosen and assembled for the recording of the album Nothing Matters Without Love and subsequent singles. Their biggest hit came in early 1990 with "Two to Make It Right", a No. 2 pop hit. In mid-1990 DeLeon left the group and was replaced by Sinoa Loren (born December 6, 1966). After a pair of hits with this line-up, the group disbanded in 1991.

Fish Out of Water is the first solo album by English bass guitarist Chris Squire, released in 1975 on Atlantic Records. It was released during a period of inactivity from his progressive rock band Yes. Bill Bruford and Patrick Moraz of Yes contribute to the record, while Squire employs his signature bass skills as well as 12-string guitars and vocals. Also on the album are Mel Collins on saxophone and Squire's friend Andrew Pryce Jackman on piano. The album is in the same vein as the Yes album of the previous year, Relayer, though the sound is more fleshed out with the help of a full orchestra and the jazz context of "Lucky Seven". It was a moderate success, reaching number 25 on the UK Albums Chart.

Andrew Jackman, Squire's former bandmate in The Syn, partnered with Squire in arranging and conceptualizing the album. Over the course of sketching out the album, he ended up making some compositional contributions. Because of this, Squire offered to give him some co-writing credits, but Jackman declined.   Squire's staple thematic oratorios appear on this album. First, "Fish" (his nickname) appears in the title (being "...Out of Water" referring to being out of the usual Yes oeuvre); second, the number seven, manifested as the seven-minute, 7/8 time signature piece "Lucky Seven". The song's title was drawn from it being in this time signature. Musically, a melodic passage from Yes' song "Close to the Edge" re-appears in the finale of "Safe".

The first track begins with a short fanfare style introduction played on the organ at St. Paul's Cathedral, London by the cathedral organist Barry Rose. The organ continues throughout the song creating an original sound and revealing Squire and Jackman's experience together as church choristers in their boyhood.

Janet Mead (born 1938, Adelaide, South Australia) is a Roman Catholic nun and is best known for recording a rock version of "The Lord's Prayer". The surprise hit reached #3 on the Australian Singles Chart (Kent Music Report) in 1974 and #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in that same year. The single earned her a Grammy Award nomination and Golden Gospel Award  in 2004.   Mead became the second woman to have a top 10 single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart while serving as a nun. Sister Luc-Gabrielle, also known as Sœur Sourire and The Singing Nun, had a #1 pop hit in 1963 with "Dominique."

Mead formed a rock band simply called The Rock Band when she was 17 to provide music for the weekly mass at her local church. She studied piano at the Adelaide Conservatorium before joining the Sisters of Mercy order and became a music teacher at two local Catholic schools. She began to explore the "rock mass" concept in the early 1970s, desiring to make the Catholic mass more interesting and accessible for her students. This led to a successful series of "rock masses" that she conducted at Adelaide Cathedral.  Festival asked her to record a cover of the Donovan song "Brother Sun, Sister Moon" which had been written for the soundtrack of the Franco Zeffirelli film of the same name, but Martin Erdman wanted to record a rock arrangement of "The Lord's Prayer" to serve as the B-side, and so a one-hit wonder was born. The single became the first Australian recording to sell over one million copies in the U.S.A., earning a Gold Award for Sister Janet and Martin Erdman. Sister Janet donated her share of the royalties to charity while Festival Records used their portion of the proceeds to refit one of their studios.  The phenomenal success of the single led to the recording of an album. It was With You I Am, which hit #19 in July 1974. Her second album, A Rock Mass, was a complete recording of one of her now famous rock masses. Sister Janet slipped onto the U.S. charts once more with the follow-up single "Take My Hand", but never approached the immense success of her debut