Chicago "Just You 'n Me"

A fight with his girlfriend led Chicago trombonist James Pankow to stand outside their bathroom door while she stood on the other side of the locked door. Pankow used the incident as inspiration behind "Just You 'n Me"-- a song he penned after the incident. Their lovers quarrel turned into a big hit for Pankow and Chicago in 1974 when the song went to the Top 10.

Todd Rundgren "Hello It's Me"

I feel like I share my name with so few people. I went to Ranker.com and looked over the list of famous people with the first name "Todd"and came up with this lengthy list of famous Todd's:

• Todd Barry (actor / voiceover artist)
• Todd Bridges (actor of Diff'rent Strokes fame)
• Todd Rundgren (singer and songwriter responsible for "Hello It's Me", "Bang the Drum All Day" and "I Saw The Light")

Fun fact: Todd Rundgren wrote the original soundtrack for Dumb & Dumber.

The Eagles "Tequila Sunrise"

On my Christmas to-buy list was a particularly hard-to-find wine I eventually located through Wine.com. After placing my order, the bottles were delivered promptly on the following Tuesday except—problem! I didn't receive them. On Wednesday, a woman phoned to inform me that when she opened her Wine.com order, she found my order was within hers. Knowing that it was a couple days before Christmas, she made the bold decision to personally locate me. She said she found my work address on the sales receipt, and called me. She informed me that she worked nearby and suggested we meet up and she'd bring the bottles to me. “You probably need these for Christmas,” she said, “And it would take far longer for UPS to get these to you than it would be for me.” I was blown away at how thoughtful and considerate this complete stranger was. We met the following afternoon (in a public place), and my coveted wine made it under the Christmas tree before Santa arrived. This happened in 2011 and I'll never forget the kindness of a woman named Tricia B.


(Editor's note: The Eagles apparently scrubbed YouTube of "Tequila Sunrise", so enjoy the video on learning to play the song)

Billy Joel "Piano Man"

After slipping into a taxi outside of an all-inclusive resort in Cancun, the cab driver peered into his rear view mirror and noticed me and the handful of fellow Americans. He quickly grabbed a compact disc and slid it into his player. Moments later, the Eagles "Hotel California" came blaring out of his crackly speakers. With Don Henley and company introducing us to the place you can check out but never leave, the driver continued his drive into the bustling downtown area. Similar to cabs in America, he didn't run the air conditioning during this hot and humid March night -- is this some sort of universal rule among cab drivers? Other songs we heard on his CD included "Brown Eyed Girl" and "Piano Man". My guess is the driver had a special "gringo mix" of popular sing-along tunes for whenever he chauffeurs American tourists. I could also be wrong, but I don't think I am...

Elton John "Crocodile Rock"

If you're planning to see Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, a good time to escape for a cocktail or a bathroom break is during the song "Crocodile Rock". While the song was a huge hit in 1973 -- becoming Elton's first #1 US hit and continues to be be part of his concert setlists, Elton himself called it a song he wouldn't listen to and he's right. The song is my least favorite.

Aretha Franklin "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)"

Getting fired actually helped open my ears to all kinds of vintage soul music. What? Yeah, it happened at the end of 2004 as WNND-FM in Chicago switched formats from an '80s & '90s hybrid to "Love-FM". Out went John Mellencamp, Duran Duran and Rod Stewart and in came songs from Stevie Wonder, Al Green, and Aretha Franklin. As my role of morning show producer was eliminated, I spent the next six months as the station's board operator until the new jocks joined Love-FM. While I already knew of Stevie, Al and Aretha, this transition exposed me to "deeper cuts" like "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" from the late-Aretha Franklin. The heartbreaking ballad was co-written and originally performed by Stevie Wonder.

Stevie Wonder "You Are the Sunshine of My Life"

Stevie Wonder gets all the credit for "You Are the Sunshine of My Life", yet his voice is actually the third you hear in the love song. Jim Gilstrap sings the first two lines of the song followed by Lani Groves on the next two. Then, around 45 seconds into the song (which is barely three minutes in length), we finally hear from Stevie. The song soared to #1 on the Hot 100 and Easy Listening/Adult Contemporary Charts in 1973.

Hall & Oates "She's Gone"

What happens when your girlfriend stands you up on New Year's Eve? You arrive at the lyrics to "She's Gone". It happened to John Oates, and the New Year's Eve-that-never-was turned heartache into one of the duo's favorite songs. Originally released in 1973, the ballad received next to no attention outside the duo's hometown of Philadelphia. Upon re-release in 1976 (after the success of "Sara Smile"), the song went to #7 on the Hot 100 and #6 on the Adult Contemporary Charts.

Dolly Parton - "Jolene"

Some fun facts about Dolly Parton's signature tune "Jolene":

• Released in 1973, the song details Dolly's fear that an attractive bank clerk was trying to woo away her husband
• Much like Barry Manilow inspired a generation of girls named Mandy, Dolly did the same thing with "Jolene"
• Miley Cyrus (who is Parton's goddaughter) is one of the many artists to remake the song
• Dolly's original version was nominated for two Grammys in 1974, but she did not win either
• "Jolene" earned Dolly a Grammy 44 years after its original release thanks to her backing up the group Pentatonix in a remake of the tune
• Several artists penned songs in response to "Jolene" including Kirstie MacColl's "Caroline" and Jennifer Nettles' "That Girl"

Gladys Knight & The Pips - "Midnight Train to Georgia"

PLANES, TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES:
Gladys Knight's signature tune wasn't supposed to be about a midnight train.  Originally titled "Midnight Plane to Houston" and written for Cissy Houston, Gladys took the reworked song to #1 in 1973.  It parked there for two weeks before being bumped out of the top spot by Eddie Kendricks' "Keep on Truckin".

Tony Orlando & Dawn - "Who's in the Strawberry Patch With Sally?"

Not only is "Who's in the Strawberry Patch With Sally" an actual song, but it was a hit song -- it landed at #3 on the Adult Contemporary Chart in 1973.  Wow.

Bob Seger - "Turn the Page"

Good Riddance 2016.

Al Wilson - "Show And Tell"

Move over Johnny Mathis -- Al Wilson took your song, "Show And Tell", to #1 in 1973.

King Harvest - "Dancing in the Moonlight"

A fine example of a song that you know all the words, but have no idea who sings the tune.  "Dancing in the Moonlight" was sung by King Harvest.  Now you know.