Steve Winwood "Valerie"

If cats get nine lives, "Valerie" is on her fourth life. Originally released to general yawns in 1982, Steve Winwood remixed the song in 1987 and included it on his Chronicles album. The result: a Top 10 hit on the Hot 100 (#2 on the Adult Contemporary Chart). In 2004, Swedish DJ Eric Prydz remixed the song once again and released his version titled "Call on Me". Not to be outdone, Chris Brown then sampled "Call on Me" in his 2009 release "Pass Out".

Steve Winwood "One and Only Man"

Steve Winwood reunited with his former buddy from Traffic, Jim Capaldi, for "One and Only Man" in 1990. Winwood sang and jammed on the keys of his Hammond organ while Capaldi played drums on the uptempo deep cut that the duo co-wrote.

Foreigner "Say You Will"

Mick Jones founded Foreigner in the late-1970s and went nine months without a lead singer. Jones interviewed over 50 singers in his search for a lead singer with a soulful Steve Winwood-like sound without any luck. One day, after hearing Lou Gramm's voice on an album for the band Black Sheep, Jones said he knew immediately that he found the voice of Foreigner.

Steve Winwood "Higher Love"

Credit "Higher Love" as Steve Winwood's first #1 song. It sat atop the Billboard Hot 100 during the summer of 1986 for exactly seven days. The lengthy tune feautured background vocals from Chicagoan Chaka Khan. Most recently, Winwood's daughter Lilly toured with her dad and sang Chaka's vocals during his 2018 Greatest Hits Live Tour.

Steve Winwood "While You See A Chance"

I owe my career in radio to the first person who gave me a chance. As a young 18 year-old bumpkin from Indiana, I talked my way into an internship at the former WPNT-FM in Chicago during the fall of 1995. My boss, Lynne, held down the midday shift (10a-2pm) as well as duties as the station's Music Director. On my first day on the job when Lynne was just about to put on her headphones to go on the air, she turned to me and said, "And, by the way, I don't date the men I work with.". After a few weeks into my internship, I first heard the alleged stories about Lynne's fascination with boy scouts. Being the naive youngster, I assumed this meant that she volunteered her free time with The Boy Scouts of America (!)--but, no, the rumor was that she (who was 39 when I first started working with her) enjoyed the company of younger men. Specifically, she seemed to date gentlemen in their late-20s and early-30s. However, some around the station assumed I was her newest "boy scout", but I (naive to it all) just worked as hard as I could and tried to stay out of everyone's way. Eventually, I worked my way onto the staff as a board operator and later a weekend on-air talent whereas Lynne was fired as part of a format flip in 1997. A few years later, Lynne passed away and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't still think of her and all she did for me and my career.

Steve Winwood - "The Finer Things"

Adult Contemporary radio played Steve Winwood's "The Finer Things" like it was their job (in a way, it was).  The synth-heavy song topped the Adult Contemporary Chart in 1987.

Christine McVie - "Got A Hold on Me"

Fleetwood Mac's Christine McVie got some help from Steve Winwood (keyboards) and Lindsey Buckingham (guitar) for her solo effort "Got A Hold on Me".  The song managed to top both the Adult Contemporary Chart and Rock Chart in 1984.

Jim Capaldi - "That's Love"

Steve Winwood's paws are all over Jim Capaldi's "That's Love". This 1983 soft rock ditty featured Winwood playing synthesizer and providing backup vocals (along with his wife, Nicole). Capaldi and Winwood once played together in rock band Traffic. 

Kenny Loggins - "Forever"

Super-producer David Foster played keyboards with Steve Winwood on Kenny Loggins' mega-ballad "Forever".

Steve Winwood - "Holding On"

Steve Winwood loves his Hammond organ.  It's almost as prominent as Winwood himself in his 1988 Roll With It album.  "Holding On" was Winwood's last #1 hit on the Adult Contemporary Chart.

Steve Winwood - "Roll With It"

Steve Winwood songs can sometimes drag on like mass on Christmas Eve.  "Roll With It" clocks in at just over five and a half minutes and could easily be shortened to about three and a half.  Then again, how often do you get to hear lots of brass coupled with a Hammond organ and a catchy hook?  I say turn up the damn Winwood and quit your complaining.

Steve Winwood - "Don't You Know What The Night Can Do?"

Please don't misunderstand me...I really like Steve Winwood's music.  I do.  That being said, every song he produced during the 1980s is about three minutes too long (see: "Higher Love", "While You See A Chance", and "Roll With It").  In the case of "Don't You Know What The Night Can Do", Steve finds a groove and then repeats it over and over and over.  Is it possible that his contact contained a clause where they paid him by the length of each song?

Sting - "Fields of Gold"

Like Steve Winwood, Sting has rock 'n roll in his blood.  Then, something happened and he mellowed.  For Sting, his years of singing "De Do Do Do De Da Da Da" with The Police led to solo efforts including "Fields of Gold."  The Adult Contemporary stations ate up "Fields of Gold" like it was, well, gold.  My clock radio during my junior year of high school woke me (what seemed like) every morning with this song...making me want to stay in bed.  

Steve Winwood - "Back in the High Life Again"

Steve Winwood is a proud member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame thanks to an illustrious career encompassing decades of creating and performing great songs. "Back in the High Life Again" is not one of them. The song is the equivalent of seeing former teen idol Mario Lopez host "Pet Star" on Animal Planet. "Back in the High Life Again" repeats itself for nearly six minutes in a way that almost seems to beg for you to shut it off. All that aside, AC radio stations have continued to play this song in high rotation ever since its release in 1986. One would think that Miller High Life would have featured this song in an ad campaign by now, but no dice.