I must say, as much fun as it was making up a list, it was equally as fun reading everyone else's. I went back and re-read this thread and noticed the original poster asked specifically for standards, not soft AC. When you look through the various songs mentioned, it's easy to see there's a fine line between the two, and people have different definitions for a standard.
A couple years ago there was an interesting discussion right here on this board about what constitutes a standard... age, staying power... probably a combination of the two. I think the industry today has lumped all easy listening music as adult standards. Not that that's necessarily wrong, but, to me, the term 'adult standards' tends to denote something very old with a certain stodginess attached to it. Who knows... maybe that's part of the problem facing this format. I wouldn't even use 'adult' which pigeonholes the audience, and when I hear 'soft AC' or 'soft or light rock,' I think of the boring, sappy stuff from the '70s I grew up with (and now sick of).
That's why I would prefer using a phrase like 'vintage.' It's something "of enduring interest." Like a fine wine... never goes out of style. So many of the songs listed on this thread are certainly ones I don't remember from my youth. I've just discovered them and they appeal to me.
Here's some more...
"The Very Thought Of You" I think the definitive version is Nat King Cole's.
"My Coloring Book" Sandy Stewart or Kitty Kallen
"A Certain Smile" Johnny Mathis
"Return To Me" Dean Martin
"Broken Hearted Melody" Sarah Vaughan
"Everybody Loves A Lover" Doris Day
"Wake The Town & Tell The People" Les Baxter
"That's All I Want From You" Jaye P Morgan
"He," "Unchained Melody" Al Hibbler
"Portrait Of My Love," "Footsteps" Steve Lawrence
"Blame It On The Bossa Nova" Eydie Gorme
"Cotton Candy," "Al's Place" Al Hirt
"All Alone Am I," "Johnny One Time" Brenda Lee
"Only Love Can Break A Heart" Gene Pitney
"There I've Said It Again" Bobby Vinton
"Beyond The Sea" Bobby Darin
"A Fool Never Learns," "Can't Get Used To Losing You" Andy Williams
"Telstar" Tornadoes (probably too rockish for this format)
"The Lonely Bull," "A Banda," "Casino Royale" Herb Alpert/Tijuana Brass
Remember "At Last" by Etta James? It was featured in a '90s Cadillac commercial. I surely never heard it before. Now it's one of my favorites and, thanks to this format, found a new popularity.
Anyone remember "Kites Are Fun" by Free Design? Definitely not a standard and not even a chart hit. But I remember hearing it on MOR radio in the late '60s.
A couple years ago there was an interesting discussion right here on this board about what constitutes a standard... age, staying power... probably a combination of the two. I think the industry today has lumped all easy listening music as adult standards. Not that that's necessarily wrong, but, to me, the term 'adult standards' tends to denote something very old with a certain stodginess attached to it. Who knows... maybe that's part of the problem facing this format. I wouldn't even use 'adult' which pigeonholes the audience, and when I hear 'soft AC' or 'soft or light rock,' I think of the boring, sappy stuff from the '70s I grew up with (and now sick of).
That's why I would prefer using a phrase like 'vintage.' It's something "of enduring interest." Like a fine wine... never goes out of style. So many of the songs listed on this thread are certainly ones I don't remember from my youth. I've just discovered them and they appeal to me.
Here's some more...
"The Very Thought Of You" I think the definitive version is Nat King Cole's.
"My Coloring Book" Sandy Stewart or Kitty Kallen
"A Certain Smile" Johnny Mathis
"Return To Me" Dean Martin
"Broken Hearted Melody" Sarah Vaughan
"Everybody Loves A Lover" Doris Day
"Wake The Town & Tell The People" Les Baxter
"That's All I Want From You" Jaye P Morgan
"He," "Unchained Melody" Al Hibbler
"Portrait Of My Love," "Footsteps" Steve Lawrence
"Blame It On The Bossa Nova" Eydie Gorme
"Cotton Candy," "Al's Place" Al Hirt
"All Alone Am I," "Johnny One Time" Brenda Lee
"Only Love Can Break A Heart" Gene Pitney
"There I've Said It Again" Bobby Vinton
"Beyond The Sea" Bobby Darin
"A Fool Never Learns," "Can't Get Used To Losing You" Andy Williams
"Telstar" Tornadoes (probably too rockish for this format)
"The Lonely Bull," "A Banda," "Casino Royale" Herb Alpert/Tijuana Brass
Remember "At Last" by Etta James? It was featured in a '90s Cadillac commercial. I surely never heard it before. Now it's one of my favorites and, thanks to this format, found a new popularity.
Anyone remember "Kites Are Fun" by Free Design? Definitely not a standard and not even a chart hit. But I remember hearing it on MOR radio in the late '60s.