Classic Tracks

Sinéad O’Connor ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’

Recording Sinéad O’Connor’s breakthrough hit was easy in some ways, but difficult in others — for example, all compression was forbidden...

Petula Clark ‘Downtown’

Classic Tracks

The single ‘Downtown’ gave Petula Clark a worldwide hit and rejuvenated her career. Presiding over the session was engineer Ray Prickett, who tells us how it happened...

The Buggles 'Video Killed The Radio Star'

Classic Tracks

The Buggles' JG Ballard-inspired 'Video Killed The Radio Star' hit the number one spot in no fewer than 16 different countries, and confirmed Trevor Horn in his career as a producer in the process.

The Specials ‘Ghost Town’

Classic Tracks

The haunting dub of ‘Ghost Town’ perfectly captured the mood of its time, and spent three weeks at the top of the British charts during the turbulent summer of 1981.

Elton John: 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'

Classic Tracks

Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road has proved to be one of his most popular and enduring works. The man at the controls, David Hentschel, tells us how it came to be.

John Cougar: 'Jack & Diane'

Classic Tracks

But for the timely intervention of Mick Ronson, John Cougar’s celebrated portrait of small-town American life might never have existed at all, let alone topped the Billboard Hot 100.

The Orb: ‘Little Fluffy Clouds’

Classic Tracks

Dr Alex Paterson tells us how the Orb’s cavalier sampling and devil‑may‑care attitude towards copyright took ambient house from the chill‑out room to the top of the charts.

Marvin Gaye 'What's Going On?'

Classic Tracks

As the ’60s came to a close, Marvin Gaye was forced to ask some serious questions about the world as he found it; the result was the sublimely soulful piece of social commentary, ‘What’s Going On’.

Jerry Lee Lewis: ‘Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On’

Classic Tracks

Jerry Lee Lewis’s raucous piano playing is the stuff of rock & roll legend, but his discovery and signing to Sun Records was the result of a series of lucky chances. Engineer Jack Clement tells us the story...

Metallica 'One' | Classic Tracks

Producer: Flemming Rasmussen • Engineer: Flemming Rasmussen

...And Justice For All marked a turning point for Metallica — one that would launch the cult band into the mainstream. The man at the controls, Flemming Rasmussen, tells us how it happened.

THE UNDERTONES: 'Teenage Kicks'

Classic Tracks

'Teenage Kicks' was the punk-pop gem that, with a little help from John Peel, kick-started the Undertones' career.

A-ha 'Take On Me' | Classic Tracks

Producer: Alan Tarney • Engineer: Gerry Kitchingham

'Take On Me' was a huge hit, but its birth was a difficult one, taking three years, three versions and a pioneering video to finally give A-ha their first chart success.

Green Day: 'Basket Case' | Classic Tracks

Producers: Green Day, Rob Cavallo • Engineers: Neill King, Jerry Finn

'Do you have the time to listen to me whine?' asked Green Day in the opening lines of their song 'Basket Case'. For 16 million people, the answer was apparently 'yes'...

Elvis Costello & The Attractions 'Oliver's Army' | Classic Tracks

Producer: Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello • Engineer: Roger Bechirian

A song named for Christmas-cancelling regicide Oliver Cromwell may seem like an unlikely hit, but the infectious ebullience of 'Oliver's Army' provided Elvis Costello with his biggest-selling single...

Pet Shop Boys 'It's A Sin' | Classic Tracks

Producer: Julian Mendelsohn • Engineers: Julian Mendelsohn, Stephen Hague

Protests against Catholicism have taken many forms, Martin Luther nailing his objections to the cathedral door, but the Pet Shop Boys chose to make theirs in disco...

Talking Heads ‘Road To Nowhere’ | Classic Tracks

Producer: Talking Heads • Engineer: Eric Thorngren

As the first issue of SOS hit the shops in October 1985, Talking Heads were already climbing towards their highest UK chart position. The song was ‘Road To Nowhere’. Engineer Eric Thorngren tells the story of its recording.

The Eagles ‘Hotel California’ | Classic Tracks

Producer: Bill Szymczyk

1977's Hotel California saw The Eagles abandon their country origins in favour of full-blown rock & roll, and made them one of the biggest-selling groups in the world. Producer Bill Szymczyk tells SOS how it happened.

Crosby, Stills & Nash ‘Suite: Judy Blue Eyes’ | Classic Tracks

Producers: David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash • Engineer: Bill Halverson

As the ’60s drew to a close, David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash came together to form a new group, the unique sound of which was perfectly demonstrated by their first recording, ‘Suite: Judy Blue Eyes’.

Human League ‘Don’t You Want Me’ | Classic Tracks

Producer: Martin Rushent • Engineer: Martin Rushent

When producer Martin Rushent took the Human League’s leaden new song and turned it into pop gold, the band hated it — but that didn’t stop it from being a number one hit on both sides of the Atlantic...

Tommy James & The Shondells ‘Crimson & Clover’ | Classic Tracks

Producer: Tommy James • Engineer: Bruce Staple

In 1968, Tommy James made a dramatic stylistic turnaround, swapping bubblegum pop for full-blown psychedelic rock. The result was the superlative single ‘Crimson & Clover’.

Bob Dylan ‘Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands’ | Classic Tracks

Producer: Bob Johnston

It took a while for Bob Dylan to hit his stride on his seventh studio album, but once he did there was no stopping him. Producer Bob Johnston recalls the difficult birth of Blonde On Blonde.

Miles Davis ‘Round Midnight’ | Classic Tracks

Producer: George Avakian • Engineer: Frank Laico

In 1956, Miles Davis was at Columbia Studios to record an album with the musicians who subsequently became known as his ‘First Great Quintet’. Engineer Frank Laico was at the controls...

Bruce Springsteen ‘Born In The USA’ | Classic Tracks

Producers: Jon Landau, Chuck Plotkin, Bruce Springsteen, Steve Van Zandt • Engineers: Toby Scott, Bob Clearmountain

Seven top 10 singles isn’t bad going for a career, let alone one album, yet that’s precisely what Bruce Springsteen achieved with his smash hit 1984 LP, Born In The USA. This is the story of how it was made...

Joan Jett ‘I Love Rock & Roll’ | Classic Tracks

Producers: Ritchie Cordell, Kenny Laguna, Glen Kolotkin • Engineer: Glen Kolotkin

Joan Jett’s heartfelt reworking of the Arrows’ ‘I Love Rock & Roll’ became an international hit in 1982 and turned her career around. Glen Kolotkin tells us how it happened.

New York Dolls ‘Personality Crisis’ | Classic Tracks

Producer: Todd Rundgren • Engineer: Jack Douglas

The fact that they achieved little commercial success didn’t stop the New York Dolls from making one of the most influential albums in the history of pop music.

REM ‘Radio Free Europe’ | Classic Tracks

Producers: REM, Mitch Easter, Don Dixon

REM’s first single wasn’t just an embryonic form of the style and sound that would later make them so successful, it was also a gem of the American new wave. But it took a long time coming...

Donna Summer ‘I Feel Love’ | Classic Tracks

Producers: Giorgio Moroder, Pete Bellotte • Engineer: Juergen Koppers

The pioneering electronica of ‘I Feel Love’ didn’t just revolutionise disco, it changed dance music forever. This is the story of how it was made...

The Kinks ‘You Really Got Me’ | Classic Tracks

Producer & Engineer: Shel Talmy

There are very few records whose influence can be so strongly felt after 45 years as the Kinks’ ‘You Really Got Me’. At the controls was Shel Talmy, who tells us the story of a song that changed pop music.

Classic Tracks: The Moody Blues ‘Nights In White Satin’

Producer: Tony Clarke • Engineer: Derek Varnals

Thunderous reverbs, haunting vocals and Mellotron galore: we tell the story of recording the Moody Blues’ symphonic rock masterpiece, ‘Nights In White Satin’.

Classic Tracks: John Lennon ‘Whatever Gets You Thru The Night’

Producer: John Lennon • Engineers: Roy Cicala, Shelly Yakus

Engineer Roy Cicala worked on all of John Lennon’s albums from Imagine onwards, and in ‘Whatever Gets You Thru The Night’, recorded the only solo number one hit single of Lennon’s lifetime.

Classic Tracks: Van Morrison ‘Moondance’

Producer: Van Morrison • Engineers: Shelly Yakus, Elliot Scheiner

On his second solo album, Van Morrison took the production reins for the first time. Manning the desk was engineer Shelly Yakus, who tells the story of recording Moondance.

Classic Tracks: Heavy Zebra ‘Karla’

Producer: Heavy Zebra • Engineer: Kevin Byrne

Blighted by drug abuse and mental illness, Heavy Zebra never fulfilled their early promise. Nevertheless, the deranged majesty of their 1972 single ‘Karla’ makes it a bona fide classic track.

Classic Tracks: The Flamingos ‘I Only Have Eyes For You’

Producers: George Goldner, Terry Johnson • Engineer: Allen Weintraub

This is the story of how an inspired rearrangement of an old song created a track that, 50 years on, remains a genuine and enduring classic.

Classic Tracks: Rick Astley ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’

Producers: Stock, Aitken and Waterman

Producers Stock, Aitken and Waterman developed a massively successful formula for making pop records — and the story of Rick Astley’s 1987 smash hit, ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’, is a perfect guide to the SAW assembly line...

Status Quo: 'Rockin' All Over The World'

Classic Tracks

In 1977 Status Quo brought in producer Pip Williams to help them clean up their act. The result was a hit album and a best-selling single — 'Rockin' All Over The World'.

The Pogues 'Fairytale Of New York' | Classic Tracks

Producer: Steve Lillywhite • Engineers: Chris Dickie, Steve Lillywhite

A Christmas song was an unexpected move from a group like the Pogues, but the story of heartbreak and pain that is 'Fairytale Of New York' eventually became the band's biggest commercial success.

Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force: 'Planet Rock'

Classic Tracks | Producer: Arthur Baker

For mixing Kraftwerk's synthetic beats and simple melodies with New York rap, 'Planet Rock' and producer Arthur Baker can arguably be credited with creating an entirely new genre: hip-hop. This is how it happened...

Paul Simon 'You Can Call Me Al' | Classic Tracks

Producer: Paul Simon • Engineer: Roy Halee

Paul Simon's Graceland album combined a huge mixture of musical styles and was recorded in studios all over the world. The man responsible for putting it all together, both sonically and physically, was Simon's long-time engineer Roy Halee. This is how he did it...

DEVO 'Whip It' | Classic Tracks

Producers: Devo, Robert Margouleff • Engineers: Robert Margouleff, Howard Siegel

Armed with a subversive view of society and a command of catchy synth-pop, Devo burst into the charts in 1980 with weird classic 'Whip It'. Producer Robert Margouleff talks de-evolution...

Blondie 'Hanging On The Telephone' | Classic Tracks

Producer: Mike Chapman • Engineer: Peter Coleman

The partnership between Blondie and producer Mike Chapman created a perfect pop record - and catapulted the group from the underground to mainstream chart success.