Billboard: Gordon Lightfoot's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks
 

http://www.billboard.com/articles/co...best-hits-list

8/22/2017 by Chuck Dauphin

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Gordon Lightfoot
There are few careers in popular music any more versatile than that of Gordon Lightfoot. The native Canadian has enjoyed success in the worlds of pop, adult contemporary, and country -- with fans of all ages continuing to be enchanted by the singer’s unforgettable vocal approach.

At the heart of Lightfoot’s career is his songwriting. It’s fair to say that the singer bleeds lyrically through his material. Songs such as “Sundown” and “If You Could Read My Mind” revealed a man who knew his relationships could be imperfect at times. He also has quite the way with a story song, taking one of the great American tragedies of the 1970s, and crafting an unforgettable lyric about it. Here are 10 of Gordon Lightfoot’s finest moments!




10. Gordon Lightfoot - "Dream Street Rose"



The title cut from his 1980 Warner Brothers release found Lightfoot in fine musical form. The guitar work added a layer of breeziness to the track, and his vocal -- as always -- was spot on. Lightfoot brought a definite warmth to the lyrics of the song, all about the positive effect the right one can have on someone’s life -- opening up a world of new possibilities.

9. Gordon Lightfoot - "Talking In Your Sleep"



A 1971 single for the singer, this one definitely ranks as one of his more underrated gems. There’s a heartfelt honesty that the listener feels when Lightfoot is pleading with his lover to explain the significance of the words that she uttered while sleeping. It wasn’t a major hit in the United States, but it’s definitely one worth seeking out in the Gordon Lightfoot song catalog.

8. Gordon Lightfoot - "Ribbon of Darkness"



This perfect fusion of country, folk, and pop appeared on Lightfoot’s 1966 United Artists debut album Lightfoot!. While the memorable track was released as a single by the singer -- who wrote the song. The original and hit recording of the song belonged to Marty Robbins, who earned a number one hit in 1965 with the song. Later in the decade, Connie Smith also covered the song, earning a spot in the Hot Country Songs Top 20.

7. Gordon Lightfoot - "Rainy Day People"



The singer earned a hit in 1975 with this moving number about those people in life that you might not hear from every day, but they always have an uncanny knack for being there just when you need them. The song originally appeared on the excellent Cold On The Shoulder disc.

6. Gordon Lightfoot - "Anything For Love"



The most recent Gordon Lightfoot song to appear on the American music charts came with this melodious romantic number, which hit the Top 20 on the Adult Contemporary charts in 1986, also earning him his last ranking on the Hot Country charts, as well.

5. Gordon Lightfoot - "Carefree Highway"



The lyrics of this Lightfoot hit from the fall months of 1974 came straight from real life. The character of “Ann,” with whom Lightfoot laments a failed relationship with, was someone that he once dated -- and yes, her name was Ann. The single was the second release from Sundown.

4. Gordon Lightfoot - "The Circle Is Small (I Can See It In Your Eyes)"



The song that earned Lightfoot his final ranking in the Top 10 on the AC charts in 1977 was one that actually had been around for a while. The singer had recorded it almost a decade prior in 1968 for his Back Here On Earth disc.

3. Gordon Lightfoot - "If You Could Read My Mind"



Lightfoot was a star in his native Canada, but when he released this song on Reprise Records around the Christmas season of 1970, it proved to be his ticket to success in the United States. This Gordon Lightfoot classic song -- written about the break-up of his first marriage -- has become one of his most covered tunes, with versions by Johnny Cash, Barbra Streisand, and Olivia Newton-John.

2. Gordon Lightfoot - "The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald"



Traditionally, story songs are a sure bet to make an impact with an audience, and Lightfoot put that theory to work with this hit from late 1976. The song was inspired by the real-life sinking of the ore carrier in Lake Superior that took the lives of 29 crew members in November 1975. After more than 40 years, this remains one of his best-written songs.

1. Gordon Lightfoot - "Sundown"



What goes on in a relationship when day becomes night? Apparently a lot, as Lightfoot confessed in this deeply personal hit from the spring of 1974. There has always been a sense of mystery about this Gordon Lightfoot song that remains his most essential hit single. Some have said the lyrics -- about the crazy depths that a relationship can take a person to -- were inspired by Lightfoot’s one-time relationship with Cathy Smith -- who later was involved with John Belushi, and served 15 years at the California Institute for Women due to her role in the comedian’s death. Lightfoot never had confirmed or denied the theory, but in 2008, he told Matt Fink from American Songwriter that “I think my girlfriend was out with her friends one night at a bar while I was at home writing songs. I thought, 'I wonder what she’s doing with her friends at that bar!' It’s that kind of a feeling. 'Where is my true love tonight? What is my true love doing?' I guess a lot of people really do relate to that. That’s part of romance…that wondering,” without referring to Smith by name.

Re: Billboard: Gordon Lightfoot's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks
 

IYCRMM should be #1 - a perfect song in every way..

Re: Billboard: Gordon Lightfoot's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks
 

I agree with Charlene, and as always, I'm sure others would agree on some other changes to this list. Sundown, I believe was his biggest selling U.S. hit, so it is probably why he put it at #1.

Re: Billboard: Gordon Lightfoot's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks
 

I agree with Char too, although this is a "country music" list-which is odd in that Dream Street Rose is on there too.

Re: Billboard: Gordon Lightfoot's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks
 

Anything for Love?? SMH

Re: Billboard: Gordon Lightfoot's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks
 

Given that the music for “Anything For Love” was not written by Lightfoot (but instead by David Foster), I always think of “Anything for Love” as a Lightfoot song with an asterisk. (By contrast, the music for all 88 songs on GL’s Songbook, all 20 songs on GL’s Complete Greatest Hits, all 24 songs on Gord’s Gold and all 18 songs on Gord’s Gold, Volume II was written by Lightfoot.)

“Anything For Love”, though, did get a ton of air time on Toronto radio stations (in contrast to all other songs that Lightfoot has since recorded).

The six songs other than "Anything For Love" that are in Chuck Dauphin's top seven are the six Lightfoot songs that made the Billboard Top 40 pop charts in the 1970s.

It is interesting to compare Chuck Dauphin’s list of the 10 best Gordon Lightfoot songs to "Canada's choices for the definitive Gordon Lightfoot top 10" that was revealed in 1988 and based on "tens of thousands of responses". (Radio stations across Canada had run a contest in which listeners where asked to send in their three favourite Lightfoot songs.)

Below is the list of "Canada's choices for the definitive Gordon Lightfoot top 10" that was revealed in 1988 (with "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" being the top Lightfoot song):

1. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
2. If You Could Read My Mind
3. Sundown
4. Canadian Railroad Trilogy
5. Early Morning Rain
6. Old Dan's Records
7. Alberta Bound
8. Beautiful
9. Rainy Day People
10. The Circle Is Small

I agree with Charlene that If You Could Read My Mind should be #1.

Re: Billboard: Gordon Lightfoot's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks
 

black text on dark blue can't be read...can you change it?

Re: Billboard: Gordon Lightfoot's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks
 

I wasn't able to successfully to change the colour of the font, but I have re-typed the gist of my post below:

Given that the music for "Anything For Love" was not written by Lightfoot (but instead by David Foster), I always think of "Anything For Love" as a Lightfoot song with an asterisk. (By contrast, the music for all 88 songs on GL's Songbook, all 20 songs on GL's Complete Greatest Hits, all 24 songs on Gord's Gold and all 18 songs on Gord's Gold, Volume II was written by Lightfoot.)

"Anything For Love", though, did get a considerable amount of air time on Toronto radio stations (in contrast to all other songs that Lightfoot has since recorded).

The six songs other than "Anything For Love" that are in Chuck Dauphin's top seven are the six Lightfoot songs that made the U.S. Billboard Top 40 pop charts.

It is interesting to compare Chuck Dauphin's list of the 10 best Gordon Lightfoot songs to "Canada's choices for the definitive Gordon Lightfoot top 10" that was revealed in 1988 and based on "tens of thousands of responses". (Radio stations across Canada had run a contest in which listeners where asked to send in their three favourite Lightfoot songs.)

Below is the list of "Canada's choices for the definitive Gordon Lightfoot top 10" that was revealed in 1988 (with the "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" being the top Lightfoot song):

1. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
2. If You Could Read My Mind
3. Sundown
4. Canadian Railroad Trilogy
5. Early Morning Rain
6. Old Dan's Records
7. Alberta Bound
8. Beautiful
9. Rainy Day People
10. The Circle Is Small

Re: Billboard: Gordon Lightfoot's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks
 

Well, this is better expressed as a "Best 10 Hits" list. I really do think than any serious fan of Gordie would displace many songs from that list for album-tracks. I know I certainly would.

Re: Billboard: Gordon Lightfoot's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks
 

I agree, 'Lightfoot song with an asterisk', is a pretty apt way of describing it. Anything for Love has never really sounded like a true Lightfoot song to me. Foster's arrangements sound like an attempt to replicate Lightfoot's style, but they never quite reach that goal.

I think it's safe to say that #4 and #7 on the list wouldn't have made it on the Billboard list because they're songs Americans can't fully understand and appreciate because, well, they're not Canadians.

I think the list above is much more representative of Gord's 'ten best' songs than the Billboard list will ever be.

Re: Billboard: Gordon Lightfoot's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks
 

when it comes to the arts, "Best" is a ridiculous word.

Most lists are dumb but are fun for conversation and controversy. The Zoomer one was a real joke.

ok, I'm just weighing DSR and CRT ...hmmmm?