Five Classic Hits Rank Among Music’s Greatest

Several enduring recordings illustrate how classic songs can outlive their original eras and artists. Motown’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” became a major hit for Gladys Knight & the Pips and an even bigger No. 1 hit for Marvin Gaye, while Creedence Clearwater Revival later turned it into an unusually long 11-minute performance. Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September,” initially viewed skeptically by singer Philip Bailey because of its playful “ba-dee-ya” refrain, became the band’s signature feel-good song and a lasting cultural staple. Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line” began as a pledge of devotion to his first wife before becoming his first No. 1 country hit and one of the genre’s most acclaimed recordings. Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” was transformed by his 1968 prison performance into a career-defining live hit, while 1960s country favorites by Buck Owens, George Jones and Hank Williams Jr. remain widely remembered for their emotional lyrics and enduring nostalgia.