9 Oldies but Goodies Hits from Tony Bennett

Aug 3, 2016

When it comes to career longevity, only a handful can match to Tony Bennett’s over-60-decade musical journey.

Born Anthony Dominick Benedetto on August 3, 1926, the jazz icon, prolific painter and anti-war activist holds 18 Grammys, 2 Emmys, hundreds of sold-out tours and a long list of time-transcending hits under his belt.

In celebration of the American crooner’s 90th birthday, the brightest stars in the global music scene are set to gather for a TV special, which will be aired on NBC come December 20. The stellar line-up includes Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, Lady Gaga and Aretha Franklin.

“I turn 90 tomorrow (Aug. 3) and feel like I’m just getting started and look forward to each day. I have loved performing for the public and sharing the music I love with the world,” Billboard quoted Bennett in a statement he released yesterday.

While we wait for this much-anticipated show, let’s check out these nine unforgettable hits from the nonagenarian star:

Anything Goes

Anything Goes was originally recorded and written for a 1930s musical of the same name. Bennett’s version, a duet he did with Lady Gaga, served as the lead single of his 2014 jazz compilation, Cheek to Cheek. With this project, the icon broke his own record of being the oldest artist to top the Billboard album charts at 88.

 

Because of You

Bennett’s 1951 recording of this track from the film I Was an American Spy was his first major hit. The big band-pepped up tune topped the US singles chart and stayed their for at least 10 weeks. The song climbed the music charts anew when he released a duet with singer K.D. Lang.

 

Stranger in Paradise

According to many music critics and journalists, the most popular version of this song from the 1953 musical Kismet was Bennett’s. The easy-listening track showcases the legend’s signature vibrato and vocal gymnastics.

 

Cold, Cold Heart

This Hank Williams-penned blues ballad earned Bennett another Billboard no. 1. His cover has been immensely acknowledged as pivotal in introducing Williams and the country music in general to more audience.

 

Rags to Riches

A certified gold record hit, the Bennett rendition of this Richard Adler and Jerry Ross original is another chart-topper for the crooner. His version was also used as a track for the 90s American biographical crime film, Goodfellas.

 

Who Can I Turn To?

Who Can I Turn To is a popular 60s composition that has become one of the most remembered Bennett’s staples. The song was used in the musical The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd. The popularity of his rendition helped the show have a successful Broadway run after it struggled in the United Kingdom.

 

Fly Me to the Moon

This standard, which was covered by many other artists including Frank Sinatra, highlights Bennett’s smooth vocal style. He once rendered a parody of this 60s tune in a 1998 Sesame Street scene.

 

Smile

Also known as the Charlie Chaplin song, Smile is composed by the famed comic actor for his 1936 film, Modern Times. Since it was used in the big screen, the track has become a popular standard, with cover versions recorded by Bennett, Nat King Cole, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.

 

I Left my Heart in San Francisco

Perhaps one of most recognizable Bennett tunes, the song was released as a B-side to his 1962 recording, Once Upon a Time. It gave Bennett Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Male Solo Vocal Performance.

 

(Photo by Tom Beetz [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons)

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