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Ian McCann

A music journalist, columnist and editor, Ian McCann has written for NME, Financial Times, Record Collector and Potato Digest, and was a reporter for a Radio 1 programme for several years, which happened by accident. He has written jokes for comedy shows, spent several years on the news desk at the Independent, and won a national award for Headline Of The Month. He enjoys music you can dance or swoon to, anything with soul, and the less pretentious regions of rock’n’roll. His record player is registered at the UN as a weapon of mass destruction.

Articles by Ian McCann

Rob Tyner: How MC5’s Frontman Led A Rock’n’Roll Revolution

In Depth

Rob Tyner: How MC5’s Frontman Led A Rock’n’Roll Revolution

Punk before punk was invented, MC5’s singer, Rob Tyner, laid down the anti-establishment blueprint for all future rock’n’roll rebels to follow.

Try A Little Tenderness: How Otis Redding’s Midas Touch Found Soul Gold

In Depth

Try A Little Tenderness: How Otis Redding’s Midas Touch Found Soul Gold

A sentimental ballad Otis Redding didn’t think suited him, Try A Little Tenderness became a passion-filled powerhouse in the singer’s hands.

Best Soul Songs: 20 Transcendental Tracks That Define The Genre

List & Guides

Best Soul Songs: 20 Transcendental Tracks That Define The Genre

Moving the feet as well as the heart, the best soul songs continue to inspire respect for everyone from Otis Redding to Aretha Franklin.

Dancing With Strangers: How Chris Rea Whirled His Way To The Top

In Depth

Dancing With Strangers: How Chris Rea Whirled His Way To The Top

Proving that Chris Rea was the major-selling artist he had the potential to be, ‘Dancing With Strangers’ delivered on all his early promise.

Best Ray Charles Songs: 20 Timeless Classics From The Genius Of Soul

List & Guides

Best Ray Charles Songs: 20 Timeless Classics From The Genius Of Soul

Sitting at the crossroads between jazz, R&B, gospel and country music, the best Ray Charles songs invented soul music as we know it.

Best Otis Redding Songs: 20 Classics From The Giant Of Soul Music

List & Guides

Best Otis Redding Songs: 20 Classics From The Giant Of Soul Music

From storming dance anthems to tear-stained declarations of love, the best Otis Redding songs prove why the singer remains a soul music icon.

Best The Animals Songs: 10 British Invasion Classics

List & Guides

Best The Animals Songs: 10 British Invasion Classics

Claiming other people’s hits for their own, the best The Animals songs put an indelible stamp on rock music in the mid-60s.

Best Soul Singers: 10 Must-Hear Voices From Soul Music’s Golden Era

List & Guides

Best Soul Singers: 10 Must-Hear Voices From Soul Music’s Golden Era

From powerhouse personalities to gentle falsettos, the best soul singers can make you dance or weep, can touch your hearts or move your hips.

River Deep – Mountain High: Behind Ike And Tina Turner’s Towering Soul Classic

In Depth

River Deep – Mountain High: Behind Ike And Tina Turner’s Towering Soul Classic

The hit that never was, Ike And Tina Turner’s River Deep – Mountain High is still regarded as the greatest pop song ever made.

Best Ben E King Songs: 10 Eternal Emblems Of Soul Music

List & Guides

Best Ben E King Songs: 10 Eternal Emblems Of Soul Music

The best Ben E King songs didn’t just pioneer soul music, they influenced rock and reggae artists, and led a new force in black culture.