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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

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.

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

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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.

Best Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons Songs: 10 Jersey Boys Classics

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Best Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons Songs: 10 Jersey Boys Classics

From street-corner soul to floor-filling disco, the best Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons songs remain evergreen pop classics.

King & Queen: When Otis Redding And Carla Thomas Took The Crown

In Depth

King & Queen: When Otis Redding And Carla Thomas Took The Crown

Pairing Otis Redding’s belting voice with Carla Thomas’ classy poise, ‘King & Queen’ was a stroke of genius from Stax Records.

Everybody Needs Somebody To Love: A Soul Landmark That Speaks Truth

In Depth

Everybody Needs Somebody To Love: A Soul Landmark That Speaks Truth

Written by Solomon Burke, Everybody Needs Somebody To Love was claimed by Wilson Pickett, and is an anthem whose message still rings true.

Proud Mary: Why Tina Turner’s Classic Cover Keeps On Burnin’…

In Depth

Proud Mary: Why Tina Turner’s Classic Cover Keeps On Burnin’…

Tina Turner took a pop standard and made it her own. Among numerous singers of Proud Mary, Turner remains the true River Boat Queen.

Best Wilson Pickett Songs: 10 Sock-It-To-’Em Soul Classics

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Best Wilson Pickett Songs: 10 Sock-It-To-’Em Soul Classics

The best Wilson Pickett songs helped put Southern soul on the maps, truly earning the singer his nickname, The Wicked Pickett.

Pain In My Heart: The Soul-Baring Genius Of Otis Redding’s Debut Album

In Depth

Pain In My Heart: The Soul-Baring Genius Of Otis Redding’s Debut Album

Otis Redding’s debut album, ‘Pain In My Heart’, featured all the ingredients that would make him an all-time soul music great.

Best Hollies Songs: 20 Classics As Essential As The Air We Breathe

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Best Hollies Songs: 20 Classics As Essential As The Air We Breathe

From jangly pop to psychedelic miracles and moving ballads, the best The Hollies songs rivalled The Beatles’ and pioneered the Manchester sound.