Before he was the guy leading stadiums full of fans through the chorus of "Sweet Caroline,"Neil Diamondwas a kid in Brooklyn writing song lyrics while bored in class.
From his first hits in 1966 ("Solitary Man" and "Cherry Cherry") through the early '90s, he developed into a superstar with a heady catalog high on melodrama and earnest vocals. His more than130 million albumssold worldwide meant a career deserving of cover songs and tribute acts – such as the one in the movie"Song Sung Blue"withHugh Jackman playinga Diamond "interpreter" (tribute artist) – as well as a pop culture touchstone. Just askQuentin Tarantino.
Diamond's expansive songwriting career touched The Monkees ("I'm a Believer"), Glen Campbell ("Sunday Sun"), Deep Purple ("Kentucky Woman") and UB40 ("Red, Red Wine").
Diamond also produced the landmark live album"Hot August Night"in 1972 and his biggest success, the soundtrack to the 1980 remake of"The Jazz Singer"(his acting, however, did not earn the same kudos).
Diamond, 84, retired from touring in 2018 after beingdiagnosed with Parkinson's disease. In honor of his ample repertoire, here are 10 of his best songs.
10. 'Play Me' (1972)
From his earliest stage days, Diamond exhibited a suave demeanor. But the effect that "Play Me" had on the women in his audiences bordered on Beatlemania, especially among older fans smitten with his romantic entreaty. Singing about his hunt for love, Diamond offered poetry – "You are the sun, I am the moon, you are the words, I am the tune" – while every guy slid down his seat in embarrassed inferiority.
9. 'Beautiful Noise' (1976)
For his 1976 album of the same name, Diamond turned to Robbie Robertson of The Band to produce, resulting in a more robust sound. The song – which gave Diamond's 2022Broadway jukebox musicalits name – is powered by the organ playing of The Band's Garth Hudson, but even more affecting is the audible joy in Diamond's voice as he sings, "It's a beautiful noise/And it's a sound that I love/And it fits me as well/As a hand in a glove."
8. 'Crunchy Granola Suite' (1971)
The percussive shifts, blasts of horns and flute breakdown are captivating enough. But who doesn't love a good "deedle-le deet-deet-deedlee-doo" in their pop songs? Released as the B-side to "Stones," the groovy finger-snapper was inspired by Diamond's move from his native New York to Los Angeles, where he says he was intrigued by the healthier lifestyle among the California dreamers. The encroaching guitar chords cast it as the perfect concert opener for years, including on "Hot August Night."
7. 'I Am … I Said' (1971)
Of all the dramatic Diamond songs, this fist-clencher wins as the ultimate in vocal theatricality. It's a deeply personal song for Diamond, who wrote it as a way to find himself and confront insecurities, as he hassaid in interviewsover the years. While the lyric "'I am'... I said/To no one there/And no one heard at all/Not even the chair" is often ridiculed, it's actually an astute turn of phrase to exemplify Diamond's feelings of emotional abandonment.
6. 'You Don't Bring Me Flowers' (1978)
Though known as an iconic duet withBarbra Streisand, the pensive ballad about waning love was written by Diamond along with Alan and Marilyn Bergman as the theme song to the Norman Lear sitcom "All That Glitters." The show concept changed and the song was nixed but released on Diamond's album "I'm Glad You're Here With Me Tonight."Streisand coveredthe emotionally piercing song the following year, and clever DJs around the country began splicing the two solo versions together. Listener response was so great that Diamond and Streisand hit the studio to officially record the duet.
5. 'Love on the Rocks' (1980)
Throughout his career, Diamond swung from dreamer to cynic with the ease of a Cirque du Soleil performer. This track from "The Jazz Singer" could be read as the dissolution of a romantic relationship, but his almost snarling vocals suggest he's channeling the young performer he portrays in the movie when he sings, "And when they know they have you/Then they really have you" and "Just pour me a drink and I'll tell you more lies." It's always a delight when bitter Neil appears.
4. 'Hello Again' (1981)
Another contribution to "The Jazz Singer" soundtrack, the slow-burn ballad is one of the most sumptuous in Diamond's catalog. It isn't the most complicated song, either musically or lyrically. But the beauty is in its simplicity. The rich piano chords, swelling strings and lyrics about missing someone and the need to reconnect expose Diamond's vulnerability. As well, his vocal delivery still produces chills.
3. 'Sweet Caroline' (1969)
Just because the anthem has been co-opted by sporting events,karaoke playlistsand anywhere alcohol and/or fist pumping is involved doesn't mean it's Diamond's top song. Much like Billy Idol's version of"Mony Mony,"the fan-added embellishments to the chorus are juvenile and have forever marred an otherwise perfectly pleasant ditty. Diamond has said the tune was inspired by a young Caroline Kennedy, but he has also suggested it was written for his wife at the time,Marcia Murphey, but he needed a three-syllable name to fit the melody. Whatever the real story behind the name, the song might be "so good" but isn't his greatest.
2. 'America' (1981)
Think back, if you will, to 1980, when Diamond's dramatic rumble of patriotism and celebration of immigration elicited welcoming cheers and pride in embracing foreigners who wanted to share their cultures and experience the American dream. What a time.
1. 'Cracklin' Rosie' (1970)
When a song contains its own opening fanfare, you know it's special. Supposedly inspired by the name of a cheap Canadian wine or perhaps a prostitute – take your pick – the midtempo toe-tapper features the polished backdrop ofThe Wrecking Crew, the famed studio musicians who played on hundreds of pop songs in the '60s and '70s. Between Diamond's sly vocals that dip and surge as he implores in the chorus to "play it now" and a heavenly key change coupled with those "ba ba ba ba ba"s, "Rosie" rules as definitive Diamond.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:10 best Neil Diamond songs, ranked