90 Miles From Tyranny : Wichita Lineman

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Sunday, February 1, 2015

Wichita Lineman

I remember this song from my childhood listening to the car radio.. great song..

"Wichita Lineman" is a song written by American songwriter Jimmy Webb in 1968. It was first recorded by American country music artist Glen Campbell and widely covered by other artists. Campbell's version, which appeared on his 1968 album of the same name, reached #3 on the U.S. pop chart, remaining in the Top 100 for 15 weeks. In addition, the song also topped the American country music chart for two weeks, and the adult contemporary chart for six weeks.[1] It was certified gold by the RIAA in January 1969.[2] The song reached #7 in the UK. In Canada, the single also topped both the RPM national and country singles charts.[3][4]

In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" ranked "Wichita Lineman" at #192. It has been referred to as "the first existential country song".[5] British music journalist Stuart Maconiecalled it "the greatest pop song ever composed";[6] and the BBC referred to it as "one of those rare songs that seems somehow to exist in a world of its own – not just timeless but ultimately outside of modern music".[7]

"Wichita Lineman" featured in series 12 of BBC Radio 4's Soul Music, a documentary series featuring stories behind pieces of music with a powerful emotional impact.[8]

1 comment:

davidc said...

I remember this very well. I worked for the telephone company for many years and at that time I was a lineman for a while ! I am a big fan of Glen's !