Lyric Drop: Name That Classic Hit! (2)

[C] What a Wonderful World | Louis Armstrong recorded this optimistic gem at age 66 during the Vietnam War, offering hope when America needed it most desperately.

[D] Respect | Otis Redding's original was about demanding respect from his woman, but Aretha flipped the script into a feminist anthem that defined an era.

[A] It's Not Unusual | Tom Jones's hip-thrusting debut hit sold poorly until a London pirate radio station played it repeatedly, launching his underwear-catching career overnight.

[C] Losing My Religion | R.E.M.'s biggest hit uses an old Southern expression meaning "losing my temper," not actually about religious faith despite what everyone thinks.

[B] Fast Car | Tracy Chapman performed this poverty escape ballad at Nelson Mandela's birthday concert, selling six million copies after one televised performance changed everything.

[D] Lady in Red | Chris de Burgh wrote this cheesy classic about his wife wearing red at a party, never imagining it would soundtrack millions of slow dances.

[A] Big Yellow Taxi | Joni Mitchell penned this environmental warning after seeing Hawaii's paradise paved over, decades before climate change became mainstream conversation.

[B] I'm a Believer | Neil Diamond wrote this cynical-turned-optimistic love song specifically for The Monkees, who outsold The Beatles and Rolling Stones in 1967.

[D] Achy Breaky Heart | This mullet-powered phenomenon taught America line dancing while critics cringed, somehow becoming the first country single to go triple platinum.

[C] Tears in Heaven | Clapton channeled unbearable grief over his son Conor's tragic balcony fall into this gentle questioning of whether they'd reunite in the afterlife.

[A] Super Freak | MC Hammer later sampled this funk classic for "U Can't Touch This," earning Rick James millions in royalties from MTV's constant rotation.

[B] Your Song | Twenty-two-year-old Elton John recorded this Bernie Taupin poem in one take, launching a partnership that would produce over thirty albums together.

[C] You're so Vain | Carly Simon auctions off the identity of her mystery subject for charity, though Warren Beatty, Mick Jagger, and James Taylor remain prime suspects.

[A] Satisfaction | Keith Richards dreamed this iconic riff in a Florida motel, waking to find he'd recorded it on his bedside tape player while sleeping.

[D] Margaritaville | Buffett built an empire on this three-chord beach bum anthem, spawning restaurants, resorts, and retirement communities for aging Parrotheads seeking permanent vacation.

[B] Lean On Me | Bill Withers wrote this gospel-influenced soul classic in 45 minutes, inspired by childhood memories of his West Virginia hometown's community spirit.

[C] Sweet Home Alabama | Skynyrd's response to Neil Young's "Southern Man" became an unlikely state anthem, despite the band actually being from Jacksonville, Florida.

[D] (Sittin on) the Dock of the Bay | Otis Redding died in a plane crash three days after recording this meditation, never knowing it would become his only number-one hit.

[B] What's Going On | Berry Gordy initially rejected this protest masterpiece as uncommercial, until Marvin Gaye threatened to never record for Motown again unless they released it.

[A] A Change is Gonna Come | Cooke wrote this civil rights anthem after being turned away from a whites-only motel, dying mysteriously before witnessing its cultural impact.

[C] Bills, Bills, Bills | Beyoncé's group launched their career complaining about broke boyfriends, establishing the independent woman persona that would define her solo success.

[D] American Pie | McLean refuses to explain his eight-minute riddle about "the day the music died," though everyone knows it's about Buddy Holly's plane crash.

[A] Imagine | John Lennon admitted this peace anthem's idealistic vision was "virtually the Communist Manifesto," though Yoko Ono deserved co-writing credit he never gave.

[C] Bohemian Rhapsody | Queen's operatic epic took three weeks recording 180 vocal overdubs, with Freddie Mercury never revealing what his six-minute opus actually meant.

[B] Let's Stay Together | Al Green's preacher father initially forbade secular music, but this silky soul standard convinced him that love songs could be spiritual too.