Ten Essential Songs: Burt Bacharach

In the 1960's and early 1970's, composer Burt Bacharach (1928-2023) bestrode the pop world like a soft-rock colossus, penning a host of breezy, hummable hits with lyricist Hal David that defined the careers of AM superstars like the Carpenters, Dionne Warwick, and BJ Thomas. The Bacharach-David juggernaut crashed with a great big resounding thud with their score for the 1973 bomb "Lost Horizon," and to pay the bills, Burt was forced to make sparkling wine commercials with his then-wife Angie Dickinson. But the world needed Burt Bacharach, and he knew the way back to the top of the charts.
In the 1980's, he enjoyed a career renaissance with new songwriting and romantic partner Carole Bayer Sager, writing mega-hits for Neil Diamond and Patti LaBelle. Say a little prayer for us now that Burt is gone.