Norah Jones Tribute to Chris Cornell in 2017 Black Hole Sun

“I just found this tonight and watched it 10 times. Then I wiped the tears. Hauntingly beautiful, and a lovely tribute. We miss you Chris,” is what a top commenter had to say after watching Norah Jones’ tribute to Chris Cornell just five days after his tragic death. Norah created a mesmerizing solo piano rendition of “Black Hole Sun” that drew in 13 million viewers and kept them on the edge of their seats throughout. “Black Hole Sun” is unquestionably the Soundgarden frontman’s magnum opus.

The fact that Norah stripped away all the big drums and riffs from the tune and it was still absolutely spellbinding shows what a genius piece of songwriting it is. The scintillating melody and harmony of the song have a sophistication to it that you really can’t find in any other hard rock song of that era, and Chris’s evocative lyrics just seal the deal. The Music Man has to say that Norah so completely got right to the heart and soul of the song. She completely changed the music but that same emotion is there.

Norah performed her take on “Black Hole Sun” on May 23, 2017, shortly after Chris’s passing on May 18. Viewers knew this was something special and added comments such as “This isn’t just a cover. This is therapy” and “As Chris’s Lighting Designer, having done hundreds of shows around the world with him, I find this to be an incredibly brilliant and moving tribute. Thank you for handling this with such care.”

In 2007, Chris appeared on The Howard Stern Show to discuss the origin of “Black Hole Sun.” He said that he was “in a car driving home at like 4 am when I wrote that song.” He agreed with Howard’s suggestion that the music was written entirely in his head, even down to the guitar melody in the bridge. Chris then performed a solo acoustic version of “Black Hole Sun,” which remains one of his most beautiful performances.

Soundgarden released “Black Hole Sun” on May 13, 1994, as the third single from their 1994 studio album Superunknown. Chris is the sole credited writer, and the band produced the song with Michael Beinhorn.

The Music Man readers might be interested to hear that Chris told Uncut Magazine that the title “Black Hole Sun” came to him after he misheard a quote from a TV news anchor. He figured it would make an “amazing song title,” and then sought to imagine what kind of song would fit the title.

Chris noted in the Uncut interview that he wrote the music during a car ride, and then the next day he added “a couple of key changes in the verse” to accentuate the melodies. The frontman then wrote the lyrics in a stream of consciousness session, basing them off “the feeling” he got from the music in the chorus and the song title.

Ray Charles Took an Old Song and Made It His Own — Then “Georgia on My Mind” Became a Timeless Classic

A song waiting for the right voice

In 1960, Ray Charles recorded “Georgia on My Mind,” a song originally written decades earlier by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell.

The song had already been recorded by other artists.

But Ray Charles heard something different in it.

With his soulful voice, gospel-influenced phrasing and deeply expressive piano playing, he transformed the old standard into something intimate and unforgettable.

It no longer sounded like just another popular song.

It sounded personal.

Ray changed the feeling

Charles recorded the song during a remarkable period in his career, when he was breaking down the boundaries between rhythm and blues, soul, jazz and country music.

His version was slower and more emotionally direct than many earlier recordings.

The arrangement gave his voice room to breathe.

Every phrase seemed to carry weight.

Instead of trying to overpower the melody, Charles let the emotion build naturally, creating a performance that felt both sophisticated and deeply human.

Then it became a huge hit

Released in 1960, “Georgia on My Mind” became one of Ray Charles's signature recordings.

It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also topped the Billboard R&B chart.

The success helped demonstrate just how far Charles could take a song when he brought his unique musical identity to it.

More than a Ray Charles classic

Over the years, “Georgia on My Mind” became closely associated with the state of Georgia itself.

In 1979, Georgia officially adopted Ray Charles's recording as the state's official state song.

That gave the performance a legacy far beyond the charts.

Ray Charles didn't write “Georgia on My Mind.”

But he gave it a voice that generations would remember.

Sometimes a great singer doesn't need to write the song.

They simply need to make it impossible to imagine anyone else singing it.

Listen to “Georgia on My Mind”
▶️ Ray Charles – Georgia on My Mind

Smokey Robinson Hid Heartbreak Behind a Smile — Then Created “The Tracks of My Tears”

The sadness behind the smile

In 1965, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles released a song that captured a feeling almost everyone could understand: looking happy on the outside while quietly falling apart inside.

“The Tracks of My Tears” was written by Smokey Robinson, Warren Moore and Al Cleveland, with Robinson's delicate voice carrying the emotional weight of the recording.

The idea was simple but powerful.

Someone can smile, laugh and appear completely fine while hiding heartbreak underneath.

A different kind of Motown classic

The recording didn't rely on dramatic shouting or an enormous arrangement.

Instead, The Miracles created something intimate.

The gentle guitar opening, smooth harmonies and Robinson's restrained vocal made the sadness feel personal rather than theatrical.

That restraint became part of the magic.

Robinson was known as one of Motown's great songwriters, but “The Tracks of My Tears” showed how much emotion he could create with just a few carefully chosen words and melodies.

A hit that became something bigger

Released in 1965, the song became a major hit for The Miracles, reaching the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100.

Over time, its reputation only grew.

Other artists recorded their own versions, and the song became recognized as one of the enduring classics of the Motown era.

But Robinson's original remains difficult to replace.

There is something timeless about the central idea: sometimes the tears people never see are the ones that hurt the most.

Smokey's emotional signature

“The Tracks of My Tears” helped establish Smokey Robinson as one of popular music's great storytellers.

He didn't need a complicated story.

He simply described the distance between someone's public smile and private pain.

More than half a century later, that contrast still makes the song feel remarkably human.

Sometimes the saddest songs are the ones that sound the sweetest.

Listen to “The Tracks of My Tears”
▶️ Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – The Tracks of My Tears