29

Wild World
Cat Stevens
1970

When I was a kid, my dad had some cassettes of pop music he had recorded off the radio. I remember going through those and seeing one labeled “Cat Stevens” and immediately dismissing it as some old-timey person who I wasn’t going to be interested in. And that was that. 

It wasn’t until long after I left the nest, and was dating Tiffany, that I decided to give this guy a shot. And clearly I should’ve just popped that cassette from the old man in years prior. We are talking about one of the greatest singer-songwriters and folk singers of all time right here. 

And though there were several potential candidates for the Top 100, this is definitely his best and the right choice for the Top 100.  I love the dynamics between Cat's strumming with the piano backing in the song.  And the vocal is beautiful, just a gentle soul singing about love and heartbreak.

I will leave one other memory that's always struck me about Cat Stevens:  one of my brother's friends died from leukemia when he was very young, like in his late teens or early 20s.  I was not able to attend the funeral, but I remember my mom telling me that his cousin performed "Morning Is Broken" in the chapel, as she apparently would play that for him while visiting him in the hospital.  I think I would've been a puddle listening to that under those circumstances.  Another gorgeous piece of music from the man named Cat.

Other Songs Considered:
Morning Has Broken, Father & Son