Artist James Taylor

James Taylor’s 1976 collection Greatest Hits is a proud recipient of the RIAA’s diamond certification, which means there are more than 10 million copies floating around the U.S. (Half are probably in the nation’s thrift stores, but still.) Even though Taylor re-pushed lots of familiar buttons on his last proper album, 2002’s October Road—and even more on 2010’s Live At The Troubador, trading concert tracks with Sweet Baby Jamescollaborator Carole King—those flocking to buy tickets to see Taylor these days are probably more interested in hearing renditions of the many well-worn classics from his heroin and mental-hospitalization years: “Fire And Rain,” “You’ve Got A Friend,” “Carolina In My Mind,” and so on.

Updated 04/13/2011