Burt Bacharach leaves behind one of the most impressive songbooks of anyone in popular music—so much so that it’s impossible to overstate his influence or whittle his work down to a simple tribute. Everyone from Dionne Warwick and the Beatles to Beyoncé and the cast of Glee has touched his work. Obviously, what you see here is nowhere near a comprehensive list, but hopefully, it functions as a reminder of what made Bacharach one of the most beloved musicians of the 20th century.
One of Burt Bacharach’s earliest smash hits also introduced the world to Dionne Warwick. The lead single from her debut album, “Don’t Make Me Over” made it to 21 on the Hot 100 and paved the way for plenty more Warwick hits, and plenty more collaborations with Bacharach. [Drew Gillis]
Although Bacharach and David originally wrote this track for Dionne Warwick, it’s worth taking a moment to highlight Franklin’s breathy, invigorating rendition of the track, which even Bacharach has called “definitive.” Few opening riffs have the kind of recognition as the one Bacharach and David crafted here with little more than a grand piano and hi-hat—and few arrangements so skillfully set up a vocalist to soar. [Hattie Lindert]
Another track originally penned for Dionne Warwick, “Wishin’ and Hopin’” brought a slick bounce to “Son Of A Preacher Man” bard Dusty Springfield’s signature style. Exemplary of the optimistic romance that colored so many of their songs, an Ani DiFranco cover of the track featured in 1997’s My Best Friend’s Wedding helped power a renewed attention on Bacharach’s work at the turn of the 21st century. [Hattie Lindert]
Bacharach captured something quintessential about love when he asked, “Why do birds suddenly appear every time you are near?” From Parenthood to The Simpsons, the song has become pop culture shorthand for happy couples. Covered endlessly since it was first recorded in 1963, the best-known version still belongs to The Carpenters, who won a Grammy for the track in 1971. [Mary Kate Carr]
A prime example of mid-century pop songwriting that just sounds plain cool, the relatively minimal arrangement of “Walk On By” conjures up Dionne Warwick’s state of mind even more than the lyrics do. The song is about hiding—behind your pride, from another person—and Warwick’s powerful but airy vocal, couched in a muted trumpet, demands our attention. Maybe that’s what she wanted all along. [Drew Gillis]
Burt Bacharach’s songs often feel fairly understated, tapping into the intersection of classic and cool. Understated, however, is not typically the word Barbra Streisand brings to mind; in this mash-up of two classic Bacharach tracks, Streisand essentially duets herself, building the lyric’s longing from a murmur into a howl in the span of six minutes. [Drew Gillis]
Made famous by The Shirelles, this is one of the Bacharach tracks so perfectly crafted that it could take anyone to the top of the charts. Timeless and romantic, the track hit number eight on the Billboard chart for the girl group, number seven in the UK for The Beatles, and number five on Billboard for the band Smith. [Mary Kate Carr]
The first song on this list that was actually composed for the musical Promises, Promises, “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” became a radio hit back in the days when songs from musicals had the potential to become radio hits. Dionne Warwick’s rendition snagged her a Grammy at the 13th Annual Grammy Awards, and the track got another boost thanks to the original musical’s revival in 2010. [Drew Gillis]
A jaunty bit of pop optimism, Bacharach and his songwriting partner Hal David penned this particular track for the film Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid. His contributions to the film earned him two of his three career Academy Awards (out of six nominations): Best Original Song and Best Original Score. [Mary Kate Carr]
Although the song may be best known today for its cringey mash-up with “Let’s Have A Kiki” from a late-era Glee episode, “Turkey Lurkey Time” was originally composed for the Broadway musical Promises, Promises. The song—actually a Christmas, not a Thanksgiving song—featured some of Michael Bennett’s best choreography work ever. Between the arrangement and the choreography, there is so much energy to “Turkey Lurkey Time” that even the worst VHS-to-MP4 conversion couldn’t dull it. [Drew Gillis]