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It’s been 49 years since Sonny and Cher said goodbye to variety TV. The former couple ended their CBS variety series, The Sonny & Cher Show, on August 29, 1977—for the second time.

The series featured sketches, songs, and guest stars galore. A synopsis for the final episode teased a look back at the season with an awards show spoof in which Sonny Bono and his ex-wife Cher presented a variety of tongue-in-cheek awards.

The couple also performed “The Beat Goes On,” “All I Really Want To Do,” and “Laugh At Me,” ending the series with their signature duet, “I Got You Babe,” which reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in August 1965.

RELATED: 1962 No. 1 Hit Song Was an Iconic TV Theme—But It Almost Didn’t Happen

According to a recap on Cher Scholar, the couple performed their final medley of songs wearing 1960s-style bellbottoms, fur boots, and banged wigs, making it a truly full-circle moment. While singing “I Got You Babe,” Sonny made fun of his ex-wife’s hair flipping, and she told him he was “still a clown.”

It was the last time the exes would perform “I Got You Babe” on one of their own TV shows.

CBS Photo Archive / Getty Images

The Sonny and Cher reboot came two years after The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour had a successful four-season run, from 1971 to 1974.

The original series ended due to the duo’s real-life divorce and attempts at two solo variety shows—The Sonny Comedy Revue (1974) and Cher (1975)—which failed. But the magic of the bickering duo wasn’t the same during the second go-around, which debuted in February 1976, a little more than six months after Cher wed Greg Allman. The Sonny & Cher revival ended after two seasons on that August 1977 night.

Decades later, Cher still looked back fondly at the old variety shows she did with her ex.

“I loved them,” she said in an interview, per The Television Academy. “I think they’re funny. I think people like times that were simpler, and things that are historic always seem simpler. But our stuff was just funny, and it took your mind off of everything, and the family could watch and everybody got something out of it.”

“There was something for everybody,” Cher continued. “Plus, we had the top stars on it every week — and more than one.”

The music legend also noted that “the funniest pieces” came when Sonny ad-libbed his lines.

Ten years after The Sonny & Cher Show series finale, the former couple thrilled fans when they spontaneously performed “I Got You Babe” on Late Night With David Letterman. The 1987 late-night show appearance marked their final public performance of the song together.

Sonny Bono died in 1998 at age 62.

Related: 1965 No. 1 Hit Ranked Among the ‘Greatest Duets of All Time’ Became a Pop Culture Phenomenon—But Superstar Singer Hated It at First

If you’ve kept your finger on the pulse of European travel lately, you know that Portugal has evolved from an “under-the-radar” gem into one of the most beloved destinations on the continent.

Between its warm hospitality, world-class gastronomy, incredible safety rankings, and slower pace of life, it has become a particular favorite among women travelers and vacationers over 50 looking for culture and relaxation without the frantic crowds of the French Riviera or Amalfi Coast.

Now, Portugal’s most exclusive coastal enclave—often dubbed the “Hamptons of Europe”—is getting a massive luxury upgrade.

Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Portuguese developer Coporgest have officially announced plans for Park Hyatt Comporta and Park Hyatt Comporta Residences, slated to open in 2029. Marking the very first Park Hyatt property in Portugal, the resort will bring the brand’s signature residential aesthetic and personalized service to the pristine Alentejo coast, located just under an hour south of Lisbon’s international airport.

Related: Lisbon Is the Perfect European Escape for Solo Women Over 50

Why Comporta Is the Ultimate Chic, Low-Key Escape

Park Hyatt

Unlike high-glamour, yacht-heavy European hotspots, Comporta has long been cherished by artists, designers, and discerning travelers for its barefoot luxury vibe: endless stretches of white sand beaches, fragrant pine forests, wild rice paddies, and thatched-roof fishing cabanas.

“This location for a Park Hyatt hotel feels like a perfect match. Comporta has a rare combination of relaxed beach living, protected nature and creative spirit, with a sense of calm that has remained wonderfully intact. It’s a natural home for the understated, highly personal approach to luxury Park Hyatt hotels have been shaping for nearly half a century,” said Tamara Lohan MBE, Global Brand Leader—Luxury at Hyatt.

The new property will feature 58 intimate guest rooms and suites, along with six two-bedroom private villas and 22 fully serviced branded residences. Guests and residents will have access to sweeping swimming pools, a dedicated wellness and fitness center, a padel court, a kids’ club, and a collection of destination dining venues.

For golf enthusiasts, the resort sits right alongside the Robert Trent Jones Sr.-designed Troia Golf Course—an 18-hole, par-72 links course boasting dramatic views of the Arrábida Mountain and the Atlantic—with four additional courses located within a 20-minute drive.

Related: Hyatt’s Global Summer Sale Offers Up to 25% Off the Ultimate ‘Euro-Summer’

Why Portugal Keeps Winning Over Women and Travelers Over 50

The arrival of a brand like Park Hyatt in the Alentejo region underscores why Portugal continues to top travel wish lists, particularly for women traveling solo or in small groups, empty nesters, and retirees:

• Unmatched Safety and Peace of Mind: Portugal consistently ranks among the safest countries in the world. For solo women and mature travelers, the ease of navigating walkable cities, quiet coastal villages, and pristine beaches with complete confidence is a massive draw.
• Accessibility to Lisbon: At under 60 minutes from Lisbon’s airport, Comporta offers an effortless transition from historic city tours and Fado clubs straight to coastal tranquility.
• Wellness and Nature-Forward Living: Rather than high-stress sightseeing itineraries, travelers are actively seeking restorative getaways centered around fresh Atlantic seafood, farm-to-table dining, local Alentejo wines, and tranquil ocean breezes.

As Sérgio Ferreira, CEO of Coporgest, noted: “Bringing the Park Hyatt brand to Comporta reflects the shared ambition between Coporgest and Hyatt to create a landmark luxury destination. We have really valued Hyatt’s collaboration in bringing this project to life and can’t wait to open in this exceptional coastal enclave. Park Hyatt Comporta will combine a beautiful beachfront location, distinctive architecture and outstanding quality, reinforcing Portugal’s and Comporta’s ability to attract the world’s leading luxury hospitality brands.”

While opening day is set for 2029, Comporta’s quiet rise is proving that the future of luxury travel is all about understated elegance, wide-open spaces, and room to breathe.

Related: The Algarve Is Getting a Glamorous New Five-Star Sanctuary—Here’s a First Look

Long before he became one of France’s most celebrated directors, Luc Besson was a lonely teenager filling notebooks with an entire imaginary universe.

Besson started writing what would eventually become The Fifth Element at just 16 years old, using the project as an escape from an unhappy home life. Rather than sketching out a screenplay, he built an elaborate, futuristic world from scratch, inventing the characters of Korben Dallas and Leeloo largely to keep himself company during a difficult stretch of adolescence.

It would take more than two decades for that teenage daydream to reach the screen. Besson returned to the material roughly a decade after first writing it, eventually reworking his novel-like concept into an actual film. French studio Gaumont optioned the project and spent nine years developing it, during which Besson made three other films before ever picking up a camera for this one. By the time The Fifth Element premiered in 1997, Besson was 38 years old.

The finished film starred Bruce Willis as Korben Dallas, alongside Milla Jovovich, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm and Chris Tucker. Besson brought in comic book artists Jean “Moebius” Giraud and Jean-Claude Mezieres, whose work had originally inspired parts of his teenage vision, to design the film’s look, while fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier handled costumes. With a $90 million budget, it was the most expensive European film ever made at the time.

That investment paid off in a major way. The Fifth Element pulled in roughly $263 million at the global box office, becoming the highest-grossing French film in history, a title it held for 16 years until The Intouchables overtook it in 2011.

Nearly three decades later, the film remains one of the most visually distinctive entries in the sci-fi genre, built almost entirely from the imagination of a bored, isolated teenager.

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Looking for effortless pieces to give your home a refresh doesn’t have to be a daunting task. In fact, you can use Martha Stewart’s expertise to craft an exceptional living room. The television personality may not be able to come to your place directly, but she does have a highly-curated home line at Wayfair that’s accessible and budget-friendly. We’re currently shopping for the Martha Stewart Lily Pond Kenna Fluted Coffee Table, while it’s 57% off.

The furniture initially cost $460, but has been marked down to $199 during an early Labor Day sale. The piece is 18 inches tall, 23.75 inches wide, and 44 inches long, which is the perfect standard size for those who have been searching for a rectangular coffee table. It weighs around 50 pounds though, so it’s likely that you’ll need some assistance maneuvering it. 

Martha Stewart Lily Pond Kenna Fluted Coffee Table, $199 (was $460) at Wayfair

Courtesy of Wayfair

Shop at Wayfair

You will have to assemble the table when it gets delivered, but shoppers said that assembly was “a breeze” and only took around ten minutes. The design is made of solid and manufactured wood with natural wood grain color variation, which means it will be dark brown but may vary slightly in coloring with each order. It has four legs and tapered block feet for extra stability, so you can place bulkier decorative pieces on it. There’s even gliders on the legs to protect your floors when you move it! 

What we really love about this coffee table is that it includes two fluted drawers with brass-toned metal knobs that are so vintage-looking. Plus, the drawers add additional storage space, which is especially helpful for those in small apartments and homes who need to stay organized. The overall design is super classic, which is perfect for renters and owners who enjoy coastal- and farmhouse-inspired pieces. 

Over a dozen customers already have their eye on this coffee table, with reviewers describing it as “gorgeous,” “stunning,” “pretty,” and of “excellent quality.” One customer wrote that as soon as they added some decor, the table brought “even more elegance and coziness to the room.” Since the furniture is “sophisticated,” “warm,” and “highly functional,” it’ll upgrade your home instantly, even without coffee table books and faux plants. 

Shop More Deals 

• Martha Stewart Perry Street Sadie Round Coffee Table, $238 (was $400) at Wayfair
• Lark Manor Mayall Coffee Table with Shelf, $165 (was $194) at Wayfair 
• Ebern Designs Positano Area Rug, $158 (was $281) at Wayfair 

This beautiful Martha Stewart table allows you to stow away your items while making your space look effortlessly chic. It’s one of those pieces that will catch your eye as soon as you enter the room. Shop it now, before this 57% off Wayfair deal disappears! 

Related: Add Modern Farmhouse Style and Storage With Wayfair’s ‘Sturdy’ 5-Drawer Cabinet, Now 85% Off

Don’t miss future deals! Sign up for Parade Picks to receive our commerce team’s curated selection of discounts and sales, twice a week.

The Savannah Bananas brought Bananaball to Gillette Stadium on Friday night, but the biggest surprise came in the sixth inning when Keith Urban walked onto the field with a guitar.

The country music star, who was watching from the stands, joined the Bananas and Loco Beach Coconuts during a break in the action and performed “Long Hot Summer” as players from both teams danced along.

It was just one of several unexpected moments that turned the Savannah Bananas’ Gillette Stadium debut into more than a baseball game, with the night also featuring appearances from New England Patriots legends David Andrews and Willie McGinest, former Red Sox star Shane Victorino and Patriots captain Hunter Henry.

On the Bananaball scoreboard, the Savannah Bananas came out on top, defeating the Loco Beach Coconuts 6-2. But the score seemed almost beside the point as the teams packed the night with entertainment and Boston sports tributes.

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Fan reaction was just as enthusiastic, with many praising the surprise appearance and the overall Bananaball spectacle. “I was not expecting Keith Urban,” one fan wrote on the Savannah Bananas Instagram post, while another called the performance “a cinematic masterpiece.” Others went even bigger, declaring the Savannah Bananas are “healing our country” and saying they would choose Bananaball over the Super Bowl.

Of course, Urban’s appearance is just one in a long line of surprises fans can expect at a Savannah Bananas game. Kristen Bell previously stunned fans at a Denver game, joining Derek Klena for a surprise Frozen performance before the pair even recreated the iconic Dirty Dancing lift. The Bananas called it “the mashup we never knew we needed.”

Other surprise celebrity appearances have helped make Savannah Bananas games as unpredictable as they are entertaining. The team has welcomed stars from across the worlds of music, sports and entertainment, including rapper 50 Cent and WWE star and actor John Cena. The musical guests have been just as varied, with country star Riley Green, Train frontman Pat Monahan, members of The All-American Rejects and pop group Big Time Rush among the artists who have performed or made appearances at games.

Brad Paisley shocked fans by delivering a raw, emotionally heavy live performance of “When I Get Where I’m Going,” paying a beautiful tribute to his legendary duet partner, Dolly Parton, following the tragic news of her recent passing.

The country music world was plunged into deep mourning when the iconic “Queen of Country” passed away, prompting an unprecedented outpouring of grief from millions of fans, family members, and fellow artists globally. Paisley, who scored one of the biggest hits of his career alongside Parton with their 2005 chart-topping spiritual ballad, took to social media and the stage to share his absolute devastation. “I never imagined this day would come,” Paisley shared in a heartbreaking statement dedicated to his late friend. “Getting to know Dolly was life-changing… She seemed immortal”.

A video of his live musical tribute posted to TikTok quickly amassed millions of views, as fans noticed the immense emotional toll the loss took on the singer. Audience members pointed out a striking, tragic detail from the venue’s performance layout: from certain angles, it appeared as though a microphone had been left deliberately empty on the stage right next to him, subtly honoring Parton’s presence and sudden absence.

Listeners flooded the comment section, deeply moved by the absolute vulnerability of the performance. “The shakiness in his voice… her loss is hitting him hard,” one viral comment noted. Another fan who has seen the artist live multiple times remarked, “He doesn’t sing off-key like that. Ever. This was fully him crying the whole time he sang,” emphasizing how the crowd wept along with him.

The performance solidified the incredible, lasting legacy of goodness, charity, and unparalleled artistic brilliance that Parton leaves behind. While the country music community continues to process the monumentally sad news, Paisley’s fragile, tearful rendition offered a sense of comfort to a grieving global fanbase, ensuring that the spirit of their timeless, record-breaking collaboration remains truly immortal.

By 1975, John Denver was dominating the charts. Defined by his signature wire-rimmed glasses, easygoing grin, and a voice custom-built for transistor radios, he was riding an unprecedented wave of pop and country crossover success.

Yet even after a string of massive acoustic hits, nothing quite prepared audiences for the foot-stomping juggernaut he unleashed that year. When Denver released his live recording of “Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” it didn’t just climb the charts; it blew them wide open.

However, casual listeners don’t know the song has a fascinating twist. One of the two songs that defined Denver as an artist (the other being 1971’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads”), wasn’t written by him at all!

“Thank God I’m a Country Boy” was actually penned by Denver’s fiddle player, John Martin Sommers. According to American Songwriter, Sommers wrote the song on Denver’s 30th birthday, December 31, 1973, during a road trip.

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Though Denver originally included the track on his 1974 studio record Back Home Again, it was actually a live recording from the following year that turned it into a runaway smash, reported Songfacts. The song was recorded at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles for his ABC television special An Evening With John Denver. Subsequently, the song was included on Denver’s double live album of the same name.

Ironically, the song wasn’t included in the television special. However, it was released as a single, and it was that version that shot straight to the top of the charts.

“Thank God I’m a Country Boy” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June of 1975. The song was so popular that it charted a total of 19 weeks.

The song continues to find an audience with listeners fond of nostalgic tunes and happy-sounding music. In 2026, American Songwriter ranked the tune on their Top 5 list of No. 1 songs from 1975.

Additionally, veteran newsman Dan Rather discussed the song in a Substack post. He wrote, “Denver was one of the most popular and best-selling country and folk singer-songwriters of the 1970s. AllMusic has called him “among the most beloved entertainers of his era. Thank God for John Denver, and I too am thankful for growing up a country boy [Rather grew up in Houston, Texas].”

In July 2026, John Denver earned top honors on Colorado’s list of the state’s 25 legendary cultural pathmakers, taking the No. 1 spot for his impact on the Centennial State. The website wrote, “Born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr., the beloved singer-songwriter adopted his stage name from Colorado’s capital. ‘I liked it because my heart longed to live in the mountains,’ he said. He lived in Aspen and was named the state’s poet laureate in 1974.”

Nearly fifty years after its release, “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” remains a beloved staple of 1970s music, even if the man who made it famous didn’t write a single word of it.

Related: John Denver’s Misunderstood 1972 Folk Classic Was Banned For All The Wrong Reasons

Dolly Parton knew how to handle people who underestimated her, and a 1978 interview with Barbara Walters offered one of the clearest examples.

Walters confronted the rising country star with a particularly patronizing question about her roots, invoking the “hillbilly” stereotype associated with Parton’s upbringing. Rather than bristle at the label, Parton embraced it, turning what could have been an insult into a statement of pride in where she came from.

“Dolly, where I come from, would I have called you a hillbilly?” Walters asked Parton during the interview.

Parton answered with the self-deprecating humor that became one of her trademarks.

“If you had have, it would have been something very natural, but I would have probably kicked your shins or something. No, actually,” she said with a laugh.

But Parton quickly turned serious, explaining why the label didn’t diminish her or the people she came from.

“The people that grew up where I was were the ones that you would consider the Little Abner people, Daisy Mae and that sort of thing,” Parton said. “They took that kind of thing from people like us. But we were very proud people, people with a lot of class. It was country class, but it was a great deal of class.”

She acknowledged that many of her relatives and neighbors lacked formal education, but said that had little to do with intelligence.

“Most of my people were not that educated, but they are very, very intelligent,” Parton said. “Good common sense, horse sense we called it.”

Walters wasn’t the only one who used the term to describe Parton’s background. Decades later, Parton made clear that she had never viewed “hillbilly” as an insult.

In a 2014 interview with Southern Living (via ABC News), Parton called the label “a compliment,” explaining that she really was a mountain person who grew up in poverty.

“We were really redneck, roughneck, hillbilly people. And I’m proud of it,” she said.

Parton went even further, pushing back against another label that might have been intended as an insult: “white trash.”

“People always say, ‘Aren’t you insulted when people call you white trash?’” she said. “I say, ‘Well it depends on who’s calling me white trash and how they mean it.’ But we really were, to some degree. Because when you’re that poor and you’re not educated, you fall in those categories.”

Rather than run from her past as her fame grew, Parton repeatedly returned to it—and made it part of her strength.

“I’m proud of my hillbilly, white trash background,” she said. “To me that keeps you humble; that keeps you good. And it doesn’t matter how hard you try to outrun it. If that’s who you are, that’s who you are. It’ll show up once in a while.”

One of Deep Purple’s earliest hits was a cover of a Neil Diamond song—and it was so different from the original that the songwriter couldn’t hold back when asked for his opinion.

The song, “Kentucky Woman,” appeared on Deep Purple’s second album, The Book of Taliesyn, and became a Top 40 hit, reaching No. 38 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in December 1968.

But while Diamond’s original 1967 version of the song was an acoustic, country-tinged folk-pop ballad, early Deep Purple bandmates Rod Evans, Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord, Nick Simper and Ian Paice put a hard rock spin on it one year later with a roaring guitar solo, pounding drums, and intense vocals.

When asked about the hard rock version of his song, Diamond told Rolling Stone, “Deep Purple’s heavy-metal version of ‘Kentucky Woman.’ It’s pretty radical for that song. It’s good. It’s their thing.”

Diamond once revealed that he wrote “Kentucky Woman” while on the road in Kentucky.

“I wrote “Kentucky Woman” in the back seat of a car outside of Paducah, Kentucky,” the music legend told Murray the K in an interview. “I was touring and I was just dead tired, and I probably needed some kind of companionship and that’s what I thought about, Kentucky women and unfortunately there weren’t any around or available at that time. Probably wouldn’t have written the song if there were.”

“But I wrote it in the back seat of a car, and we had just pulled into Kentucky, and my organist was driving and I said, ‘Hey Max, you gotta dig this’ and I played him the song and he said, ‘Outta sight.’ Diamond continued. “And there was ‘Kentucky Woman,’ she shines with her own kind of light.”

Diamond’s “Kentucky Woman” went to  No. 22 on Billboard.

The following year, Deep Purple’s cover came at the suggestion of Lord as the record company pushed the British rock band to do covers.

“Jon suggested Neil Diamond’s ‘Kentucky Woman,'” Deep Purple bassist Simper said in an interview. “Ritchie and I both had reservations as it was a bit folky, until I suggested giving it the Mitch Ryder treatment. I had purchased several records by Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels and was impressed with the aggressive drive and sheer excitement. As I outlined my idea as to how a folk song could be made to rock, the others soon latched on, and soon we had cut our next single, complete with Ron Hire and his young daughter helping out with hand claps.”

In a blurb in the Something Has Hit Me fanzine, Simper described Deep Purple’s cover of “Kentucky Woman” as “bloody good.”

Nearly 60 years later, “Kentucky Woman” is an example of how a song’s identity can completely change in another artist’s hands.

Related: The Monkees’ Biggest No. 1 Hit Was Written By a Music Legend You’d Never Expect

When The Bobby Fuller Four recorded “I Fought the Law” in 1965, even the song itself was getting a second chance.

Written by Sonny Curtis, “I Fought the Law” had first been recorded several years earlier by The Crickets, the band once fronted by Buddy Holly.

“It was some time during the summer of 1959, and I would have been about twenty-one at the time,” Curtis told Classic Rock. “It was a real windy day, which happens a lot in west Texas. The sand was blowing outside. I picked up my guitar, and I can’t imagine where the idea came from, but I just started writing this song, ‘I Fought The Law.’ It only took about twenty minutes. You can tell that it didn’t take a rocket scientist to come up with those lyrics. But it’s my most important copyright.” 

The Crickets’ version attracted little attention, but Bobby Fuller heard something in its tale of crime, consequences, and defeat. His harder-driving rendition would turn it into a rock ’n’ roll classic.

Fuller had grown up in El Paso, Texas, where he developed a sound heavily influenced by Holly and the West Texas rock scene. After relocating to Los Angeles with his band, he signed with Mustang Records and revisited “I Fought the Law,” which he had previously recorded with an earlier incarnation of his group.

The new version changed his career.

Released by The Bobby Fuller Four in late 1965, “I Fought the Law” climbed to No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966. Fuller’s urgent vocal, jangling guitar, and the song’s instantly memorable declaration, “I fought the law and the law won,” gave the recording an energy that belied its story of resignation.

Tragically, Fuller had little time to enjoy his newfound success.

He was found dead inside his mother’s car in Los Angeles in July 1966, at just 23 years old. His death was ruled a suicide, although its unusual circumstances have fueled questions and speculation for decades. “I Fought the Law” consequently became inseparable from his brief career and remains The Bobby Fuller Four’s defining hit.

More than a decade later, the song found another ideal home.

The Clash recorded “I Fought the Law” after guitarist Mick Jones encountered Fuller’s recording while the British punk band was working in San Francisco.

“At the Automat in San Francisco, when we were working on Give ‘Em Enough Rope, they had a fantastic jukebox with ‘Sitting on the Dock of the Bay,’ Bobby Fuller Four ‘I Fought the Law,’ and all that,” guitarist Mick Jones wrote in the liner notes for Clash on Broadway. “Joe [Strummer] and me had a great time listening to it, it made a great impression on us. … A lot of the tunes that we did of other people’s stuff were just the tunes we liked and were listening to at that moment, and we started doing them.”

Their version first appeared on the 1979 EP The Cost of Living and was subsequently included on the U.S. edition of The Clash.

The Clash brought punk ferocity to the song without losing the irresistible simplicity that made Fuller’s rendition work. Their cover became a favorite in its own right and helped carry Sonny Curtis’ composition into another musical era.

“I’m really proud they cut my song, and I love that version of it,” Curtis said. “It just had the feel.”

Sixty-one years after The Bobby Fuller Four released their version, “I Fought the Law” still sounds tailor-made for reinvention. Fuller made it a ’60s hit, The Clash made it a punk standard, and its defiant hook has kept it alive for generations.

Related: 1966 Iconic Ballad, Covered by Elvis Presley, Is Still a Beloved Hit 60 Years Later

Keeping up with home decor trends can be tricky—especially in the kitchen, where remodeling and redecorating can be extra expensive. Because of that, it’s easy for a kitchen to start looking dated sooner than you were expecting.

In fact, there’s one fixture that can instantly make a kitchen look dated—and if your kitchen was last renovated between the 1950s and 1990s, there’s a good chance you have this item.

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To learn more, we spoke with two interior designers: Victoria Fioravanti, Creative Director of Showcase Kitchens and Showcase Tile & Stone on Long Island; and Catherine Shuman, the founder and principal designer at The Intentional Design Studio in Georgia.

Keep reading for Fioravanti and Shuman’s insights on the one item that can instantly date a kitchen, their suggestions for classier alternatives and a few other items that can make a kitchen look dated.

Related: 5 Outdoor Lighting Mistakes Designers Say Can Make Your Home Look Worse

The Kitchen Item Instantly Dates Your Home, According to Designers

Both Fioravanti and Shuman agree that nothing dates a kitchen like Formica countertops.

What are Formica countertops?

Formica, a trademarked name by the Formica Corporation, is a laminated plastic material often used to make countertops and tabletops. Per Britannica, Formica is made of bonded sheets of paper, synthetic resins and sometimes metal, finished with a top sheet and then attached to a packing such as plywood.

Formica countertops, also known as laminate countertops, became incredibly popular in the 1950s, per Portland Monthly, appealing to customers because of its low price and durability. The 1950s is also when the corporation’s popular Boomerang Formica pattern came out, but as the decades went on, Formica has evolved and often is designed to imitate marble or wood.

MCT / Getty Images

Why Formica Countertops Date a Home, According to Designers

To Fioravanti, the most egregious iteration of Formica countertops are “the solid colored ones from the 1970s and 1980s … an era when kitchens were tucked-away spaces and their design was given less consideration.” Formica from this era in particular dates a home “because the top sheets on Formica countertops in that era were thin veneers that tended to show seams and warp.”

And though Formica countertops have evolved since then, Fioravanti is still not a fan of the material’s modern iterations.

“Even the newer versions that attempt to imitate the colors, patterns and finishes of granite or marble never really do,” she says. “The more contemporary Formicas are still laminates that can never replicate the organic quality and texture of real stone—or even well-made manmade materials such as quartz. Formica’s prefab rounded waterfall edges, especially when they curve upward creating a one piece ‘upstand’ with the backsplash, are dead giveaways that it is an inferior product that reads dated.”

Picture Post / Getty Images

Shuman agrees that “the older laminate styles that were designed to mimic granite or marble” majorly date a home.

“The integrated (often coved) 4-inch backsplash and rolled edge acts effectively as a timestamp for when the kitchen was first installed,” she explains. “In addition, these countertops frequently have dark, obvious seams and the patterns meant to imitate natural stone are easy to see repeating across the surface due to laminate essentially being a printed photo.”

She adds that “the way they age adds to the dated feel—they frequently peel at the seams and bubble at the sink until the particleboard underneath shows.”

Related: Interior Designers Rank the Best and Worst ’90s Decor Trends—and They Have Some Hot Takes

But above all that, Shuman (who specializes in neuroaesthetics and wellness interior design) notes that because laminate materials like Formica are synthetic, humans are naturally not as drawn to them.

“Laminate is warm to the touch, has a slick plastic feel and it sounds hollow when you set something heavy on it,” she explains. “It feels dated to us, but it’s more than a style judgement—your nervous system is recognizing that it’s missing the depth and weight that our bodies register and feel from natural materials.”

DreamMedia / Getty Images

The Best Alternatives to Formica Countertops 1. Natural stone

Tim Cree Photography

According to both Fioravanti and Shuman, when it comes to countertops, nothing beats natural stone, such as granite, quartzite, limestone and marble.

“Real stone … is always a more current and upscale option,” says Fioravanti. “The beauty and feel of natural materials cannot be replicated.”

When choosing a natural stone material for your counters, Shuman recommends going for classic rather than trendy.

“Don’t fall prey to automatically picking the stone that is trending at the time,” she warns. “Select one that relates naturally to your cabinetry, lighting, style and architecture of your home and that fits your needs. Materials like quartzite and soapstone with subtle movement are timeless and cannot be perfectly duped by manmade materials.”

2. Solid wood

RYosha / Getty Images

A butcher block or solid wood countertop is one of Shuman’s “personal favorites, especially for an island.”

“If the patina and natural wear bothers you, you can always have it refinished,” she explains. “Our bodies are wired to have a preference for natural materials and walnut and white oak are particularly timeless in my opinion!”

3. Contemporary solid color laminate

KatarzynaBialasiewicz / Getty Images

If laminate is all that’s in your budget, there are ways to make the material look more modern and less like retro Formica.

“You do not need to abandon this more affordable option in your quest to ensure your new kitchen won’t look dated in a few years,” says Shuman. “A matte solid color with a clean square edge and a separate backsplash can help keep the look modern. Choosing one with a matte finish helps as well.”

Related: 5 Outdoor Lighting Mistakes Designers Say Can Make Your Home Look Worse

Other Kitchen Items That Can Instantly Date Your Home 1. Short upper cabinets

Serenethos / Getty Images

“Short cabinets with wasted space above them is a frequent giveaway for a dated kitchen,” says Shuman. “Bonus points if someone has faux greenery across the top of the cabinets—especially ivy or grapevines. More timeless/modern kitchens run the cabinetry to the ceiling or add stacked uppers to maximize space and take away that awkward dead space.”

2. Fluorescent lighting

John Keeble / Getty Images

Fioravanti says that fluorescent lighting was “originally a great solution to cheap, all-over lighting. However, it’s so harsh and has been known to trigger headaches, even migraines.”

Shuman agrees, calling out large fluorescent box lights in particular. “A single fluorescent ceiling light might as well be a billboard blaring dated kitchen ahead!” she jokes. “Few things make a home look more like a surgical suite than one of these!”

Instead, she recommends “multiple layers of warm light that’s both more flattering and more useful” for a kitchen.

3. Dated appliance colors

DreamMedia / Getty Images

Appliances in colors like harvest gold, avocado, almond and white can date your home, according to Fioravanti.

“You can never go wrong with today’s appliances in stainless or matte black,” she says. “Better yet, for a more seamless kitchen, opt for paneled appliances that blend into the kitchen cabinetry.”

4. Decorative ceramic tile backsplashes

Allison Hahn Smith / Getty Images

“Nothing says dated like backsplashes laden with fruit, vegetable or Tuscan motifs—especially as over the stove medallion treatments,” says Fioravanti.

“Busy glass and stone mosaics were once very popular, but now they are an instant sign of a dated kitchen,” adds Shuman. “These busy, small scale mosaics (frequently with those decorative medallions thrown in as well) come across as high maintenance.”

Nowadays, the preferred style is something more classic and simple.

“In today’s more open-plan spaces, tastes are for less “kitcheny” style and ones that blend with the surrounding spaces,” explains Fioravanti, with Shuman adding that “large format tiles and slab backsplashes read as timeless.”

Up Next:

Related: Black Kitchens Are Coming for White Kitchens—Designers Explain Why Everyone’s Making the Switch

Sources:

• Victoria Fioravanti, Creative Director of Showcase Kitchens and Showcase Tile & Stone
• Catherine Shuman, the founder and principal designer at The Intentional Design Studio
• Innovative Surfacing Solutions from Formica Corporation. Formica Corporation
• Formica. Britannica.
• 100 Years of Formica Futurism. Portland Monthly.

If you’ve ever had one of Costco’s layered cakes, you know the combination of moist cake and fluffy cream is hard to beat. Add pumpkin spice to the mix, and suddenly there’s a very good reason to start thinking about fall dessert.

And thankfully, one of the bakery’s seasonal favorites is back to deliver just that.

Laura Lamb (@costcohotfinds) shared a look at the returning Pumpkin Bar Cake in an August 25 Instagram post, showing off dreamy layer after layer of pumpkin cake and cream.

Check it out:

View this post on Instagram Costco’s Pumpkin Bar Cake Is Back for Fall Fall pumpkins

Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash

The Kirkland Signature Pumpkin Bar Cake is priced at $16.99 (item #2067640) and weighs approximately 2.5 pounds, making it substantial enough to serve around 20 slices.

And this isn’t simply a pumpkin cake covered in frosting. The long, rectangular dessert features layers of moist pumpkin-spice cake alternating with fluffy pumpkin mousse, topped with a smooth frosting and delicate white chocolate curls.

Lamb gave the cake a glowing review, writing, “The cake is SO moist!! 10/10 this cake screams fall.”

People in the comments were just as ready for its arrival. @rachshines declared, “ITS PUMPKIN SPICE SEASONNNNN,” while @lexi.barbieri shared, “I’m ready for all the pumpkin flavored treats.”

And @thetrinj may have come up with the ideal way to enjoy a slice, asking, “Goodness grief, could you imagine a Pumpkin spice latte with a slice of this?”

At $16.99 for about 20 servings, the cake comes out to about 85 cents per slice, making it an affordable option for fall parties, family gatherings, or any occasion that calls for dessert. And with those alternating layers of cake and cream, it looks a lot more impressive than its per-serving price might suggest.

Related: Costco’s New Seasonal Duo Is an Autumn Baker’s Dream Come True

As with most Costco finds, pricing and availability can vary by warehouse, and seasonal bakery items aren’t around forever. If this is one fall flavor you aren’t ready to say goodbye to when pumpkin spice season ends, you can also freeze the cake for later.

Rather than freezing the entire cake, cut it into individual slices or smaller portions first. Wrap each piece well and store the portions together in a freezer-safe container or bag. That way, you can pull out just enough for dessert whenever a pumpkin craving hits, even after the seasonal treats have disappeared from the bakery.

With pumpkin spice cake, creamy pumpkin mousse and plenty of frosting in every slice, this returning Costco bakery favorite might be one of the sweetest signs yet that fall is on its way.

If you’ve ever tried cramming multiple generations into a standard cruise cabin—or even a high-end hotel room—you know the bedtime struggle all too well.

The kids go down at 8 p.m., which means the adults are instantly trapped whispering in the dark, tiptoeing around suitcases, and scrolling their phones under the covers. Even on beloved family lines like Disney, where heavy privacy curtains separate the bunk area from the main bed, everyone is fundamentally still sharing one open room.

On Royal Caribbean’s newest mega-ship, Legend of the Seas, that old travel frustration has finally met its match.

Having just sailed aboard the ship, what struck me most about this massive vessel—which holds up to 7,600 passengers across eight distinct neighborhoods—was how intentionally the designers worked to engineer moments of spaciousness. They eliminated traditional bottlenecks everywhere: smart elevator banks that cut wait times, wide escalators flowing into the Royal Promenade, and direct stairwells right into the Surfside family neighborhood.

While teens buzz across the pool deck and water park, the adults can sneak off to Central Park for a peaceful glass of bubbly at Bubbles or listen to live jazz at Lou‘s under the open sky. That exact thoughtful design philosophy translates straight into the ship’s new family staterooms.

Related: A First Look at Legend of the Seas, the New Icon-Class Contender for Vacation of a Lifetime

The Bunk Bed Alcove: Giving Parents Their Evenings Back

Meghann Foye

The real stars of the lineup for everyday family travel are the Family Infinite Ocean View Balcony (102 rooms on board) and the brand-new Family Ocean View Balcony (24 rooms on board), which features a classic step-out veranda.

Instead of cramming pull-out sofa beds right next to the king mattress, these staterooms feature a dedicated, recessed bunk bed alcove for the kids tucked away from the primary sleeping quarters.

It’s a simple tweak that completely redefines the cabin dynamic. Parents can tuck the kids into their own cozy bunk nook, draw the partition, and enjoy a full, well-lit living room and balcony space to themselves without waking anyone up.

Megahnn Foye

Even better for extended families traveling with grandparents, aunts, or cousins, these family rooms offer adjoining stateroom configurations. You can book an attached second cabin next door, giving grandparents their own quiet oasis while keeping everyone connected through interior doors.

Meghann Foye

“Cruising is such a popular travel option for multi-generational families because of its convenience and flexibility. So much is taken care of for you, and there are a wide range of options for a variety of budgets and interests,” explains Jorge Oliver, editor at Cruise Critic. “So for families looking to book a cruise, cabin types that are built specifically with families in mind are incredibly popular. They deliver a thoughtful experience for all guests—from the kids, to the adults. Aside from the special features of the cabins themselves, the locations of the cabins are also ideal for families—they’re in the ship’s family neighborhood, close to family-friendly restaurants and attractions like the water park and carousel.”

Oliver notes that cruiser feedback has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic: “We hear positive feedback from cruisers who have stayed in these cabins with families. Beyond the specifics of the cabins, families have shared high praise for the convenient location of the cabins when traveling with children. It’s that intentional design that Royal Caribbean has built that families really value—from top to bottom, it’s truly something that is designed to make traveling with families easier and extra-special.”

Related: Royal Caribbean Unveils the Stunning Art Spaces Debuting Onboard Its Newest Megaship

The 3-Story Ultimate Family Townhouse: The Pinnacle of Suite Life

Royal Caribbean

For travelers dreaming of the absolute ultimate family splurge, Legend also features the jaw-dropping, three-story Ultimate Family Townhouse—a one-of-a-kind suite that feels more like a private theme-park villa than a cruise cabin.

Spanning Decks 7, 8, and 9, the townhouse pulls out all the stops:

• Level 1 (Deck 7): A private outdoor “backyard” with a dining table for six, private hot tub, full bathroom, and gated, direct access straight into the Surfside neighborhood with sweeping aft ocean views.
• Level 2 (Deck 8): An expansive indoor living space with sofa beds, dining table, kitchenette, and dedicated in-suite cinema/game room.
• Level 3 (Deck 9): A primary master suite, private kids’ bedroom, and an in-suite slide that lets kids zip directly from the top-floor bedroom down into the living area below.

While starting rates for this Star Class mega-suite easily cross into fantasy territory—commanding upwards of $69,000 for a week—demand remains insatiable. It also sets the stage for the brand’s next headline feature, the upcoming Family Treehouse suite debuting on Hero of the Seas.

“The townhouse suites are certainly more expensive than your more traditional cabin options, but there are ways to help make the cost a bit more affordable—from traveling during shoulder season, to traveling with multiple families,” says Oliver. “That said, we hear reservations for the year on Legend of the Seas are fully booked and they book out quickly, due to their high demand.”

Related: Royal Caribbean Just Revealed the Newest World’s Largest Cruise Ship—and It Has a Three-Story Treehouse

Why Cruise Cabins Are Even Beating All-Inclusive Resorts

For families weighing the cost of a traditional all-inclusive beach resort against a cruise, the value equation is shifting fast.

On a seven-night Western Mediterranean cruise departing Barcelona aboard Legend of the Seas, standard Balcony staterooms start around $1,986 per person, while dedicated Surfside Family Suites with separate kids’ rooms and split bathrooms start around $3,085 per person ($6,170 total per room). When paired with Royal Caribbean’s frequent promotions—like 60% off a second guest and kids sailing free—the per-night rate often beats comparable multi-room luxury resort bookings on land.

When you factor in everything included on board—access to 40+ dining venues, bars and lounges, multiple pool decks, a dedicated water park, and Broadway-caliber entertainment that would cost hundreds per seat on land—the value equation becomes undeniable. When the all-inclusive perks make daily logistics effortless and the room layouts make sleeping arrangements ultra-easy, the math practically does itself.

According to Oliver, the cruise industry’s relentless focus on creative family layouts is here to stay.

“As the popularity of cruising continues to grow—and more and more families travel by sea—cruise lines will continue to expand and evolve their offerings to help make the experience as seamless as possible for families looking to enjoy their vacations at sea,” Oliver says. “Families continue to share how important these considerations are when booking cruises, and the demand for these cabins show that families will continue to pay extra for the strong value the cabins deliver.”

Related: Every Incredible New Surprise Aboard Royal Caribbean’s Latest Megaship, Legend of the Seas

For years, wellness has been about doing more: tracking sleep, counting steps, perfecting morning routines, trying the latest supplements and squeezing yet another “healthy” habit into an already packed day.

But what if the next big wellness trend is doing less?

As a full-time shopping editor who moonlights as a trending news reporter, I love being busy. Slowing down isn’t something that comes naturally to me, but the new comedy Spa Weekend starring Leslie Mann, Isla Fisher, Michelle Buteau and Anna Faris inspired me.

And the spa franchise Hand & Stone.

Spa Weekend follows four longtime friends who escape to a luxury spa retreat after realizing they’ve become so consumed by careers, relationships and everyday responsibilities that they’ve forgotten how to take care of themselves. So, the spa franchise is leaning into the idea that relaxation doesn’t need to become another item on your to-do list.

The suggestion is pretty simple: just relax.

Are We Turning Wellness Into Another Job?

Sherrill Kaplan, Chief Revenue Officer at Hand & Stone, says the wellness world has reached a point where even taking care of ourselves can feel like something we’re expected to be “good” at.

“We’ve turned rest into a project,” Kaplan tells Parade. “If you’re not measuring it, it doesn’t count. That stops being wellness. It’s just another job.”

That idea feels particularly relevant in an era of wellness “optimization,” when everything from sleep to exercise to meditation can come with an app, a tracker, a streak or a recommended routine.

Kaplan believes there should be another option: wellness that asks nothing of you.

“At Hand & Stone, there’s no protocol, no tracking, no streak to maintain,” she says. “Just an hour with a licensed massage therapist or esthetician whose only job is to help you relax.”

The brand’s refreshed identity centers on that philosophy, with “Just Relax” as its new rallying cry. Hand & Stone also partnered with Spa Weekend as the film’s Official Relaxation Partner, tying the brand’s message to a movie that’s essentially about a group of friends desperately needing a break.

Maybe We Don’t Need Another Wellness Routine

The most appealing part of the “just relax” philosophy may be how uncomplicated it is.

Kaplan says people should stop overthinking relaxation and worrying that they’re doing it incorrectly.

“Sometimes the answer is doing less, not more,” she says.

That’s also what makes the Spa Weekend experience feel like such an easy fit for the campaign. The movie takes the fantasy of escaping everyday responsibilities and turns it into a comedy, with the kind of chaos that can happen when a long-awaited girls’ getaway doesn’t go quite according to plan.

After watching the film, there’s something satisfying about taking the opposite approach: Instead of immediately adding another wellness goal to your calendar, perhaps give yourself permission to simply stop for a while.

Just an hour to put your phone down, close your eyes and let somebody else take care of you for a change. A 1-hour massage and facial package at Hand & Stone fits the mood perfectly: a little time carved out to relax, reset and let someone else handle the self-care for once. Both my massage therapist and esthetician were friendly, knowledgable and took extra care to ensure all of my preferences were met!

It felt good to step away from the chaos of the day. No tracker. No streak. No perfect routine. Just a moment to relax.

RELATED: 2026 Strummingbird Festival Adds Country Music Heavy Hitters After Post Malone Exit

On Aug. 29, 1994, a band from Manchester released Definitely Maybe, and music history hasn’t been the same since. With melodic arrangements that could rival The Beatles but with the raw power of punk, Oasis‘ epic debut made rock and roll dangerous again. From the opening track, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star,” with lead singer Liam Gallagher’s Lennon-meets-Lydon sneer, the band announced their arrival with pure swagger.

And Oasis wasn’t interested in gradually easing listeners into the experience. “Shakermaker” followed with its psychedelic vibe, while “Live Forever” revealed a more pensive side of the band and quickly became one of its defining songs. “Cigarettes & Alcohol” brought the attitude right back, transforming a glam rock-and-roll riff into an unapologetically Oasis attitude.

The album’s creation wasn’t nearly as effortless as its finished product made it sound. The band went through multiple recording sessions before audio engineer Mark Coyle helped shape the raw sound that would become one of Oasis’ trademarks. The result was an album that captured the group’s live energy while giving Noel Gallagher’s songs room to become stadium anthems.

When Definitely Maybe arrived, the response was immediate. It debuted at No. 1 in the U.K., went gold within its first four days, and became the fastest-selling British debut album in chart history at the time. It also famously beat The Three Tenors’ Carreras Domingo Pavarotti in Concert to the top spot, an especially notable victory for a young rock band that had only recently begun to create a buzz.

Definitely Maybe remains the album that introduced the world to Oasis at its most hungry and brash: before the fame, the stadiums, and the legendary Gallagher brothers’ brawls that would make the band one of Britain’s most legendary rock acts.

More than three decades later, the album’s legacy shows no signs of fading. Its influence has only grown following Oasis’s recent, long-awaited reunion, which reignited interest in the band’s entire catalog and sent longtime fans, and plenty of new ones, back to where it all started.

Dan Truman turns 70 this week, marking a milestone birthday for the keyboardist behind one of country music’s most historic chart records.

Truman joined what would become Diamond Rio back in 1983, years before the band settled on its final name and lineup. That patience paid off in a big way: when the group’s debut single, “Meet in the Middle,” dropped in February 1991, it climbed all the way to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart, making Diamond Rio the first country group in history to send a debut single to the top spot.

The song, and the self-titled debut album it came from, turned out to be no fluke. The album went on to produce five charting singles and earned a platinum certification from the RIAA, while “Meet in the Middle” itself picked up a Grammy nomination for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal.

Diamond Rio kept that momentum going for decades. The band went on to notch four more No. 1 hits, including 2001’s “One More Day,” which became an unofficial anthem of healing in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks. Along the way, the group won the Country Music Association’s Vocal Group of the Year award twice, in 1992 and 1997, and eventually claimed its only Grammy win in 2011 for Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album.

Beyond his work with Diamond Rio, Truman also co-founded the Nashville Tribute Band, a side project rooted in his Christian faith that has released albums exploring stories from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ history.

More than three decades after “Meet in the Middle” first made history, Truman is still playing keys for the band that started it all, having helped build one of the most consistent iterating hit-making runs in modern country music.

“Hit the Road Jack” became a defining early-’60s hit, full of attitude, rhythm and blues, and unforgettable storytelling.

Released in 1961, the Ray Charles tune had humble beginnings. What started as a demo, written by singer-songwriter Percy Mayfield, was transformed into a major hit by Charles, blending early rock & roll-style pop influences.

The result is a song that still holds up 65 years later and makes it impossible not to get up and dance.

With its now-iconic call-and-response format—featuring Charles trading lines with the Raelettes’ vocalist Margie Hendrix—the song turned a simple breakup story into a lively, almost theatrical performance.

The premise is powerful, as a woman tells a man to leave and never come back, leading to one of the most recognizable hooks in music history: “Hit the road Jack, and don’t you come back… no more, no more, no more, no more.”

The breakup anthem drew in audiences with a blend of attitude, sass, humor, and emotion, along with the conversational structure, as the uptempo tune found its way onto the charts, climbing to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for two weeks.

Its success extended to the R&B charts, holding the No. 1 spot for five weeks. 

And it didn’t just top the charts; it went on to become a cultural staple. At the end of 1961, it was ranked among the biggest songs of the year on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100. 

Charles’ soulful delivery only elevated the high-energy tune, which also boasts the extremely recognizable opening piano riff, cementing it as one of his signature and most enduring songs. 

It even spawned a response song from The Chantels titled “Well, I Told You.”

The legacy has only grown in the decades since its release. “Hit the Road Jack” earned a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and made its way onto Rolling Stone’s “Greatest Songs of All Time” list. 

In 2026, CBS News gave it a prestigious callout, ranking it among the 250 essential American songs of the past 250 years

Six decades later, a new generation is moving and grooving to it (including my kindergartener), as it finds new life across TV and movies, featured during spooky and playful scenes in Netflix’s Halloween film, The Curse of Bridge Hollow, and in Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool.

Neil Young has been called the “Godfather of Grunge.” He made Harvest. He made Rust Never Sleeps. He spent decades fighting his record label over creative control and once made a protest album, Landing on Water, about how landing a crashing jet in water guarantees everybody dies. He’s not a man associated with sweet-sounding orchestral pop. And yet for more than sixty years one song has lived permanently in his soul: “Be My Baby” by The Ronettes. Phil Spector‘s Wall of Sound. Ronnie Spector‘s voice. 42 takes. “It is in my soul,” Young says. “Phil Spector is a genius.”

The contradiction is the whole story. Young built his entire career on refusing to make the music anyone asked him to make. His record label spent several years begging him to sound more like a more commercially successful version of himself. Landing on Water was his iconic response: an album whose title referred to instructions for surviving an unsurvivable situation. “You’re landing on water where there’s no clear floor underneath you,” he explained. “Everybody dies.” That’s the man who loves “Be My Baby.” He heard no contradiction in that. Neither should we.

@oldiesvidz

Be My Baby – The Ronettes #60s #theronettes #oldies #singing #voice

♬ original sound – Oldiesvids

Now here’s what made him love it. “Be My Baby” was released in 1963 and peaked at No. 2 on Billboard. It’s Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound at its most complete: layers of instrumentation, orchestration, and echo stacked so densely that the song feels less like a recording and more like a place you can walk into.

The opening drum beat — bum-ba-bum-BOOM — was played by session drummer Hal Blaine. Here’s what makes it even more awesome: Blaine dropped his stick on the first take and missed the snare on beat two. He left that mistake in. That missing beat two is what makes the pattern so distinctive. “Soon everyone wanted that beat,” he said. You hear it, and you’re already inside the song before Ronnie opens her mouth.

Young mentions “the groove” specifically. That’s the exact groove he means: an accident that became more perfect than anything rehearsed. What most people don’t know is that only Ronnie Spector’s voice is on the track. The other Ronettes aren’t singing at all. Spector rehearsed Ronnie for weeks and had her record 42 takes before he finally got what he wanted. Jack Nitzsche arranged it. Young heard all of that. He didn’t just love the song. He peeled back the layers and understood how it was built from top to bottom. “The groove,” he said. “The beautifully resonant background vocals. The track. It is all one thing. Phil Spector is a genius. Jack Nitzsche is a genius.” Two declarations. No qualifications.

Related: Jim Morrison Claimed His Parents Were Dead — But His Father May Have Helped Launch the Vietnam War 62 Years Ago This Week

Spector died in prison in 2021, having been convicted of murder in 2009. Young’s declaration of genius refers specifically to what Spector built in the studio in 1963 — a distinction worth making and one Young has never walked back.

This is what Young does that most musicians don’t. He doesn’t just hear music. He hears what the music is doing and why. The Ronettes sound nothing like anything on Harvest or Tonight’s the Night. But the commitment to a specific sound — the absolute refusal to settle for anything less than exactly the right thing — is identical. Spector made Ronnie record 42 takes because take 41 wasn’t what he wanted. Blaine dropped a stick and made the most famous drum intro in pop history on accident.

Listen to the drum intro of “Like a Hurricane.” The way it builds before Young’s guitar arrives. That’s a man who learned from Hal Blaine’s opening beat what a properly placed moment of anticipation can do. He’s said similar things about The Beach Boys. Pet Sounds. Brian Wilson building something architecturally complex out of studio technology and sheer obsessive will. The same qualities. The same refusal to settle for almost right.

‘Be My Baby’ Is in My Soul

Young’s full declaration: “‘Be My Baby’ by the Ronettes has a sound I always will love. It is in my soul. Ronnie sings it so great. The groove, the beautifully resonant background vocals on the track: It is all one thing. Phil Spector is a genius. Jack Nitzsche is a genius.” That’s not a casual compliment. That’s a man who fights everyone for his creative vision, telling you that two other people got it exactly right. He’s still fighting.

Young headlined Glastonbury in 2025 and released Talkin’ to the Trees in June 2026. The muse is still presenting itself. Sometimes it’s feedback and distortion. Sometimes it’s Ronnie Spector recording the same two minutes and forty-three seconds forty-two times until Phil Spector heard what he’d been looking for. And sometimes it’s Hal Blaine dropping a stick and accidentally inventing the most imitated drum beat in pop history.

Neil Young spent decades refusing to make the music anyone asked him to make. He made protest albums about crashing jets. He fought every record label that tried to own his sound. And through all of it, one song stayed permanently in his soul: a 1963 girl group record that took 42 takes, two geniuses, and one dropped drumstick to make.

He never could shake it. He never tried.

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It can be quite a struggle to stay organized. Despite your best efforts, you might end up with a cabinet full of miscellaneous ingredients and drawers packed with items you don’t even remember buying. Crowded shelves can make it incredibly difficult to find what you want.

Your solution doesn’t have to be hefty or even especially big to make a difference. The Lamu Lazy Susan Organizer Set consists of three turntables that are designed to bring some ease to your life while helping you maintain a sense of order at home. It’s a solid deal, marked down to just $20 in clear, gray, and amber colorways during Amazon’s Prime Day event, which runs June 23 through June 26.

Lamu Lazy Susan Organizer Set, From $20 (was $26) at Amazon

Courtesy of Amazon

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Each set includes turntables measuring 9.25 inches, 10.6 inches, and 12 inches respectively, so you’ll have coverage no matter where you decide to use them. The most obvious use is in the kitchen, where you can quickly gather all of your spices and condiments in one place. Many shoppers also love using them in their fridge to keep similar items together and within easy reach. A quick spin and you can easily grab that piece of fruit or can of soda without rooting through the entire fridge!

Beyond the kitchen, lazy Susans are also especially useful in the bathroom. If you have an abundance of skincare and makeup, or you just want to keep your minimalist routine in one spot, a turntable like this can really help streamline your setup. Craft and hobby spaces are also a good fit for these rotating trays. You can use them to keep smaller items in one place and easy to find at all times. Even a desktop could be a sensible spot if you want to keep your office supplies in one central location.

The trays are thoughtfully designed with raised edges to prevent anything from slipping off as you spin. It rotates a full 360 degrees, with a smooth motion that makes it easy to find exactly what you want with a quick swivel. One shopper said that it’s “just right for maximizing space,” adding that it’s “great quality and really functional.” Another person dubbed it an “organizing dream come true.”

Related: Amazon’s ‘Stunning’ $87 Acacia Wood Table Is the ‘Perfect Size for a Small Patio’ 

There are so many ways to organize your home. However, if you’re looking for something that conserves space while making the most of the room that you have, a Lamu Lazy Susan Organizer Set makes a practical choice that won’t break the bank. With three pieces, you’ll have something to get every space under control. Grab it while it’s still on sale for just $20 at Amazon ahead of Labor Day!

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Bruce Springsteen surprised the crowd at Bleachers’ show in Asbury Park on Friday night, joining frontman Jack Antonoff onstage for a pair of nostalgic, Jersey-centric songs.

The moment came during Bleachers’ set at the Shadow of the City Festival at Stone Pony Summer Stage. Before launching into the performance, Antonoff spoke about what it meant to play so close to home. “There’s nothin’ like playing at home… There’s nothing like playing in the place you wrote the songs from,” he told the crowd, adding that being back among family and longtime supporters “means the world.”

As Antonoff began playing “Jersey Girl,” the crowd erupted when Springsteen walked out to join him. The song is often mistaken for one of Springsteen’s own compositions, given how closely it’s associated with him, but it was actually written by Tom Waits, appearing on his 1980 album, “Heartattack and Vine,” and inspired by his wife, Kathleen Brennan. Springsteen has performed it live for decades, dating back to a 1981 duet with Waits himself in Los Angeles, and it’s since become one of his signature covers.

The pair also performed “Chinatown,” marking the duo’s first time playing that particular song together since 2020.

Springsteen’s surprise cameo fits a career defined by these kinds of unannounced hometown appearances, particularly in New Jersey venues tied to his own musical roots. For longtime fans, seeing him reunite with Antonoff, a fellow New Jersey native who has cited Springsteen as a formative influence, added another chapter to a friendship that’s played out on local stages before.

Video of the performance quickly circulated online, with fans calling it one of the highlights of this year’s festival lineup. For a rock singer routinely ranked among the greatest vocalists in music history, moments like this reinforce why Springsteen’s live shows continue to be such a draw more than five decades into his career.