My 100 Favorite Charted Pop Songs: Games People Play (They Just Can’t Stop It)

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Another day, another wild mismatch of sounds for the two songs from my respective lists of all-time favorites from the singles charts in pop and country. You expect it, because country — or the country music I like — was as different from rock as night is from day. (These days, with Beyoncé doing “country” albums? No.) So let’s get started on the pop side today with this classic. Games People Play (They Just Can’t Stop It) - Spinners No relation to the Joe South song “The Games People Play,” nor the Alan Parsons Project song “Games People Play.” Wow, people play a lot of games in music! Man, this is a great tune. Incredible Thom Bell “Philly soul” production with a rich tapestry of vocals. The instrumentation, the singing…everything in this just epitomizes the Philly soul sound of the 70s. This was one of the first 45s that I bought when I started listening to rock and roll. It’s still magical all these years later. Games People Play (They Just Can’t Stop It) Written by Joseph B. Jefferson, Bruce Hawes, and Charles Simmons Recorded by the Spinners From Pick of the Litter, 1975 Peak chart position: #5 Today’s country song: “Crazy Arms” 12:45, headed for the subway home: