"Bright Side Of The Road" by Van Morrison

Irish musician, singer, and songwriter Van Morrison got his start as the leader of the 60s garage band, Them. He wrote their classic, "Gloria," giving Morrison his first taste of chart success.

It wouldn't be long before he tasted success again, this time as a solo artist. A couple of his first singles went top 10: "Brown Eyed Girl" hit #10 in 1967 and "Domino" hit #9 in 1970. While Morrison flirted with the charts off and on again through the years, he'd never achieve these high positions again. Readers may be surprised to learn that some of his best known tunes did not perform too well when released, including "Wild Night" (#28), "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile" (#61), and "Moondance" (#92). "Crazy Love," "Into The Mystic," and "Have I Told You Lately" didn't even chart.

"Bright Side Of The Road" is one of Morrison's signature pick-me-up songs, bursting with joy. It bubbled under in 1979 but is not to be missed.