The singer behind the holiday hit “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” remains a beloved voice of 1950s nostalgia.

The first half of the 1970s was really the era for singer-songwriters, and these albums from that era prove it.

Miss Holiday, who became a singer more out of desperation than desire, was one of the most influential jazz musicians of her time.

Sedaka, who died Feb. 27, was a classical piano prodigy whose hits in the late '50s and early '60s included "Calendar Girl" and "Breaking up is Hard to Do." Originally broadcast in 2007.