A look at some of Burt Bacharach’s biggest hits

To say that legendary composer Burt Bacharach was talented is a massive understatement. Bacharach wrote some of the most memorable and enduring songs of the 20th century that have stood the test of time.

The composer passed away at the age of 94 on Thursday, and leaves behind a catalog of music that will never be forgotten.

With over 500 songs under his belt, the six-time Grammy Award and three-time Oscar winner had over 1200 artists perform his songs over the course of his life.

Frequently working with Hal David, a talented lyricist in his own right, Bacharach has become immortalized for his inventory of songs performed by great American singers such as Dionne Warwick, Jackie DeShannon, Dusty Springfield, Tom Jones, and Aretha Franklin to name a few.

Here’s a look at some of Bacharach’s greatest hits.

‘Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head’ (1969)

Bacharach and David wrote ‘Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head’ for the 1969 film ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.’ B. J. Thomas’ vocals make the song, an uplifting number about someone who keeps positive despite whatever worries are going on in their life.

“It was a very unique and different sounding song, Bacharach and David never had any qualms about trying to do anything different, or push the envelope so to speak. So nowadays, it sounds pretty tame, but back then, radio resisted it to some degree,” Thomas said of the song in a 2011 interview.

‘The Look of Love’ (1967)

‘The Look of Love’ was featured in the 1967 parody James Bond film ‘Casino Royale’ and sung by Dusty Springfield. Originally meant as an instrumental, the song is a sensual bossa nova piece, made all the more sultry thanks to Springfield’s vocals.

‘What’s New Pussycat?’ (1965)

Made for the movie of the same name, the whimsical song features Tom Jones’ powerful vocals belting out the kitschy lyrics.

“When I first heard it I thought, ‘Christ! What the bloody hell do they want me to sing this for?’ But Burt Bacharach explained, ‘I want the big voice to sing this bloody crazy song, and you put it on, it’s a classic’,” Jones told Q magazine.

‘I Say A Little Prayer For You’ (1967)

While ‘I Say A Little Prayer For You’ was an instant hit, Bacharach was reportedly unimpressed by Dianne Warwick’s original rendition of the song and felt it was rushed.

Aretha Franklin was singing the song for fun with her backup singers ‘The Sweet Inspirations’, and ended up recording and releasing their rendition of the song in 1968.

“It’s a better record than the record we made,” Bacharach told Terry Goss on his ‘Fresh Air’ radio show. “It’s just more natural [...] Aretha just makes it seamless, the transition going from one change to another change. You never notice it.”