130 Million Records Sold: The Journey of Neil Diamond
Growing up in New York, Neil Diamond couldn’t have imagined that decades later, he would record a #1 worldwide hit with Barbara Streisand, a classmate of his back in 1955. Yet, that very thing happened, marking a unique chapter in his extraordinary career.
Neil’s path to success was neither quick nor straightforward, so let’s delve into the steps that took him from aspiring songwriter to global sensation.
Neil’s obsession with songwriting began at a young age, after watching Pete Seeger perform at a youth camp. He soon began writing poetry for girls at school, turning these poems into songs, which his friends used to impress their own crushes. His early enthusiasm led him to skip school and head to Tin Pan Alley, hoping to get noticed by the music industry. Eventually, his persistence paid off when he landed a job as a songwriter, leading him to drop out of college.
Though his job offer was initially only for 16 weeks, it didn’t last, and his contract wasn’t renewed. Despite this setback, Neil didn’t give up. He spent the next seven years working as a songwriter for various publishing houses.
In 1966, he decided to strike out on his own again, starting to release his own music. This marks the beginning of an eleven-year period in which Neil Diamond penned some of his most iconic songs and also covered several well-known tracks.
Here are the best-known original songs he released up until 1977:
- Solitary Man (1966)
- Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon (1967)
- I’m A Believer (1967)
- Red Red Wine (1967)
- Sweet Caroline (1969)
- You Don’t Bring Me Flowers (1977)
His covers also garnered significant attention, including:
- La Bamba (1966)
- Monday Monday (1966)
- Mr. Bojangles (1969)
- Everybody’s Talkin‘ (1969)
- Both Sides Now (1969)
- He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother (1970)
- Suzanne (1971)
- God Only Knows (1977)
- Dancing In The Street (1979)
- Baby Can I Hold You (1988)
One of Neil’s most notable covers was You Don’t Bring Me Flowers, which he first recorded in 1977 before Barbara Streisand recorded her version in 1978. DJs began playing both versions simultaneously, creating a unique cross-promotional effect.
This led to Neil and Barbara reuniting musically in 1978, marking a strange but iconic moment as they came together two decades after first meeting in school. You Don’t Bring Me Flowers turned out to be Neil’s final major hit.
Throughout his illustrious career, Neil Diamond sold an astounding 130 million records, the majority of which were sold between 1966 and 1977, during his peak years from Solitary Man to You Don’t Bring Me Flowers.
Neil Diamond Tunes | Related Pages
Baby Can I Hold You | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Baby Can I Hold You by Tracy Chapman using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| D (Dsus2) | A7sus4 A7sus2 A7 | Em |
Sorry, is all that you can say…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Baby Can I Hold You (Tracy Chapman) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Dancing In The Street | Chords + Lyrics
You can learn to play Dancing In The Street by Martha and the Vandellas using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| E7 | E7 (D/E) | E7 | E7 (D/E) |
Callin’ out around the world, are you ready for a brand new beat…
Everybody’s Talkin’ | Chords + TAB
You can learn to play Everybody’s Talkin’ by Harry Nilsson using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| Cmaj7 G6 | Cmaj7 G6 |
Everybody’s talkin’ at me…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Everybody’s Talkin’ (Harry Nilsson) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
I’m A Believer | Chords + TAB
You can learn to play I’m a Believer by The Monkees using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| G | D | G | G |
I thought love was only true in fairy tales…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: I’m a Believer (The Monkees) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Sweet Caroline | Chords + TAB
You can learn to play Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| B | B | E | E |
Where it began, I can’t begin to knowing…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Sweet Caroline (Neil Diamond) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Neil Diamond on the web
