Here Are 10 Times Clive Davis Helped Make Hits

No music executive has ever been so powerful as to become synonymous with the whole of the music industry itself. But if anyone came close, it was Clive Davis. The record company lawyer who launched or resurrected the careers of superstars died Monday at 94. The AP suggests the best way to celebrate his impact is to listen to the musicians and songs he was instrumental in turning into career artists and timeless hits, starting at Columbia Records in the 1960s. Here are 10 of the best:

• "I Will Always Love You": Whitney Houston, 1992. Apparently, Davis and producer David Foster fought bitterly over the arrangement, a cover of Dolly Parton's hit. Davis wanted the final version to feature a 40-second a cappella intro, an experiment suggested by Houston's Bodyguard co-star Kevin Costner. Foster did not. Davis won.

• "Smooth": Santana ft. Rob Thomas, 1999. It was Davis who conceived of Santana's album Supernatural, which paired guitar virtuoso Carlos Santana with some of the day's hottest talents. The record won eight Grammys and gave Carlos more success than he had ever enjoyed in his decades-long career. At its center is "Smooth" with Matchbox Twenty singer Rob Thomas, a track Carlos originally hated but Davis sold him on.
• "Freeway of Love": Aretha Franklin, 1985. Franklin had long been a star before joining Davis at Arista Records. But by the early '80s, with Franklin's commercial success fading as musical tastes changed, Davis helped revitalize her career. The R&B-pop track from her 1985 record Who's Zoomin' Who? brought her back to the top of conversation. Their partnership was one for the books; it's no wonder she once referred to him as "the greatest record man of all time."
• "Piece of My Heart": Big Brother and the Holding Company ft. Janis Joplin, 1967. Attending the Monterey International Pop Festival in 1967 was pivotal for a young Davis, who became so enamored with the performances that they transformed his approach to running Columbia Records. He'd just been named president of the label and used his power to bring a counterculture spirit to a company that had resisted rock 'n' roll. But of the lineup, no act resonated with Davis quite like Big Brother, and in particular, the soulful singer Janis Joplin. Their partnership began then, when he took "Piece of My Heart," suggesting a chorus be added and its run time and instrumentals be shortened, and turned it into a No. 1 hit.
• "Blinded by the Light": Bruce Springsteen, 1973. Davis was an early adopter of Springsteen, as he was of many artists across his career. He gave the young singer-songwriter from New Jersey a chance in his early twenties and inspired him to write the everlasting single, "Blinded by the Light" from his 1973 debut album, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.

• "Fallin'": Alicia Keys, 2001. It's not so much that Davis had a role in the debut single from the nascent, big-voiced Alicia Keys, but he was one of her first and most ardent supporters. He signed her to his J Records and helped make her the star she is today. He saw her greatness immediately and at the very beginning.
• "Mandy": Barry Manilow, 1974. Over 50 years ago, Davis threw a party to celebrate the release of Arista Records' first Grammy record of the year nominee: Barry Manilow's "Mandy." Stevie Wonder showed up, as did John Denver and Elton John. What was a one-off celebration morphed into one of the best-known and most exclusive parties of the year: the annual pre-Grammy fundraising event hosted by Davis, held every year on the Saturday before the Sunday award show. But his fabulous gala was not the only reason this song is on the list. It is evidence of Davis' ability to identify a hit and pair it with the right artist: He gave "Mandy" to Manilow.
• "Piano Man": Billy Joel, 1973. "Clive Davis convinced me to sign with Columbia Records many years ago," Joel posted Monday on Instagram. "He recognized the talent of great musicians and understood the power of contemporary music." The album that he released immediately after said signing? That was Piano Man.

• "Blame It on the Rain": Milli Vanilli, 1989. Like every major music executive, Davis didn't make the right call every time. His Arista label had huge success with country superstars Brooks & Dunn, R&B group TLC, singer-songwriter and producer Babyface, Houston, Franklin, and more. He also knocked it out of the park with Milli Vanilli, the male pop duo. The pair would soon become the embarrassment of the industry when, after winning a Grammy, it was revealed that they weren't actually singing their songs. That didn't stop "Blame It on the Rain" from becoming a huge hit.
• "Since U Been Gone": Kelly Clarkson, 2004. Davis and Clarkson had a complicated relationship. Davis said he found the song for Clarkson, one of the biggest of her career, though he wrote in his memoir that she didn't want to record it originally. Clarkson says it is because she was told she would cowrite the song, but by the time she got to Sweden to work with producers and songwriters Max Martin and Dr. Luke, it had already been completed. It's an example of Davis' keen ear—and his fallibility.