Song · James Taylor
“Carolina in My Mind” by James Taylor
From the album James Taylor (1968)
“Carolina in My Mind” by James Taylor appears on 9 radio countdowns from 4 stations between 2001 and 2026. It was first released in 1968 on the album James Taylor. Its best result is #220 on the WXPN 885 Ultimate Road Trip Songs (2010). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #2,158 indie & aaa song of all time.
Watch
Video from YouTube (ckovertime). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube
"Carolina in My Mind" sits on James Taylor's self-titled 1968 debut, and it was written far from home: Taylor was in England making the record for the Beatles' Apple label, and the homesickness is right there in the melody. Peter Asher produced and shook a tambourine, Mick Wayne added guitar, and the Apple connection shows in the credits, with Paul McCartney on bass and George Harrison among the backing voices.
Out as a single, it won the critics over and didn't sell. Taylor recut it for his 1976 Greatest Hits, and that later take is the one most people know. It has stayed in his live shows ever since, and North Carolina has more or less adopted it as an unofficial state anthem; the graduating class at UNC Chapel Hill sings it at commencement.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 1943 | WFPK | WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2000 |
| 2004 | 493 | WXPN | WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2004) | 885 |
| 2007 | 795 | WTMD | WTMD Top 897 Songs of All Time | 897 |
| 2009 | 384 | WXPN | WXPN 885 Desert Island Songs (2009) | 885 |
| 2010 | 220 | WXPN | WXPN 885 Ultimate Road Trip Songs (2010) | 885 |
| 2012 | 456 | WYEP | WYEP Top 500 Songs Countdown | 500 |
| 2014 | 858 | WXPN | WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2014) | 885 |
| 2020 | 1454 | WXPN | WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2020 |
| 2026 | 831 | WYEP | WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time | 1180 |
Also listed as: Carolina In My Mind; Carolina On My Mind; Carolina on my Mind.
Comments
Log in or create a free account to join the conversation about "Carolina in My Mind" by James Taylor.
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.