Frankly, Sinatra still matters (with Seth MacFarlane)

What if the Chairman of the Board's biggest contribution to music wasn't his voice, but the blueprint he created for modern pop stardom? Frank Sinatra didn't just sing songs: he invented the concept album, injected his full personality into every performance, and created a template for artistic control that today's biggest stars still follow. His influence runs deeper than you think: Amy Winehouse titled her debut Frank as tribute, Jay-Z calls himself "the new Sinatra," and Frank Ocean borrowed his name from both Sinatra and Ocean's Eleven. That influence extends to unexpected places too: Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy, has been championing Sinatra's orchestral style for years, and through his friendship with the Sinatra family gained access to over 1,200 boxes of never-recorded arrangements. His new album Lush Life: The Lost Sinatra Arrangements features songs that arranged for Sinatra but never performed, uncovering musical treasures that reveal new insights into how the Chairman of the Board's innovations still shape the sound of pop music today.

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Songs Discussed

• Frank Sinatra "Fly Me to the Moon"
• Frank Sinatra "All the Way"
• Frank Sinatra "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning"
• Frank Sinatra "Something" (Beatles cover)
• Amy Winehouse "Halftime"
• Jay-Z "Empire State Mind"
• Frank Sinatra "Strangers in the Night"
• Frank Sinatra & Nancy Sinatra "Something Stupid"
• Frank Sinatra "New York, New York"
• Frank Sinatra "My Way"
• Sonny and Cher "I Got You Babe"
• Frank Sinatra "Laura"
• Seth MacFarlane "How Did She Look"
• Seth MacFarlane "Lush Life"
• Seth MacFarlane "Give Me the Simple Life"
• Seth MacFarlane "Shadows"
• Seth MacFarlane "Who's in Your Arms Tonight"

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