Deshannon ~ What The World Needs Now Is Love (1965): Jackie

Inside a dimly lit recording studio, Jackie DeShannon stood behind the microphone. She was already a trailblazer—one of the first female singer-songwriters to really crack the code of the industry—but today, she was nervous.

When Jackie sang the first line— "What the world needs now is love, sweet love" —the room shifted. There was no irony in her delivery. She wasn't singing it as a hippie anthem; she was singing it as a survival tactic. Jackie Deshannon ~ What the World Needs Now is Love (1965)

Jackie DeShannon’s version remains the definitive one because she didn't treat the lyrics like a Hallmark card. She sang them like a woman standing in the middle of a storm, holding a candle and refusing to let it go out. If you'd like, I can: Inside a dimly lit recording studio, Jackie DeShannon