The 5 Best Barry Manilow Songs That Aren't Mandy

Barry Manilow's smash hit "Mandy" from 1974 is undeniably one of the most popular songs that will forever be tied to him. But like his fellow pop artist Neil Diamond, who is saddled with "Sweet Caroline" for life, Manilow's catalogue includes a huge number of other beloved tunes that deserve as much or more attention as "Mandy." Whether it's the sprawling narrative of love and loss of "Copacabana (At the Copa)" or the equally dramatic "Could It Be Magic" driven by Manilow's classical-tinged piano, there are so many Manilow songs that outshine "Mandy."

There are so many, in fact, that paring it down to just five wasn't easy. "Mandy" may have been Manilow's first No. 1 hit following an early career that included things you might not know about him — like how he wrote jingles and was Bette Midler's musical director – but still it's not the end all be all. In that spirit, here are our five choices for Manilow's best that showcase his vast talents.

Barry Manilow may have had his doubts about "Copacabana (At the Copa) " when he co-wrote and recorded this disco-pop song from 1978. He shouldn't have worried. It was a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned Manilow a Grammy. This is our personal favorite for its storytelling and its infectious, upbeat music that belies the song's subjects of violence, murder, and heartbreaking loss in the glittering setting of a 1940s night club. Beyond that, there are so many unique details in this song that give it even more dimension.

The addition of various sound effects in "Copacabana (At the Copa)," including the villain Rico's rude whistle to call Lola over to his table and a woman's scream after Rico shoots Lola's lover Tony, add a touch of melodrama amid swirling strings and theatrical background vocals. Then there's the high-energy Latin-influenced drum break that acts to separate the song's two narrative sections. In the second, 30 years have passed, and we now find Lola dealing with mental health and substance abuse issues, wearing her faded feathers and unable to break free from the tragic death of Tony. It's a song that both tells a riveting tale and gets you on your feet.

In contrast to the narrative fireworks of "Copacabana (At the Copa)," Barry Manilow's 1975 hit "Could It Be Love" is all about intimacy. But this love song still manages to pack in a lot of drama with its lyrics and music. Manilow based "Could It Be Magic" on Frédéric Chopin's "Prelude, Opus 28, No. 20 in C Minor" from 1839. This song about budding love and intense passion opens with slow, haunting chords that quote the Polish-French Romantic composer. It slowly builds before dramatically shifting into pop on the "Baby I want you now" hook.

There's even more added drama as the song crescendos with orchestral flourishes, background singers, and Manilow's passionate interpretation of the lyrics. The song then slows back down into the Chopin-like outro. It's a wild ride that showcases Manilow's piano playing and his intense voice.

Interestingly, the song was first released as an up-tempo number in 1971 with Manilow's early group, Featherbed, but it went nowhere. The slower studio version appeared on Manilow's first album in 1973, but didn't chart until it was re-released two years later. What could have remained a deep cut became another hit for Manilow and a fan favorite.

With a title like "Looks Like We Made It," it's no wonder that so many people misunderstand this No. 1 hit from 1977 that appeared on his 1976 album "This One's For You." Rather than a joyous song about two lovers surviving the ups and downs of life together, this is, in fact, Barry Manilow's saddest song about coming out the other end of a relationship and surviving apart. It's a melancholic tune that opens with piano and flugelhorn before Barry Manilow enters with a wistful tone to his voice.

With lyrics like "Looks like we made it/ Left each other on the way to another love," you can clearly see this isn't a traditional love song, but rather one about reflecting on lost love after moving on. The song wasn't written by Manilow, but rather by Will Jennings and Richard Kerr. Still, the singer made it his own and took it to the top of the charts.

In 1979, Barry Manilow released "Ships," a reinterpretation of a tune penned by Ian Hunter (the former lead singer of Mott the Hoople). The song appeared on Manilow's "One Voice" album. Unlike much of Manilow's work, this isn't a love song in the traditional sense. It's about the strained relationship between a father and his adult son and the layers of emotion and misunderstanding that keep them at arm's length — "We're two ships that pass in the night / And we smile when we say it's alright."

Hunter's version is more of a rock ballad, with organ and electric guitar, compared to Manilow's, which includes horns and strings (but is still less theatrical than some of his songs). It retains the emotional core of the original while being all Manilow. Manilow told the Associated Press in 1980 he felt his arrangement of the song included "exquisite orchestration" and was "one of the best things" he'd "been part of." The song went to No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became another part of the singer's canon of classics. It's arguably a much better-known version than Hunter's original.

Barry Manilow took the song "Can't Smile Without You" and, in his own words, decided to "treat it with a big smile" (via "Song Facts"). He included an intro with whistling, added several key changes, and vamped it up with an upbeat, bouncy feel that wouldn't be out of place in a showgirl kickline. While both the Carpenters and Engelbert Humperdinck tried their luck with this song in 1976, neither version was released as a single, and both lacked the same verve of Manilow's version.

In Manilow's hands, the song became an irresistible chance to sing along — one reason it became one of his concert staples and a fan favorite. His version appeared on his 1978 album "Even Now." The single shot to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained on the charts for 19 weeks. It's a classic Manilow tune like the others in this article that in our opinion, is as good if not better than "Mandy."