Vinyl Nostalgia 
“A Whiter Shade of Pale” is a song by the English rock band Procol Harum, released as their debut single on May 12, 1967. Three weeks later, the song reached No. 1 on the UK charts and remained there for six weeks. Without intensive promotion, it reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. It also became one of the unofficial anthems of the “Summer of Love” in 1967. The single sold over 10 million copies worldwide.
Procol Harum’s debut LP was released in 1967, but this track was not included on it. It was only added to the version released in the U.S., where “A Whiter Shade of Pale” opens Side A. So if you’re looking for this album, be sure to get the U.S. version.
There are songs that stay in your heart for a lifetime and can stir up immense emotions almost every time you listen to them. This is one of those songs! I initially placed it much lower on this list, but I think it’s time to admit that it’s a true masterpiece of 1960s music.
In 1977, “A Whiter Shade of White” won a Brit Award in the category “Best British Pop Single 1952–1977,” incidentally tied with Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
