What A Wonderful World
Louis Armstrong
Turned down by Tony Bennett
Penned by George David Weiss and Bob Thiele, “What a Wonderful World” achieved its iconic status through Louis Armstrong’s rendition, released in 1967. The song was conceived by the composers as a response to the heightened racial tensions of the late ’60s in the United States. Although it initially didn’t gain significant traction in the U.S., it soared to the top of the pop charts in the U.K.