American Music Time Machine: "The Living Years" - Mike and the mechanics - March 24, 1989

"The Living Years" is a ballad written by Mike Rutherford and B. A. Robertson, and recorded by Rutherford's British rock band Mike + The Mechanics. It was released in December 1988 in the United Kingdom and in the United States as the second single from their albumLiving Years.

The song was a chart hit around the world, topping the US Billboard Hot 100 on 24 March 1989, and reaching No.1 in Canada and Australia and No.2 in the UK.

It spent four weeks at No. 1 on the US Adult Contemporary chart. Paul Carrack sings lead vocals on the track.