‘Same Old Lang Syne’ by Dan Fogelberg – Classic Hit or Miss

After graduating from Woodruff High School in 1969, Fogelberg studied theater arts and painting at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He began performing as a solo acoustic player in area coffeehouses, including the Red Herring Coffeehouse, where he made his first solo recordings as part of a folk festival recording in 1971. He was discovered that year by Irving Azoff. Fogelberg and Azoff—who started his music-management career promoting another Champaign-Urbana act, REO Speedwagon—moved to California to seek their fortunes.

Azoff sent Fogelberg to Nashville to hone his skills, where he became a session musician and recorded his first album, with producer Norbert Putnam. In 1972, Fogelberg released his debut album Home Free to lukewarm response. He performed as an opening act for Van Morrison. Fogelberg's second effort was much more successful—the 1974 Joe Walsh–produced album Souvenirs and its song "Part of the Plan" became Fogelberg's first hit.

From there, he would chart several songs and wrack up several gold and platinum albums, until his death in 2007 of Prostate Cancer.

"Same Old Lang Syne" hit #9 on the charts in 1980.