Louis Armstrong defied his record label in 1967 to record "What a Wonderful World," even though the label's president hated the idea and tried to shut the session down. James A. Brown recounts how Armstrong wanted a song that put race and class aside, and how his producer quietly removed the meddlesome executive so Armstrong could finish the take—talk about poetic stubbornness and a producer with better people skills. The track didn't become a hit right away; it only caught fire after Armstrong's death when it appeared in the 1987 film Good Morning, Vietnam. Brown guides listeners through the messy studio drama and the song’s slow climb from contested oddball to beloved American standard. Today it's widely regarded as one of the greatest songs ever written and performed, a simple, heartfelt anthem that stuck around despite the odds.