Popular Song

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SONGWRITER

Just Another Diamond Day: the stunning rediscovery of the hippie-era gem

Vashti Bunyan is an English singer and songwriter primarily known for her 1970 album Just Another Diamond Day, which was...
Cor Anglais

The alloy of melody and spoken word in the music of Reynaldo Hahn

Reynaldo Hahn was a Venezuelan-born—later naturalized French—composer, pianist, and singer who wrote in the French...
SONGWRITER

The timeless tragedy of Molly Malone

Not many songs can boast international recognition of being so deeply and fondly Irish the way Molly Malone does. Also...
FILM

The unique music garden of Toru Takemitsu

Widely considered to be the greatest composer in the classical music tradition in modern Japan, Toru Takemitsu merged...
SONGWRITER

La Mer poem became an international hit after years of searching for a melody

Charles Trenet was one of the most influential popular French songwriters in the mid-20th century. A performer of...
SONGWRITER

German roots of the Moon of Alabama

The Alabama Song first appeared in a collection of five poems published by German playwright Bertolt Brecht in 1927,...
SONGWRITER

Voice of Wassoulou preserves the ancient roots of West Africa

Oumou Sangaré is a Malian singer regarded as the greatest female voice in modern African music. She began her career as...
FILM

The drama of The Chain kept alive on the big screen

The Chain, included on Fleetwood Mac’s classic 1977 Rumours album, has retained that particular brand of culturally...
Trombone

Moonlight Serenade got its name to contrast the sun

Glenn Miller, American big band leader, composer, and trombonist, is considered the primary musical symbol of the World...
SONGWRITER

Cream's biggest hit inspired by Hendrix's debut in England

Sunshine of Your Love by the British rock band Cream is perhaps their best known song that spawned numerous covers...
SONGWRITER

I Put a Spell on You: the wild roots of the song's blackout drunk recording

I Put a Spell on You is a 1956 song written by Screamin' Jay Hawkins that became an instant classic and remained his...
SONGWRITER

There were no bluebirds over the White Cliffs of Dover

(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover is an iconic song composed in 1941 by the American songwriting... 4 comments
FILM

Easy Living owes Billie Holiday for giving it voice

A tender ballad Easy Living has forthright lyrics that declare just how wonderful life can be when living for someone...
WILLIAM BLAKE

Prog rock version of Jerusalem was banned by BBC

Jerusalem is a British national song based on a poem by William Blake printed in 1808. At the heart of the poem is the... 4 comments
SONGWRITER

Ursula Le Guin as told through English alt-folk

Alt-folk band This Is the Kit is a project started by the British musician Kate Sables that comes to life through...
SONGWRITER

The Birth of 'Venus': from Stephen Foster, to The Big 3, and Shocking Blue

Stephen Foster (1826—1864) was an American composer whose vast contribution to a popular song, specifically the ballad... 2 comments
MALE VOCAL

Dede Efendi: the father of the famous Ottoman waltz

İsmail Dede Efendi (1778–1846) is one of the greatest Turkish classical composers. He has created masterpieces in all...
SONGWRITER

MTV and EMI did not appreciate the concept of Kate Bush's iconic Running Up That Hill

Running Up That Hill, initially titled A Deal with God, is no doubt the most iconic work of Kate Bush which came to life... 1 comment
SONGWRITER

The swan song of Abbey Lincoln, the voice of human rights

Abbey Lincoln, born Anna Marie Wooldridge, was a popular American jazz singer who wrote songs about black culture and...
Cello

Classical cello tribute to Bob Marley's No Woman No Cry

Sheku Kanneh-Mason is one of today’s most exciting young cellists. His 2018 debut album Inspiration featured the...
HARP

The Celtic Baroque roots of Stairway to Heaven

Irish musician Turlough O'Carolan (1670-1738) is considered to be a pioneer in blending court music of the Baroque era... 6 comments
SONGWRITER

The rock'n'roll wave overshadowed Lazybones writer

Hoagy Carmichael was an American composer, singer, pianist, and actor who wrote quite a few songs that ended up becoming...
TECHNOLOGIES

Massive Attack to record anniversary album on genetic code

Massive Attack is known for their innovative approach to producing and promoting music, and even their modern classic...
FIDDLE

The jig dance tradition: five centuries old and still counting

Jig is a folk dance that became popular in Scotland and northern England in the 16th century and in Ireland in the 18th...
SONGWRITER

Four continents come together for Manu Chao's Clandestino

In Latin America and Europe, this guy is virtually an icon who seems to have taken the role of Bob Marley. Manu Chao is...
Classical Guitar

Flow, My Tears found popularity after John Dowland gave it lyrics

Originally composed as an instrumental theme, the lute song Flow, My Tears was created by the English Renaissance...
SONGWRITER

Ellington's classic song established swing as a jazz form

It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) is a 1931 composition by Duke Ellington with lyrics by Irving Mills,...
SONGWRITER

Who is the true architect behind The House of the Rising Sun?

The authorship of The House of the Rising Sun can not be accurately determined to this day, since the song is a folk...
Collaboration

World musicians Kronos Quartet destroy the shackles of genre

Since its founding in '70s, the Kronos Quartet has become the foremost herald of chamber music, successful at breaking...
GUITAR

The irony of Cuban love song in the work of trova-musician Compay Segundo

Chan Chan was written in 1987 by Cuban singer Máximo Francisco Repilado Muñoz Telles, known as Compay Segundo. The song... 1 comment

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