Popular stories on MusicTales

1. 

   Film

   Five tones of Spielberg's alien language

   Close Encounters of the Third Kind—Steven Spielberg’s first and perhaps best attempt at sci-fi—was released in 1977…

   August 23, 2018

2. 

   Poetry

   Guantanamera: meaning and origin of the Cuban song

   Guantanamera means a woman from Guantánamo, the Cuban city that gives the song its title. The word is a demonym—a name…

   December 4, 2020

3. 

   Meditation

   Mantra of Avalokiteshvara: meaning and purpose of popular Buddhist chants

   Avalokiteśvara is one of the central figures of Buddhism whose name is often associated with several mantras chanted by…

   March 29, 2020

4. 

   Music Theory

   Popular songs using Lydian mode

   In Western music, the vast majority of classical compositions and popular songs are written using only two diatonic…

   July 26, 20206 comments

5. 

   Music Theory

   Popular songs featuring Phrygian mode and Neapolitan chord

   Western music theory describes seven diatonic scales that are the basis of corresponding musical modes, among which the…

   April 29, 2020

6. 

   Music Theory

   Classic examples of the Phrygian mode through the music eras

   From Middle Ages to modernity, Western music has been largely based on diatonic scales that organize seven notes into…

   August 24, 20194 comments

7. 

   Songwriter

   Bamboléo: meaning and origin of the Gipsy Kings song

   Bamboléo, released by the French band Gipsy Kings in the 1980s, remains the defining genre entry of its era. The band's…

   July 2, 2022

8. 

   Songwriter

   Bésame Mucho: song meaning and source of inspiration behind the famous Mexican bolero

   Bésame Mucho is one of the most famous songs in music history that has been tirelessly performed for the past eighty…

   June 28, 20201 comment

9. 

   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…

   May 14, 20186 comments

10. 

    Band

    Emotion over meaning: the enigmatic lyrics of Cocteau Twins in the languages of glossolalia

    Having first appeared in religious practices, the term glossolalia referred to the ability of a believer to…

    June 5, 20192 comments

11. 

    Music Theory

    5 songs featuring Dorian mode

    Out of all seven diatonic scales, the major and minor scales have been the two most prevalent in Western music…

    August 30, 2020

12. 

    Music Theory

    7 songs featuring Mixolydian mode

    The dominance of the major and minor modes in Western classical music has been observed for several centuries, and this…

    October 12, 20202 comments

13. 

    Music Theory

    Mixolydian mode: famous examples in classical and pop music

    In the 17th century, the major and minor scales became the basis for almost all classical music compositions. This…

    April 5, 202013 comments

14. 

    Orchestra

    The Flower Duet of Lakmé: the love drama of an Indian girl and a British soldier made airborne

    The Flower Duet is a famous operatic duet which popularity has spread far beyond interests of classical music audience…

    September 18, 2019

15. 

    Music Theory

    8 songs to introduce Aeolian mode and natural minor scale

    Over the past centuries, the composition of polyphonic music has been primarily focused on seven diatonic scales…

    November 12, 2020

16. 

    Songwriter

    I Am a Poor Wayfaring Stranger: origins and lyrics of the famous folk song

    The Wayfaring Stranger is an American folk song with an uncertain origin. The song's various versions share a common…

    May 14, 2023

17. 

    Guitar

    Amor Eterno: meaning behind Juan Gabriel's song of loss

    Amor Eterno is one of Juan Gabriel's most enduring songs of grief, memory, and love after death. Written by the Mexican…

    April 15, 2023

18. 

    Songwriter

    Easy Skanking: meaning and themes in the famous Bob Marley album opener

    Easy Skanking is the opening song on Bob Marley’s tenth studio album Kaya released in 1978 and preceding the historic…

    August 2, 2020

19. 

    Poetry

    Zefiro Torna: famous madrigal by Monteverdi lauds the west wind that brings spring

    Originating in the 14th century as a poetic form, the madrigal is a short poem of lyrical content. During the…

    September 11, 2019

20. 

    Music Theory

    Plagal cadence exemplified by 9 songs in all diatonic modes

    In musical theory, the term cadence is applied to the chord progressions that create a sense of resolution at the end…

    October 29, 20202 comments

21. 

    Choir

    Shosholoza: meaning and origin of the famous African work song

    With its origins going back to the gold mines of South Africa, Shosholoza holds a firm place in the cultural…

    October 1, 2020

22. 

    Music Theory

    Lydian mode: famous examples throughout the music history

    Major and minor modes are the most used diatonic scales in classical and popular music due to their versatile structure…

    January 12, 2020

23. 

    Classical Guitar

    Capricho Arabe: the first composition of Francisco Tarrega became his epitaph

    Capricho Arabe is the most popular work of the iconic Spanish guitarist Francisco Tárrega who initiated the revival of…

    July 5, 2020

24. 

    Songwriter

    Quimbara: meaning and origin of the best-known salsa

    Quimbara is an essential salsa track first recorded by Celia Cruz, a popular Cuban singer, and Johnny Pacheco, a…

    September 22, 2021

25. 

    Music Theory

    Beatles songs featuring Lydian mode

    One of the main reasons for the long-term popularity of The Beatles songs is undoubtedly their developed and varied…

    July 9, 2021

26. 

    Choir

    Gershwin's Summertime: the most recorded song draws inspiration from Ukrainian lullaby and African American spiritual

    Written by the American composer George Gershwin in 1934, Summertime aria is now the most recorded song in the history…

    July 3, 20193 comments

27. 

    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…

    May 21, 20181 comment

28. 

    Music Theory

    Deceptive cadence: chord progressions and song examples

    In music, cadences play a crucial role in the organization of musical phrases and sentences. The concept of cadences is…

    July 9, 2020

29. 

    Nature Sounds

    8 orchestral pieces depicting thunderstorms

    Of all the meteorological phenomena, thunderstorms are perhaps one of the most imposing forces of nature, so it is not…

    August 23, 2020

30. 

    Orchestra

    Handel's Sarabande: obscure keyboard suite that found its iconic orchestration in Barry Lyndon movie

    The sarabande is a fiery carnival dance that originated in the 16th century in Central America and then spread to Spain…

    February 3, 2021