The Beatles - two of us, 1970

"The song was originally titled "On Our Way Home". Ian MacDonald suggested that the lyrics (e.g.: "you and I have memories/longer than the road that stretches out ahead" or "you and me chasing paper/getting nowhere") sounded like McCartney was probably addressing Lennon and contractual troubles."

Pink Floyd - another brick in the wall part three, 1979

"During "Part 1", the protagonist, Pink, begins building a metaphorical wall around himself following the death of his father. In "Part 2", traumas involving his overprotective mother and abusive schoolteachers become bricks in the wall. Following a violent breakdown in "Part 3", Pink dismisses everyone he knows as "just bricks in the wall."

Fleet Foxes - can i believe you live in church with the resistance revival chorus, 2020

"Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold brought the Shore song “Can I Believe You” to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Thursday night (December 10). He was joined at the St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church in Brooklyn by the Resistance Revival Chorus. Check it out below. After releasing Crack-Up in 2017, Robin Pecknold returned with the fourth Fleet Foxes record Shore on September 22 — the autumnal equinox. The band has since shared videos for album tracks “Sunblind” and “Can I Believe You.” On December 21 (the winter solstice), Pecknold will perform a solo acoustic set from Brooklyn’s St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church for A Very Lonely Solstice Livestream."

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - anne with an e, 2011

"We came out with an EP in 2009 after the record and we also did a stand alone single last summer. I mean, there were times when we thought, ‘Oh, this is great’, and it wasn’t, but the basic songs that we really, really like ended up being on the record; like ‘Belong’ and ‘Strange’, ‘Even in Dreams’, ‘The Body’. But some stuff turned out better than we thought and other stuff wasn’t as good. Songs like ‘Anne with an E’ and ‘Girl with a Thousand Dreams’, I initially thought those weren’t right for the record, but then we recorded them and they just made sense with the other songs; offered a balance and dynamic."

Mike Oldfield - part four north star platinum finale, 1979

"North Star/Platinum Finale" includes an excerpt from the 1977 Philip Glass composition "North Star". The lead melody is not borrowed from Glass but the choir's part is. The constant bass drum beat and octave-jumping bass line start the section and guitar enters with the melody later. A funky guitar riff and chorus appear, and the lead guitar continues to play the melody over them. Engineer Kurt Munkacsi was a frequent collaborator with Glass."

The Style Council - long hot summer extended version, 1983

"Long Hot Summer" is a song by the English band The Style Council which was their third single to be released. It was composed by lead singer Paul Weller, recorded between 12 and 17 June 1983 in the Grande Armée Studios in Paris, and released on 8 August 1983. In the UK "Long Hot Summer" was the lead track of an EP titled À Paris, which also contained the song "The Paris Match" (a different version of which, featuring Tracey Thorn from Everything But The Girl on lead vocal, was included on the band's first album Café Bleu) plus two keyboard instrumentals, "Party Chambers" and "Le Depart". In other countries it was a conventional single with "Long Hot Summer" as the A-side. It was also included on the 1983 mini-album Introducing The Style Council. The promotional video for "Long Hot Summer" was filmed on the River Cam in Cambridge. The song reached the position of number three in the UK singles chart making it the Style Council's biggest hit, and it remains a staple of Paul Weller's live concerts. By coincidence the British summer heat wave of 1983, most notably July, turned out to be one of the hottest on record – something that would not have been known at the time the song was written and recorded."

Status Quo - living on an island, 1979

"Living on an Island" is a single released by the British rock band Status Quo in 1979. It was included on the album Whatever You Want and featured Rick Parfitt on lead vocals. Lyrically, the song is about band member Rick Parfitt having to take a "tax year" outside of the United Kingdom and the boredom and isolation he felt living on the Isle of Jersey; however he is also excited about a pending visit from a friend ("Cruxie") who is arriving shortly."

Still Corners - we killed the moonlight, 2013

"On “We Killed The Moonlight” Tessa Murray sums up the entire sentiment of the album- ‘city sleeps, we lie awake’."

Jenny Hval - accident, 2019

"Hval, a polymathic artist as curious about her surroundings as she is headstrong, has a way of breaking down basic interactions and feelings most of us deem habitual. “In some ways, I’m responding to my wish, my hopes and dreams of being able to release my work in a less constricting way”

Public Service Broadcasting - everest, 2012

"The band mostly plays instrumental music; Willgoose has said that "singing is never going to work. I'm not going to be happy with it, I'm not going to be comfortable playing it to other people." Despite Willgoose's prior reservations about singing, he did later contribute vocals to the duet piece "You + Me" from Every Valley, because the intended vocalist was not available. They take samples from old public information films, archive footage and propaganda material. While writing The War Room the band formed a close relationship with the British Film Institute, using their films in live performances. The BFI find the band helpful in bringing a greater audience to their archives."

Grizzly Bear - half gate, 2012

“Half Gate,” one of several songs to feature lead vocals from both Droste and Rossen, begins on an elegant orchestral note and proceeds to swallow up the band with pounding tumult."

Belle And Sebastian - i don't know what you see in me, 2023

"With a strong electronic pop and “90s power ballad” influence, the song breaks new ground for the band. “[Ferguson] is so much younger than me, so there’s a whole swathe of music that’s passed me by, things I would never think of, which is what you want from a collaborator”

The Style Council - life at a top peoples health farm extended remix um and argh mix, 1988

"Although these features are now things that modern hard-disk recording includes as standard, being able to do these things for the first time in history was a thrilling experience. For example, in the song 'Confessions 1,2 & 3' there's a horn solo that originally just felt late rather than just lazy. Using digital editing techniques I was able to time-slide individual notes around until I got just the feel I was after. I was able to go through all of the tracks on all of the songs and erase small annoyances that previously I didn't have the precision to do - such as electrical pops in the middle of notes, or the squeaking of the piano stool. I rarely erase gasps of breath during vocals though - as I prefer just to automate a brief, minor volume reduction for a more natural result."

David Crosby - hero, 1993

"Hero" is a single performed by American singer-songwriter David Crosby from his third studio album, Thousand Roads (1993). The recording, released in April 1993 by Atlantic, features English drummer Phil Collins, who co-wrote the song with Crosby, produced it, sang backing vocals, and played drums, keyboards, and drum machine. Collins released a demo version, featuring his vocals only, as a B-side to the "We Wait and We Wonder" single release."

Mists - lost and found radio dept mont ventoux remix cover, 2009

Mists · Lost And Found (Mont Ventoux Remix)

 

 

United States

Damien Jurado - what happened to the class of sixty-five, 2022

"he’s brilliant at encapsulating the cautious hope that comes with missing someone"

Lifelong Corporation - i ran a flock of seagulls runner mix cover, 2022

"Lifelong Corporation is a retro sound band from Valencia, Spain."

Warahenege - blue atoms, 2023

"Taking our cue from the song’s title, the connection between music and science is a fairly simple one to make, after all when you break music down to its composite parts, it’s just as much a formula as it is an art. Perhaps the same can be said of love, with its emotion-inducing cocktail of chemicals that takes over our brain, changing our perspective on the world. The reason we’re making these links between music, science and love is that the musician’s wistful new track ‘Blue Atoms’ was inspired by a seemingly magical transition from solitude to a deep bond, one that helps to overcome feelings of melancholia."

In Tall Buildings - bawl cry wail, 2015

"In stark contrast to the dense polyrhythms echoed by NOMO's albums, Driver uses a relatively simple palette to create spacious pop songs, leaving plenty of room for Hall's often Peter Gabriel-esque vocals to shine. The music, though culled from every guitar, keyboard, and drum he managed to fit into his home studio, is powerful in it's restrained simplicity, and it's a compelling foil to the haunting gravity of his vocal performance. Never rushed, his melodies deliver elliptical lyrics that manage to feel intimate, while retaining a sense of mystery. Ultimately, the album's melancholic vibe is relatable, rather than moping or histrionic, and in the end these songs are incredibly comforting and inviting."

Veronicavon - good girl, 2023

"One of the highlights of veronicavon’s dreamy, casually devastating Next Life EP — released last November — is the opener “Good Girl,” a heartbreak number that oozes nostalgia."

David Crosby - music is love, 1971

"In 1971, Crosby released his first solo album, If I Could Only Remember My Name, rubbished at the time by many critics but subsequently reappraised – it was gnomically named in 2010 by the Vatican City State newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, as the second best album ever (after the Beatles’ Revolver)."

The Style Council - the paris match early version, 1983

"Introducing The Style Council is a mini-LP by English band the Style Council, released in 1983. It was released only in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, Japan, and the Netherlands. Though not officially released in the United Kingdom, the Dutch release was heavily imported. Introducing The Style Council includes tracks from the band's first three UK single releases, as well as the club mix version of "Long Hot Summer". The band's official, full-length studio album, Café Bleu, was released the following year."

Public Image Ltd - hawaii, 2023

“Hawaii” is an ode to Lydon’s wife of 43 years, Nora Forster, and her battle with Alzheimer’s. The song references one of the couple’s favorite places to visit and has been described as “as close as John will ever come to bearing his soul." Lydon’s decision to participate in 67th annual Eurovision surprised many who know the former Sex Pistols frontman as a punk provocateur. “I have a reputation as a musician and insane punk, I’m gonna have to blend those two things around a love song,” Lydon said in a preview reel ahead of the band’s televised performance."

The Stranglers - walk on by cover, 1978

"Walk On By" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for singer Dionne Warwick in 1963. Warwick's recording of the song peaked at number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the Cash Box Rhythm and Blues Chart In June 1964 and was nominated for a 1965 Grammy Award for the Best Rhythm and Blues Recording."

God Help The Girl - i just want your jeans, 2009

"It is the influence of 60s girl groups and orchestration that is most pervasive throughout this record. Think of the heavily orchestrated tracks from Dear Catastrophe Waitress (for instance, the flourishes of the title track) to get an idea. This is most apparent on tracks like “Musician, Please Take Heed”, “I’ll Have To Dance With Cassie”, and “I Just Want Your Jeans”. Then there are the vocal performances from Stuart’s so-called “girl group”, in several places an homage to the great girl groups of the 60s such as on the title track. (Also of note is the contrast of the 60s style female vocals against the 80s new wave style of Neil Hannon on “Perfection as a Hipster”, which somehow works.)"

The Strokes - razorblade, 2005

"The song’s this somewhat upbeat sounding song about emotional manipulation. I say upbeat because I hear that opening guitar riff by Nick Valensi in the left channel, those fiddly guitar lines he does during the verses, or Albert Hammond Jr’s solid rhythm guitar work all throughout, and I can’t help but think there’s something summery about the sound of it all. Like all this relationship turbulence is happening at the beach. Julian Casablancas is not singing about an actual razorblade here. The razorblade is a metaphor for love, as he states in the first line of the track, and he places this razorblade as the central component within this relationship of a couple who sound like they can’t stand each other, but, deep down, care for each deeply. Casablanca’s melody choices and delivery, that chorus reminds me of one of those old schoolchildren taunts from back in the day, make it sound like the whole affair’s pretty trivial and a bit silly. But love can be that way, I guess."

Madrugada - the kids are on high street, 2005

"The Deep End is majestic beast of a record, even by Madrugada's not-too-humble standards. This album, their fourth since their 1999 debut, managed to establish them as an award-winning, platinum-selling thinking man's arena rock band in their native Norway. Think a rockier, darker version of R.E.M. circa 1992. The first track is the instant classic "The Kids Are on High Street," a slow but grand epic where Sivert Høyem sings in a slightly higher pitch than his usually bassy croon, giving the vocals newfound intensity and urgency. Its huge guitar leads are of the epic Western movie variety, producing an almost cinematic feel. There are also several great soulful ballads here, using Høyem's compelling voice to great effect. The el-piano and slide guitar-driven "Sail Away" is a good example of this; even better is the aptly titled "The Lost Gospel," a slow-burner whose sound is dominated by a beautifully played Hammond organ and tremolo guitar, making it possibly one of Madrugada's finest recorded moments to date."

Harpers Bizarre - the drifter, 1968

"Harpers Bizarre's third album continued their mildly eccentric soft rock direction, remaining as mildly eccentric ever, but growing ever softer. In truth, this skirts adult contemporary Muzak almost as it does anything that could be considered rock music, and is rather a dark day in the annals of sunshine pop."

Ian Van Dahl - castles in the sky, 2000

"Castles in the Sky" is a song by Belgian music project Ian Van Dahl from their debut album, Ace (2002). The vocalist is Belgian singer Marsha, who also co-wrote the song. The single was released in Europe in 2000 and the United Kingdom in 2001. The song was a modest success in mainland Europe and was a hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number three on the UK Singles Chart and number one on the Scottish Singles Chart for two weeks."

The KLF - no more tears, 1991

"of course comes the first proper commercial album from KLF, The White Room. A combination of hearty dance hits like 'Last Train To Transcentral', '3 AM' and 'What Time Is Love' with more ethereal material like 'No More Tears', an Ambient reggae House cut, balancing the mix. By throwing in bits of the Big Country theme and space invaders sounds, and with the gorgeous voice of Maxine Harvey topping the mix, KLF have finally come out of their corner fighting, with a commercial album whose production values are up there with those of Prince and Madonna."

Thom Yorke - suspirium, 2018

"There's a way of repeating in music that can hypnotise. I kept thinking to myself that it's a form of making spells. So when I was working in my studio I was making spells. I know it sounds really stupid, but that's how I was thinking about it."

Devine And Statton - don't it make my brown eyes blue cover, 1989

"In 2024, Rolling Stone ranked the song at #109 on its 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time ranking."

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - heart in your heartbreak, 2011

"The music consists of a fuzzy blur with the consistency and effect of caffeine coated adderal, but somehow it transmits itself into becoming much more than that. It almost seems to be conflicted with an awful case of 59 sound-it-is, because no matter how many hooks they try, no hook falls flat, no matter how many cliché’s they pump into their music, it all sounds fresh, and goddamn it, by the end of the month, this entire album is just going to sound anthemic."

Phil Collins - it's in your eyes, 1996

"It's in Your Eyes" is a single performed by Phil Collins and released in 1996 as the second single from his album Dance into the Light. A Beatles-esque melody, both melodically and lyrically - closing mirroring the Beatles song, "Any Time at All", the song only reached #30 UK Singles Chart and fared worse on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, reaching #77. However, the song did reach the top 10 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart."