The Cure - a night like this, 1985

"A Night Like This" contains a saxophone solo by Ron Howe from Fools Dance."

The Moody Blues - eyes of a child part two, 1969

"Unlike part 1, this is a hard rocker, though a bit abbreviated at 1:20. The lyrics for the chorus are the same as part 1, but the music is entirely different."

Beirut - so allowed, 2015

"It’s strange to feel sad about a set of generally happy songs. It’s as if the romanticism of world music alienates Condon now, its faux European twists too reminiscent of a past he knew and has since waved goodbye to because someone else left him with no other choice. The fact that No No No was recorded during New York’s blizzard-filled winter doesn’t help. It’s clear he’s found new love, but it hasn’t taken hold with that adolescent magic. There’s unfinished wanting; “I want to say you’re mine,” Condon repeats come the end of “So Allowed”. He’s smiling the best he can, but the spirit is stifled, tired. Who can blame him? No No No is agreeable front to back, but it’s miles away from the youthful, heartfelt, inspired work of Beirut’s past — a world that may be too washed over with sadness to ever truly pull exuberance from again."

The XX - angels, 2012

"Angels" is a sparsely-produced, gentle ballad about the idea of being in love. It has a measured pace and features slight vocals and whispered cadences by Croft, background baritone bass, subtle drum thuds, and coiling guitar lines. Pitchfork Media's Larry Fitzmaurice observes on the song "lots of hollow space surrounding [that] add[s] intimacy." "Angels" opens with echoey guitar and Romy's vocals, which are at the front of the mix. Eerie snare rolls appear within a minute of the song, but quickly fade away. Arnold Pan of PopMatters writes that, in the context of Coexist, the song has its "own sense of development" and "resolution". Oliver Sim said of this moment of tension in the song, "Early on, Jamie said something about the album being inspired by dance music, so everyone's expecting a house beat to drop halfway through—which is hilarious because this is not a dance record."

Jade Bird - american pie cover, 2022

"On February 3, 1959, American rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and "The Big Bopper" J. P. Richardson were all killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, together with pilot Roger Peterson. The event became known as "The Day the Music Died" after singer-songwriter Don McLean referred to it as such in his 1971 song "American Pie".

Genesis - ripples, 1976

"Ripples..." was a combination of a 12-string guitar piece composed by Rutherford and a piano-led middle section written by Banks."

Lush - desire lines, 1994

"Split touches on most forms of emotional turbulence. A legitimizing stunner, the record prevented the band from being lost amidst the bunker of form-over-function dream pop bands. Split shattered every negative aspect of those failed acts with flying colors. A fantastic record within any realm."

Mike Oldfield - incantations live, 1979

"Oldfield had been listening to a greater amount of religious music than before, which he credited to keep him "calm and sane" as he described himself as "very disturbed" during this time. He also examined the styles of music of his previous albums; rock with a classical music format on his debut Tubular Bells, Celtic music on Hergest Ridge, and "more African" styles on Ommadawn. For Incantations, Oldfield wanted to present "some magical things", which influenced his decision to use a string section and flute."

Bummer Daze - spring, 2023

"dream-pop, with elements of warm guitar tones, retro synths, and spacious drums. Lyrics often evoke nostalgic or summery themes"

Cat Stevens - king of a land, 2023

"heartfelt stories such as these show – not tell; King of a Land does so in the last leg, but there's always a nagging wonder of what the record would've been had it done so throughout its entirety"

Louis Armstrong - what a wonderful world, 1967

"It was also the biggest-selling single of 1968 in the UK, where it was among the last pop singles issued by His Master's Voice before it became an exclusively classical music label."

Neil Young - old man live dorothy chandler pavilion, 1971

"Neil sounds more relaxed in a less high-pressure venue. He mumbles casually through song introductions and approaches the tunes playfully, as if pondering the possibilities of his songwriting in real time. At one point he even tells the audience not to waste their energy applauding between every song. "You can just clap real loud at the end, and it'll be cool," he smirks. That laid-back attitude encapsulates the feel of Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, capturing a master songwriter in the middle of an early phase of brilliance, but in a moment where he sounds especially comfortable and at home on-stage. Less obsessive fans might not see the necessity in seeking out more than one live recording from a window of time when a lot of Young's shows were fairly similar."

Peter Bjorn And John - young folks live at sxsw, 2007

"The group performed the song on Late Night with Conan O'Brien on 29 January 2007, and on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on 18 May 2007 (the latter with Tonight Show band member Vicki Randle on bongos). On 29 September 2007, the band played "Young Folks", with Victoria Bergsman's vocals, on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross on BBC1. When the band performed the song at the 2007 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Bergsman's vocals were performed by Bebban Stenborg of Shout Out Louds. On Peter Bjorn and John's 2008 Australian tour, Victoria Bergsman's vocals were performed by Tracyanne Campbell of Camera Obscura."

Grant McLennan - easy come easy go, 1991

"Watershed does have moments of glory and McLennan’s excellence in song writing, musicality and storytelling is as sharp as it ever was. The track Haunted House displays McLennan’s ability to create gentle and warm ambience in his music that is unmatched by many of his peers. Stones for You is another sweet ballad that talks of love in a kind and not so saccharine way that McLennan handles well. Black Mule is an odd tale that is slightly long but showcases McLennan’s ability to paint pictures and create worlds. One highlight is Haven’t I Been a Fool which is a more strident song which has a sharp degree of alacrity to it. It’s a poppy number that brings to attention the amalgamation of McLennan’s soft vocals and catchy musical refrains in perfect harmony. His main single Easy Come, Easy Go is another example of this but unlike Haven’t I Been a Fool, there is a sense of trying too hard to make this a hit single rather than just focusing on just making a good song."

The Flaming Lips - waitin for a superman, 1999

"Waitin' for a Superman" (subtitled "Is It Gettin' Heavy??" for the song's U.S. album release) is a song by The Flaming Lips, released as the second single taken from their 1999 album The Soft Bulletin"

Fanfarlo - the walls are coming down, 2009

"these folks know what to do with a trumpet, which is more than can be said for some, and the arrangement on this single is stunning – orchestral and complex yet utterly accessible, with the tinkle of a glockenspiel welcoming all and sundry to the fold."

Keane - the starting line, 2012

"Calming it down does mostly work; the album's tales of growing up in small towns probably would not work quite so well if there was some electronic demon monster all over their boink. With the overarching theme of friends pulling each other out of strife, Rice-Oxley's lyrics are at their most contemplative here, the likes of 'The Starting Line' imploring the protagonist to "ignore the ghosts that make you old before your time"."

Coldplay - life in technicolor ii, 2009

"Life in Technicolor II" (stylised as "Life in Technicolor ii") is a song by British rock band Coldplay released as the first single from the Prospekt's March EP. It is the full-vocal version of the instrumental track "Life in Technicolor", from the band's fourth studio album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. The songs starts with a loop consisting of a santoor accompanied by tabla-like percussion. The loop is then repeated through the verses and part of the chorus."

Saint Etienne - keep nothing, 1999

"Track written as potential B-side for one of the singles off the Tiger Bay album... In retrospect it could have fitted neatly on Continental"

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - strange, 2011

"The album sounds like we're taking away what we were hiding behind before. Lyrically, the first record had a lot of remembered experiences that I was looking back on and trying to make more clever, which can sound contrived. I like the idea of lyrics that don't get beyond themselves but catch you and make an impression. I think that's more emotionally compelling."

Club 8 - saturday night engine, 2003

"Club 8's spring 2003 EP, Saturday Night Engine, is a turning point in the band's young career. This is mostly due to the title track. "Saturday Night Engine" is a song unlike any other Club 8 song committed to record. A pounding drum beat like a Swedish Northern soul stomper, gleefully twisting guitar lines, a fat and funky organ, and Johan Andergard's uncharacteristically excited vocals combine to make this a classic indie pop song. It is the first Club 8 track that makes you want to get up and jump around for joy. It is the first track that transcends their influences (Saint Etienne, the Cardigans) and sounds like a truly inspired band."

REM - losing my religion, 1991

"Losing My Religion" is a song by American alternative rock band R.E.M., released in February 1991 by Warner Bros. as the first single from their seventh album, Out of Time (1991). It developed from a mandolin riff improvised by the guitarist, Peter Buck, with lyrics about unrequited love. "Losing My Religion" is R.E.M.'s highest-charting hit in the United States, reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and expanding their popularity. Its music video, directed by Tarsem Singh, features religious imagery. At the 1992 Grammy Awards, "Losing My Religion" won Best Short Form Music Video and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. Its video won awards for Video of the Year, Best Group Video, Breakthrough Video, Best Art Direction, Best Direction, and Best Editing at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards. In 2020, "Losing My Religion" became the first R.E.M. video to reach one billion views on YouTube. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2017, and Rolling Stone ranked it at number 112 in its 2024 list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

The Mary Onettes - unblessed, 2013

"One of the new album’s most stunning tracks is “Unblessed”, led by caressing synth pads and slick bass reverberations. A minimal synth arpeggio creeps in slowly, as is the case in many Italo-disco and Balaeric gems, and Ekstrom’s vocals take off into its usual soaring peaks. “It’s more than just a bad dream,” he sings over enchanting melodies and beach-set ambiance. This is far from a nightmare. Much of Hit the Waves is pure bliss."