Aerosmith is the kind of band you can divide into phases. The gritty seventies with riffs that smell of gasoline. The stadium-filling eighties with glitter, big hair, and even bigger choruses. And then the nineties, when they suddenly became the kings of the music video ballad. The brilliance lies in how it all remains credible, because Steven Tyler always sounds as if he is using his lungs as an instrument. 10. Love In An Elevator https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3Yrhv33Zb8 This is Aerosmith in their most unapologetically fun mode. A riff that immediately starts bouncing, lyrics that know exactly what they are doing, and…
Author: Patrick
Frank Sinatra is without a doubt the greatest interpreter of the Great American Songbook. His career spanned more than half a century, during which he evolved from a teen idol with a bow tie to the Chairman of the Board: a sophisticated, sometimes cynical, but always perfect singer. His strength lay in his phrasing; Sinatra did not just sing the notes, he acted the lyrics. Whether soaring over a Count Basie orchestra or whispering at a piano in a smoky bar, nobody could tell a story like Ol’ Blue Eyes. 10. The Lady Is a Tramp https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsh54g9JmC0 From the film…
Crowded House is the proof that perfect pop music exists. The band, centered around New Zealander Neil Finn, creates songs that sound like a warm embrace but often carry a melancholic undertone. Their melodies are brilliant, the harmonies are crystal clear, and the lyrics are poetic. Music that feels timeless. 10. Something So Strong https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyBKzBtaKWM One of their most energetic and rocking songs. It is about an attraction so powerful that you could knock down walls with it. The chorus is strong and invites a sing-along. The production is typical for the eighties, but the songwriting holds its own. A…
Stromae is the maestro of the modern chanson. The Belgian artist combines danceable beats, hip hop, and electronica with lyrics that are as heavy as lead. He sings about cancer, absent fathers, depression, and social inequality, but does so to music that forces you to dance. It is “dancing with tears in your eyes” elevated to an art form. These are the ten best songs by Stromae. 10. Te Quiero https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg1ajGmQFts A compelling track that highlights the obsessive side of love. The music begins menacingly and builds toward a bombastic, almost military beat that reflects the intensity of a suffocating…
The Kaiser Chiefs are the ultimate festival band: energetic, loud, and armed with choruses you can shout along to instantly. They broke through during the British indie wave of the 2000s, combining the punky energy of the late 70s with an irresistible pop sensibility. Led by hyperactive frontman Ricky Wilson, they deliver stadium anthems that balance between irony and pure euphoria. Their music is an adrenaline injection of jangling guitars, driving drums, and those unmistakable “Ooh-ooh” backing vocals. 10. Modern Way https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnxNJbWCcng A rare moment of relative calm on their debut album. The synthesizer intro gives it a futuristic and…
Sia Furler is an enigma. For years, she was a respected indie singer and songwriter for stars like Beyoncé and Rihanna, until she became a superstar herself (almost against her will). She is well-known for her oversized wigs that hide her face. Her music is characterized by her unique, cracking vocal sound and her ability to write choruses that are larger than life. Sia’s songs often deal with survival, pain, and inner strength, delivered with a vocal intensity that is rarely matched. 10. The Greatest (feat. Kendrick Lamar) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKSRyLdjsPA A motivational pop anthem with a dark edge. The video and…
Bastille, led by Dan Smith, creates cinematic indie-pop that sounds grand and compelling. Their music is full of references to mythology, history, and films (hence the cinematic quality), wrapped in stadium-filling choruses. Smith’s voice, with its unique British pronunciation and emotional range, is the band’s driving force. They combine synthesizers, heavy drums, and choral chants into a sound that is both euphoric and melancholic: dancing on the edge of the abyss. 10. Quarter Past Midnight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1VzzNbfPaM An ode to nightlife and the chaos of a night out that lasts too long. The beat is fast and driving, like a heartbeat…
The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) redefined modern pop music by blending dark R&B with the gloss of the 80s. His image is mysterious and cinematic, ranging from a depressed partygoer in Toronto to a superstar in a red suit. His voice is often compared to that of Michael Jackson: clear, high, and full of emotion. But his lyrics are rawer, filled with stories of nocturnal escapades, loneliness, and the dark side of fame. He is the undisputed king of modern synth-pop. 10. Earned It https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waU75jdUnYw Known from the film Fifty Shades of Grey. A theatrical, orchestral ballad that feels almost like…
Barbra Streisand is the kind of artist who crams multiple careers into one lifetime. Broadway power, Hollywood glamour, pop hits that were suddenly everywhere, and ballads that sound as if they were specifically invented for crying along in the car. The brilliance lies in her voice always remaining the same: unmistakably Barbra. Grand when necessary, intimate when she chooses. Here are ten songs that explain her status, from musical theater moments to global hits. 10. Memory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWoQW-b6Ph8 Many artists sing “Memory.” Barbra turns it into a film. She doesn’t approach the song as a musical showpiece, but as a slowly…
It is almost hard to fathom that this music, which sounds as if it were sung by an entire elven folk, is the work of only three people: Enya herself, producer Nicky Ryan, and lyricist Roma Ryan. They stack voice upon voice—sometimes up to five hundred layers deep—until a Wall of Sound is created that is comparable to nothing else. It is pop music without gravity. 10. Boadicea https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkiMqXE3x9M Not a single word is sung, only hummed, and yet this is perhaps the most terrifying track in her oeuvre. Enya channels the spirit of the Celtic warrior queen Boudicca here,…