In music today, there are many songs that follow the same generic layout- romantic song about how amazing a girl or boy is, or about breaking up with that girl or boy. Don’t get me wrong, some of those songs are amazing. However, there are so many more songs worthy of being acknowledged. Here are my top five songs to listen to that will change the way you listen to music.
Five–
Bad Blood (Live Piano Version) by Bastille
This song was the title track of Bastille break-through album Pompeii. The piano version, in particular, is gorgeous. Dan Smith’s voice flows with the piano, which is probably my favorite part of the song. The lyrics, which are about a friendship going bad, tell a story that seems personal to the song writer, and the emotion shows in Smith’s voice. This song goes unrecognized even though it is an amazing piece.
Four–
Sun by Sleeping at Last
I adore this song with everything I have inside me. It was my first introduction to Sleeping at Last, which was a band but now only consists of Ryan O’Neal. Ryan’s voice is absolutely incredible in this song, and the instrumental consists mainly of piano. The song opens with piano, and the lyrics that open the song set the tone for the rest of it “With golden string, our universe was clothed in light. Pulling at the seams, our once barren world now brims with light.” These lyrics are wonderfully detailed and burst with deeper meaning. He is a one man band, and he deserves so much more credit than he gets.
Three–
Young Volcanoes by Fall Out Boy
Okay, maybe you’ve heard of a little band Fall Out Boy, you know, they’re not that big a deal. They are best known for tracks such as ‘Centuries’ and ‘Uma Thurman’, which are amazing songs, but Young Volcanoes just seems so happy and fun, and the lyrics are secretly dark and meaningful below the pop beat. The lyric that stands out to me is “Make it easy, say I never mattered.” How heartbreaking is that? It’s one of the most meaningful lyrics on the Save Rock and Roll album, in my opinion. It breaks my heart to hear those words when this song is so fun and upbeat. But, nonetheless, this is a great song.
Two–
Wings by Birdy
This song technically fits under the relationship or heartbreak stereotype, but it really isn’t that kind of song. It has nice piano and guitar riffs going on throughout, and the lyrics talk about how you just want to be with that one person who you love so dearly. The end line of the chorus resonates with me as well “I just wanna be by your side, of these wings could fly for the rest of our lives.” The feeling of just wanting to break away and go back to when everything was carefree is a terrible feeling, and the lyrics to the chorus capture that perfectly. This is the kind of breakup song that deserves more recognition.
One-
Love Like This by Kodaline
This song is hands down my favorite song of all time. It has superb lyrics that may fit into the heartbreak category, but the song is so upbeat, and the lyrics specifically say that even though the singer will have his heart broken, he doesn’t care. Also, the instrumentals are very folk-inspired and are really different from some other sounds I’ve heard. The song tells the story of a couple that is experiencing their first true love, and the singer knows that “The sun will stop shining soon”, and that their relationship will end. However, he doesn’t care. It really discusses what it’s like to be young and in love with a person. The message is quite beautiful, and this song is overall fantastic.
These are songs I feel deserve more credit, and there are so many more that deserve to be heard. I hope you give these songs a chance, and that you spread songs that you love to others, too.
