Songs of the Week 🎶 Updates #53 and #54
Added 2025-07-22 14:00:07 +0000 UTCYour latest fortnightly update is ready! All the videos are linked above 👆🏽
🎧 Happy listening! 🎧
P.S. If you’re new here, don’t forget to browse the previous song picks too — you might just discover a hidden gem (many others already have!) 🌟 That’s what this list is all about: sharing music 🎵
Comments
Interesting stories behind a couple of these songs, but I'll just choose Waltz #2 as it has a very sad story. Maybe best you look up the singer's death yourself, here's a link: https://berkeleybside.com/the-mystique-of-elliott-smiths-demise/ As for listening all the way through and liking the song - these actually make no difference to me in terms of algorithms and whatnot as they're not my videos 😅 But definitely worth listening to songs all the way through as you never know what might be coming at any point in it. And likes obviously help the artists' channels themselves, which is nice 👍🏽 That said, I know listening to them all takes a lot of time so no harm in not doing so; we're all busy!
Sir Hairless
2025-08-19 09:37:39 +0000 UTCWeek of Nov 27, 2024. Violin Sonata Adagio arranged for full orchestra. I absolutely adored this performance. Arranging it for full orchestra gave it a fullness and a richness that it can not have on its own Corelli's beautiful melody worked so very well in this orchestral version. Up the Junction is a song I liked a great deal. Since it was 15 years old, it made me wonder if the band was still together or what direction its members have gone. Waltz #2 was another amazing song. Who ever thinks of a pop song as a waltz, but there it was, clear as day. I'm sure there have been many more, but I never thought in those terms. But the whole was a most enjoyable waltz for sure. I've always been a David Bowie fan, perhaps a bit surprising to you. I had not heard this song before, but I liked it a lot. Bowie's Christmas collaboration with Bing Crosby will forever be in my pantheon of best Christmas songs ever. BTW, I always listen to every song all the way through and always give the song a like as well. My tiny little contribution to the work you do to make this list possible for us. The Scarlatti was a huge and embarrassing surprise for me. Being so piano centric, I always thought Scaratti as just a piano composer Shame on me. I really like these counter-tenor performances as well. George Michael was such a talent, I love almost every song he or Wham did. We lost him far, far too early. Wow, you really picked a lot of winners this week. Loved this performance of U Got The Power. Musically, it was a delight and the staging and choreography was so good and so much fun. Great combo! This Charming Man has almost 17,000,000 views and I've never heard of it. Very enjoyable though, though not one that I will want to binge listen to. Disturb's version of Sound of Silence has 5 times the views than the PTX version does. I can understand it a lot. About 75% of the song is fantastic imo, but towards the end it gets so angry sounding that it detracts from my enjoyment a bit. I must admit hearing it this time I did like it more than I did the first time I heard it. Either way, I think these two versions are both outstanding and both give honor to the original.
David Bangtson
2025-08-12 19:59:44 +0000 UTCThis list is nothing more than some songs I've been listening to at this particular moment in time 😊 I can't say I know any Tori Amos!
Sir Hairless
2025-07-31 13:23:32 +0000 UTCI'd love to see some Tori Amos on here, specifically her live performances. There's something of her whimsy and magic lost in the studio versions.
Lizzie Muller
2025-07-31 12:53:25 +0000 UTCWeek of Nov 13, 2024 Started with Cakewalk and it immediately rose my spirits. A surprisingly fun and good sounding song. Loved the percussion behind it, but the voice of the lead and the lyrics were all nice. Chopin's Nocturne is one I had already listened to, and listened to this specific performance. Let me just say that I never tire of hearing any and all of his Nocturnes, one of my favorite groups of his compositions. I play about 10-15 of them myself and simply soak up the others. White Gloves was curious. It was like it couldn't quite decide whether it wanted to be a jazz song or a soft rock song, all while not really being sure if it wanted a video or not too. Not a favorite, but didn't hate it. Queen of My Soul is that rarity for me, an R&B song that I truly enjoyed. Maybe I'm just getting too old not to like it. Tea for Two was quite nice. It's been a long time since I heard a classic and talented Barbershop Quartet doing a familiar song. Reminded me that these groups sometimes did use instrumental backgrounds and were not always 100% acapella. i loved the Bach by Barenboim. I had nearly forgotten that he was mainly a pianist, as I remember him for several wonderful recordings he did as a conductor. I'm a big fan of Eurythmics, having their music grow on me consistently for many years. Annie has an amazing voice and a great sense of what songs to do and how to do them. Making Christmas by PTX is one that I naturally liked a lot. To me, this is not one of their best songs vocally, but it is among their very best in innovation and every little detail of staging and phrasing. Love it every single time I hear it. The Beach House song grabbed my attention and I found myself loving it and not really understanding why. Very different, very almost silken in delivery, and with a mix of voice and instruments blended in ways I've rarely heard it done before.
David Bangtson
2025-07-30 07:56:31 +0000 UTC
