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Rodgers and Hart’s classic has been sung by the greats and adopted by football fans — though its origins are disputed
The Ronettes’ 1963 hit exemplified the genius of the producer who later went to prison for murder
Johnny Bragg’s song was written in prison and earned him parole
The New York band’s 1979 breakthrough hit caused disquiet among fans and band members; years later, all is forgiven
The song was originally inspired by a Don McLean performance
The song, which has its roots in Irish balladry, has become part of the recent TikTok craze
The brutal-sounding instrumental track was hugely influential
The song first recorded by Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland in 1974 became a Whitesnake staple
The track has shown remarkable agility in hopping across genres and styles
The Swedish band left the song off their first two albums because it was too ‘unusual’
The ultimate anthem to desensitisation is a festive song, of sorts
Jeff Buckley sang what is probably the best-known rendition of a carol whose meaning is still debated
From soft porn to satire, this wordless song has a long and surprising history
The British-Sri Lankan rapper’s song is musically and thematically wide-ranging
The group’s 1966 hit established a distinctive sound and attitude
Lyricist Bernie Taupin was inspired by a science fiction story
Punk bands were beguiled by Lou Reed’s song based on a torrid 1870 novella
The reverberations from this seismic 1982 track are still being felt today
A song that speaks of Ireland and absence has a fascinating heritage
The hard-hitting 1975 ballad tells the story of a black boxer framed and jailed for murder
The eight-minute track’s complex structure proved highly influential
The singer’s 1965 hit brought a new kind of music to the charts
Kubrick and Copland are among those who have felt the force of Richard Strauss’s piece
Paul Robeson sang the definitive version of this beautiful, rousing tune
The story of a devilish figure has been widely covered and had a rich afterlife on TV soundtracks
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