My no-skips playlist consists of an array of music, ranging from rap, to pop, to soul, to punk, and back around. If you have 59 minutes during your day give it a try, you have nothing to lose.
Amy Winehouse is the queen of soulful lyrics and a deep unique tone of voice. Although I can put her on shuffle on her own, if I had to pick one of my favorite songs by her, “He Can Only Hold Her.” The bass and the brass melody in the background create a great foundation for her voice.
Along with Winehouse’s classic, another notable classic on the playlist is “Between the Sheets” by The Isley Brothers. This hit song from 1983 not only sounds amazing but has been sampled by other artists such as Notorious B.I.G. Another classic song from just one year before is “Cool Cat” by Queen. Probably the greatest rock band ever. Their single band covers more genres than this playlist. From rock to opera to love ballads, I’d be silly not to include Queen in this playlist.
Moving on to another powerful voice, my next song is “Our First Time” by Bruno Mars. His songs give off a certain funk vibe, although they were produced in the early 2010s. Our First Time is a spicy upbeat ballad about your first time with that special person. Besides the well-written lyrics, Bruno Mars plays most instruments and produces his music. In songs written by Bruno Mars but sung by other artists, such as “F*** You” by Ceelo Green, you can hear the same funky rhythm behind the creative lyrics.
Along with Bruno Mars, John Legend is an underrated artist from the early 2010s. He wrote hit songs such as “Love Me Now” and his rendition of “Beauty and the Beast,” but he is so much more. He’s got the same funky style that even seeps through the songs he writes for other artists. If you’re looking for a great unique funky pop album I highly recommend his album “DARKNESS AND LIGHT” released in 2016. It features artists such as Chance the Rapper and Miguel and a song written for his daughter which is just so adorable. The song I added to this playlist is “Save Room” from his 2006 album titled “Once Again”. This song is a good song for convincing someone to let go and fall in love with you, accompanied by groovy electric guitar riffs and angelic background vocals.
Next, we have one of the greatest R&B artists of all time (in my professional opinion), Miss Erykah Badu. In 1997 her debut album “Baduizm” rocked the radio. I chose “On & On” to add to my playlist due to its strong intriguing hook and its power with words. I’m not sure if you guys have seen the trend yet, but I’m all for an artist with bold instrumentals and meaningful lyrics. Lil Yachty was saying in an interview how easy it is to make fast and easy rap music, churning out generic lyrics with a basic beat just to make money. Erykah Badu will never be guilty of such a thing, not with her unique sound and lyricism.
Two other songs from the ‘90s are “Gimme the Loot” by The Notorious B.I.G. from ‘94 and” Badfish” by Sublime from ‘91. While both artists are extremely diverse in style, both have unique lyrics to their industry. While B.I.G.’s song is more upbeat and uses sounds such as sirens and gunshots, Sublime’s Badfish uses the sound of a crowd while talking about his crippling heroin addiction.
Taking it to a more modern rap artist, JID has the same creative style. His song “Raydar,” is three minutes and 25 seconds of unrepeatable words. He, like many other modern rappers, has started using sound clips from shows, interviews, and other audio art. His songs also have noticeable levels of their song. It’s hard to explain but it could be a beat or rhythm change or a introduction to a new style of singing.
An artist I have a lot of appreciation for is Miley Cyrus. Not only did she single-handedly entertain me, my entire childhood with Hannah Montana but she publicly displayed her music journey and personal discovery. We saw her as a child in her Disney era, and then we saw her rebel and make some interesting music such as “We Can’t Stop” (still a 10/10 song). Finally, we see her touching back with her roots with songs like “Malibu” and “Nothing Breaks Like a Heart.” Two of her current releases I decided to add to this playlist are “You” and “Wrecking Ball X Nothing Compares to You.” “You” is a new song on her most recent album. It sounds great and the lyrics provide insight into her rebellious side maturely. I know what you’re all thinking, no way I just put “Wrecking Ball” on a playlist. Give it a chance. It’s a live performance of a remix of her song and Chris Cornell’s “Nothing Compares to You” (one of my favorite songs ever but definitely drags a bit for those not too interested). I think she did a great job as she always does smooshing the two into something beautiful… and live!
These songs live rent-free in my head and I hope I can get them stuck in your head too! Here’s the link to the playlist with some extra songs that I didn’t mention above.