INSTEP Magzine

1. 'What's Love Got To Do With It?'
Tina Turner
'What's Love Got To Do With It' was the second single released from Tina Turner's breakthrough solo debut album, Private Dancer. The song is widely credited for the huge success of the album itself. The song's lyrics and theme express how love is usually not a motive for someone to find a relationship. 'What's Love Got To Do With It' is arguably Tina Turner's most popular and successful single, becoming her first number-one hit in United States and establishing Tina Turner as a mainstream pop and rock artist. In 1993, the song's name was used as the title for What's Love Got to Do with It?, a biographical film about Turner's life leading up to the actual release of the song. The music video was directed by Mark Robinson and features a gorgeous funked up Tina walking down streets in denim, red lipstick and an 80s-style bouffant hairstyle. Winner this song is!

2. 'Chasing Cars'
Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol's 'Chasing Cars' quite possibly could begin to open floodgates for a wealth of similar sweeping, British, pop-rock ballads crossing the Atlantic in its wake. However, even if it doesn't, 'Chasing Cars' will stand on its own as one of the most effortlessly beautiful pop love songs of the year.

Lead vocalist Gary Lightbody has the perfect instrument to convey the power and emotion of his words. He has strong enough vocal chops to hold his own against the surge of backing guitars, but wisely avoids vocal histrionics that could break the song's spell. It is no surprise that Lightbody has said 'Chasing Cars' is "the most pure and open love song" he has written.


3. Stairway To Heaven' Led Zeppelin If you're aged between 17 and 50 and 'Stairway To Heaven' is not your favorite tune, you're probably missing out on rock's oldest classics. Led Zeppelin's fourth album crept into record stores the week of November 8, 1971.'Stairway to Heaven' builds with the song itself gracefully along with the lyrics, from a beautiful acoustic backing to a fast-moving electric finish. With each change you wait for the explosion and it gratifyingly comes every time. 'Stairway to Heaven' is the best music representation and the most popular rock song of all time! Back from 1971 till now, the song is a cultish favorite, with its near-oppressive length of 8 minutes, erratic changes, the quasi-medieval anthem is a perfect choice. It continues to be a hot favorite among music listeners all over the world, who are probably younger than the song itself.

4. 'For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti' Sufjan Stevens Sufjan Stevens is a well known American musician from Michigan. He is famous for his unique style of music incorporating various musical instruments together. His music is considered to be lyrically strong and instrumentally sound. In 2003, Stevens announced a concept, basing albums on each of the 50 states, beginning with Michigan. This song is part of the first album, Michigan. It starts with the beautiful sound of banj, creating a melancholy mood. The immersed lyrics can be heard of as someone's declaration of love and willingness to do everything and anything he can: "Morning comes in Paradise, morning comes in light. Still I must obey, still I must invite. If there's anything to say, if there's anything to do, if there's any other way, I'll do anything for you". This song gained much popularity after being played in the background for the hugely successful television series The O.C. For all those who like, slow and instrumental music with great lyrics, download it now.

5. 'One' U2 'One' is the third single from U2's 1991 album, Achtung Baby, and was released in 1992. It is widely considered to be one of the band's greatest songs and is consistently featured in lists of the greatest songs of all time. In 2006, it was voted as having Britain's Best Lyrics, as voted by the public of the United Kingdom. During the recording of Achtung Baby, tensions in the band began to rise over the direction of the album. Bono and The Edge favored electronica and dance music explorations, while Larry Mullen Jr. and Adam Clayton preferred otherwise. Weeks of slow progress, arguments, and tension subsided when the band rallied around a chord progression The Edge had written, creating the song 'One'. The song changed the band's outlook on the album, helping bring a renewed sense of optimism towards the material they had already recorded. Leaving Berlin on a high note, the band was able to complete the rest of the album in Dublin. For this reason it is widely considered, by the band and fans, to be the song that saved U2. 'One' has many debated meanings. The ambiguity is likely the main aspect that popularizes the song, allowing for many different interpretations. At its most basic level the song is about two people who love each other, yet cause each other great pain, which is a recurring theme in Bono's lyrics.

6. 'You Can Call Me Al' Paul Simon 'You Can Call Me Al' is a song by Paul Simon, the first single released from his album Graceland. The song originally charted in the US at number 44 in October, 1986 but it was reissued with greater promotion in March, 1987 and hit number 23 on the charts. And in the UK it peaked at number 4! The song features an unusual bass solo from Baghiti Khumalo where the first half of the solo was played live and the second half of the solo is just the first part but reversed (i.e. backwards) - interesting or what? Simon allegedly wrote 'You Can Call Me Al' after he went to a party with his then-wife Carrie Fisher. A man at the party kept calling Paul 'Al' and Carrie 'Betty', inspiring Simon to write a song. Great number which will get you down and shaking your booty, a must download.

7. 'My Way' Frank Sinatra Released on Frank Sinatra's 1969 album My Way in 1969, 'My Way' was at first a modest hit for Sinatra in the United States, reaching number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in spring and early summer 1969. Even beyond chart performance, Sinatra's recording of 'My Way' had staying power, and soon became the signature song for the latter stage of his career. The lyrics of 'My Way' tell the story of a man who is nearing death, and introspectively looks back at his life whilst fictionally speaking to a friend who is sitting next to him. Mickey Blue Eyes (Sinatra) croons: "And now, as tears subside, I find it all so amusing.../To think, I did all that, and may I say, not in a shy way /Oh no, oh no not me, I did it my way…" What a number!

8. 'Somewhere Only We' Keane British music is slowly but surely taking over the massive American music in terms of musical creativity. Keane is one of the bands who are responsible for this slow but undeniable shift for music aficionados. This English rock band from Sussex has smartly made piano their dominant instrument as opposed to a guitar and this tact has worked out wonderfully for them. 'Somewhere Only We', which is off their debut album, Hopes and Fears, is a soft rock ballad that was the breakthrough number for Keane and introduced them to international success. With its beautiful melody and free spirited piano notes with vocalist Tom Chaplin's straightforward vocals as he sings: "I walked across an empty land/I knew the pathway like the back of my hand/I felt the earth beneath my feet/Sat by the river and it made me complete…" it is really addictive. Interestingly enough, this song has three different music videos and according to Keane members, 'Somewhere Only We' is, "It's perhaps more of a theme rather than a specific message, feelings that may be universal, without necessarily being totally specific to us, or a place, or a time." We agree, so go download it now!