The most beautiful song ever? - Page 3

Misty by Johnny Mathis

When I think of a "beautiful" song, I think of something easy on the nerves (such as a slow jam/love song, new-age, jazz, etc...

...I sure as hell would NOT include Nena in that group.

My favorites:
Art of Noise - Moments in Love
Nora Jones - Don't Know Why

Led. Zep. makes "awesome" music; they don't make "beautiful" music.

Wow, no Peter Gabriel yet?

Lots of good songs on "So"

Red Rain
Don't Give Up (chokes me up every time)
That Voice Again
In Your Eyes

Some others of his:

Mercy Street
Blood of Eden
Love to be Loved
Book of Love


For me, he's definitely the most prolific modern artist of beautiful songs.

Bringing in classical makes the list of contenders overwhelmingly large. However, you made a good choice ... another would be the first movement of Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony (or most of his Swan Lake, Romeo & Juliet, and Sleeping Beauty ballets !) ... and finally one that takes your breath away: the female duet from Delibes: Lakme (if you've seen The Hunger with Catherine Deneuve and Susan Sarandon, you've heard the tune).

I would second that one definitely. Probably George's best.

Another one that comes to mind is Sweet Honey in the Rock doing Jacob's ladder on the Civil War soundtrack.

I agree with Enya as a choice - my favourite is "Storms in Africa", but others are also very beautiful. She has a new album out, can't wait to hear it...

And I have a special place in my heart for "Sleep My Dear" by Miki Imai. The melody and Japanese lyrics have brought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion.

But my vote for the "most beautiful song" must surely go to the version of "Flower Duet" from the opera "Lakme" that British Airways selected for it's commercials several years ago. I could listen to it over and over and over again...

Would absolutely second "Stardust" by Hoagy Carmichael. The '30s were really the start of the golden era of beautiful pop music, and that song is mesmerizing.

For those who think they can still write songs like that - you need to broaden your scope. Very few venues for older music, but do some research. It's really rewarding.

I'd include the particular Nena song I listed in that group. Its pop beats roll very easily through the ears without harshness, and in either language it's *almost* a love song (by a girl with a lovely voice) in addition to its political theme. Of course for the young, politics and love often go together, both being extreme passions... 99 Luftballons/99 Red Balloons would be very far down on my list of most beautiful songs, but it would still be there. Perhaps it's a reflection of the fact that I grew up in the 80's, when the possibility of nuclear annihilation seemed very real to a youngster--even sitcoms of the era played up the possibility, and every newsmagazine treated it very seriously. As a kid, we did those stupid "get under your desk in case of nuclear war" drills in school, and I remember the deep impression certain depictions of devastation on TV and film (and music) made. So the image of civilization ending capriciously, and at the end of the song a beautiful woman letting go a balloon in a ruined city, was very powerful and beautiful to my young self. My tastes have certainly matured, but that song will always seem beautiful to me because of where and when it was a product. It's an example of a very nervous time and place making the best of things and producing good popular music about it. But admittedly, it would be far down on my list. At least you and I share a fondness for the same Norah Jones tunes.

BTW, this site is good for showing the difference between the original and the English version for those who can't read German. I like both versions, and usually play them back to back.


I love quite a bit of music from the '20s-'40s, jazz and blues. I'd add these to my list of most beautiful songs:

Love in Vain--Robert Johnson
Moonglow--Benny Goodman Quartet
Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me - The Duke Ellington Orchestra
Parker's Mood--Charlie Parker/Dizzy Gillespie
West End Blues--performed by Lois Armstrong and Earl Hines

"Stardust" is ok from the Hoagy Carmichael catalog, personally I prefer "Skylark" from his catalog of ballads.

"Lush Life" by Billy Strayhorn, beautiful, sad and tragic all in one tune.

"Across the Universe" for the imagery it paints. John Lennon certainly could paint with words in a way that very few could match. Not the most compelling melody, but you aren't enjoying this for the tune!

There's a couple of additions to the list.

Symphony #9, "The New World" by Antonin Dvorak.

Achingly beautiful.

Randy

I agree with many selections in this thread (check out Clifford Brown's instrumental version of "Stardust"). One that I can't get out of my head lately is Damien Rice - The Blower's Daughter.

This song was used in the opening and closing credits of the movie "Closer" with Natalie Portman. Simply wonderful.

Lots of good ones already posted. Picking only ONE is impossible but I'd have to give strong consideration to those from the Doo Wop era, when many of the greatest love songs were recorded, including, without limitation:

I Only Have Eyes For You (The Flamingos)
For Your Precious Love (Jerry Butler)
Let It Be Me (Betty Everett & Jerry Butler)
Only You (The Platters)
When A Man Loves A Woman (Percy Sledge)

Not from that era, but have to include Crazy Love (Van Morrison) and Ribbon In The Sky (Stevie Wonder).

Oh, and almost every song performed by Nat King Cole.

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Ron Party

Both are great and I considered those but wanted to keep my list to only 4. I like both songs performed by Linda Ronstadt with Nelson Riddle as well as older versions.

Chris

Crying - Roy Orbison
La-La means I love you - Delphonics
Your Song - Elton John
Mandy - Barry Manilow
Long and Winding Road - Beatles
Love Hurts - Nazareth

"Corpus Christi Carol" done by Jeff Buckley, (Grace)

That song can REALLY move me sometimes. I have the 45 record and have been planning on a nice turntable purchase just to hear the theme from "A summer Place" in all it's glory. I'd love to hear it a near reference someday.

Manfred Manns Earth Band - Questions

Madrugada - Majesty want goosebumps? try and listen to majesty

Nice to see that I am not the last of the folkies. Traditional music surely has tunes to rival even the best of modern pop composers. "Celtic" may have become a marketing buzzword, but folk tunes from Brittany, Ireland and Scotland are very often achingly beautiful and haunting. Among my favourites

Women of Ireland - Alan Stivell or The Chieftains (the latter version was featured in Barry Lyndon )
Carrickfergus - The Chieftains or De Danann featuring Eleanor Shanley
Brian Boru - Alan Stivell

The Beatles are so obvious, mention must go to Hey Jude as a modern 'folk' classic, perhaps the first 'lighter' gig classic?

Pink Floyd - I won't mention Comfortably Numb, I much prefer the pre-Dark Side Floyd - with Echoes being perhaps their finest work IMHO.

Natacha Atlas - impossible to categorize - world, techno, ethnic, Arab pop, dub, dance, folk, ambient, what is it? Don't know about what label to put on her, but she definitely makes some unbelievably interesting and beautiful music. Check out Solace which may be the slowest tune ever recorded. Once you catch it you realize how beautiful it is.

All the good stuff's already taken, so I'll go with "My Lady D'Arbanville" by Cat Stevens. I remember being moved by this tune when I was a teen. Not so much anymore, but still a nice tune.

Ah yes, that was a nomination in my list too ...

"Overhead the albatross hangs motionless upon the air
And deep beneath the rolling waves in labyrinths of coral caves
The echo of a distant tide
Comes willowing across the sand
And everything is green and submarine
And no one showed us to the land
And no one knows the wheres or whys
But something stares and
Something tries
And starts to climb towards the light"....

In Dreams-Roy Orbison
Take the Long Way Home-Supertramp
Piano Exit from Layla-Derek and The Dominoes
Hymn To Her-The Pretenders
Who Wants To Live Forever-Queen(brings me to tears every time)

Come on people! NOTHING compares to Bai Ling singing LIKE A VIRGIN!

http://www.tvgasm.com/sounds/butcant...n1/bailing.mp3

Goose bumps. That's all I can say.

larry

If I had to pick someone to spend time with, I'd take Bai Ling over Madonna any day, singing or no singing.

Strangely enough, I have recently watched on PBS-HD broadcast that contained some of the prettiest music I have ever heard.

I do not remember the name of the Artist/Composer, but it was a long haired asian male playing keyboards conducting an orchestra of mainly asian instruments. Very soothing, beautiful music.

Anyone know the artist?

Oh yeh, the name of the group is "Long Haired Asian Male, Playing Keyboards, Conducting an Orchestra". I have all their stuff.

Great list of stuff here! "Crazy Love" by Van Morrison is a great one Ill also add " Into the Mystic" by Van.
I will also second Little Wing by Stevie Ray Vaughn.
Since I cant just take everyone elses I will throw in Andrea Bocelli "Il Mistero Dell Amore"
and since variety is the spice of life Green Day "Time of Your Life"

It seems there are two types of "songs" representented here - actual songs and particular performances of a song

• some of my favorites
  *Andrés Segovia's early '50's recording of his earlier transcription of Isaac Albeniz' Asturias-Leyenda is, to my sensibilities, the most perfectly performed piece of music ever recorded (lot's of room for argument there!). The Master's perfect tremolo and use of changing tempo along with exquisite varying dynamics remains thrilling to me after hundreds of listenings. Even in his old age Segovia still had it in a LD recording I treasure of the same piece, although the tempo was much slower. I have never heard any other guitarist approach Segovia's musicality in this work...and what a work.
  
  *Someone above mentioned Danny Boy. I love that song well done by just about anybody, and Ray Price especially, but I remember hearing it one time only sung a Capella during the credits of a Heroes Of 9/11 remembrance show on lives of Firemen & Policemen lost during the fall of the towers, which was broadcast one year later. I believe the incredible singer was a NYC policeman, and the song included additional lyrics from the traditional ones. Very powerful and beautiful. I wish I could hear it again.
  
  *Glenn Yarbrough's version of Rod McKuen's Stanyan Street - Revisited on his Lonely Things album has remained a personal favorite.
  
  *Jesse Cook's Cancion Triste marries the guitarist's incredible chops to a killer interlude with a cello - made in heaven.
  
  *Toss-up between Frank Sinatra's It Was A Very Good Year and My Way. What made that guy so damned good?