For this (remastered) episode I have selected 24 popular tracks about the fear and hopes of the future.
| Title | Artist | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | U2 | “New Year’s Day” is U2’s 1983 powerhouse anthem, written by the band, driven by Adam Clayton’s distinctive bassline and the Edge’s piano and guitar playing. With lyrics written about the movement, The lyrics refer to the Polish Solidarity movement lead by Lech Walesa. On New Year’s Day, 1983, Poland announced they would abolish martial law. |
| Don’t Stop | Fleetwood Mac | Don’t Stop by Fleetwood Mac, a resilient anthem written by Christine McVie, released in 1977, remains a timeless testament to overcoming challenges. The song is generally seen as a positive anthem encouraging people to move forward despite challenges. It was written during a difficult period for the band members, including McVie’s divorce from John McVie. |
| Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season) | The Byrds | “Turn! Turn! Turn!”, also known as or subtitled “To Everything There Is a Season”, was adapted by the Byrds in a folk rock arrangement and released as a single by Columbia Records on October 1, 1965. The lyrics were taken from a passage from the book of Ecclesiastes (3:1-8) in The Bible. They were in 1959 rearranged and paired with Seeger’s music to make the song, as a plea for world peace. Adapted from the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible, the lyrics emphasise the cyclical nature of life. |
| Turn the Tide | Sylver | In 2000, the Belgian band “Sylver”, “Turned the Tide” of the Eurodance. The song, written by Regi Penxten, Wout Van Dessel and John Miles Jr., is a dance-pop track with uplifting lyrics that convey a message of hope and perseverance. “Turn the Tide” was initially released in 2000 by “Liquid feat. Silvy”. The band continued in 2001 as “Sylver”, consisting of lead vocalist Silvy De Bie (born 4 January 1981) and keyboardist/songwriter Wout Van Dessel (born 19 October 1974). |
| Wake Me Up (ft. Aloe Blacc) | Avicii | “Wake Me Up” was written by Tim ’Avicii’ Bergling, Mike Einziger, and American soul singer Aloe Blacc. Blacc also provides vocals for the track. The song fuses electronic dance music with folk influences. Aloe Blacc’s lyrics explore themes of self-discovery and pursuing one’s dreams. In loving memory of Tim Bergling (1989-2018). |
| Looking Back (ft. K’naan) | Keane | In “Looking Back” Keane (Tim Rice-Oxley, Tom Chaplin, Richard Hughes) teams up with K’naan (additional vocals and writing) for a reflective piece, blending their distinctive styles into a soul-stirring composition. Keane’s 2010 track navigates introspection, showcasing their ability to craft emotive, anthem melodies. The song reflects on the passage of time and memories, with K’naan’s contribution adding a unique flavour. |
| Gonna Fly Now (Theme from “Rocky”) | Bill Conti | Iconic theme from the movie “Rocky”. Composed as the iconic theme for the movie “Rocky,” the music is synonymous with triumph and overcoming challenges, capturing the spirit of the film. |
| High | Lighthouse Family | “High” by the Lighthouse Family is from the album “Postcards from Heaven”, written by Tunde Baiyewu and Paul Tucker. The lyrics convey a message of comfort and support during difficult times. The song is actually a description of a very uncomfortable situation. |
| Heaven’s Wall (ft. Tom Morello) | Bruce Springsteen | “Heaven’s Wall” by written and performed by Bruce Springsteen is part of the album “High Hopes”. The song features the co-founder of Rage Against the Machine, Tom Morello, and is known for its social and political themes, addressing issues such as immigration and inequality. |
| Sing Hallelujah! | Dr. Alban | “Sing Hallelujah!” written and performed by Dr. Alban, is a Eurodance track with uplifting lyrics, often associated with the joyous celebration of music. |
| Hope of Deliverance | Paul McCartney | “Hope of Deliverance” written and performed by Paul McCartney, expresses optimism and hope for a better future, both personally and globally. |
| Year of Decision | The Three Degrees | The song, written by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, reflects the social and political climate of the 1970s and addresses themes of change and progress. |
| My year is a day | Les Irresistibles | “My year is a day” is the English version of Dalida’s French song “Dans la ville endormie” written by William Sheller, released in 1968. Les Irrésistibles (The Irresistibles) were a boy band during the late 1960s and early 1970s, whose members were Americans living in France and teenage classmates at the American School of Paris. The lineup consisted of lead singer Jim McMains on keyboards and rhythm guitar, his identical twin brother Steve McMains on bass, Tom Arena on lead guitar, and Andy Cornelius on drums. |
| Who’s Gonna Stand Up? | Neil Young | This version of “Who’s Gonna Stand Up?” recorded by Neil Young features a 92-piece orchestra and is a six-minute environmental call-to-arms crying foul of corporate greed and pleading to end the world’s dependence of fossil fuels. |
| 1999 | Prince | “1999” by Prince, was written in 1982 during the height of the Cold War. this party jam has a much deeper meaning, as Prince addresses fears of a nuclear Armageddon. Billboard said that “the Apocalypse never sounded this danceable before. Under the Reagan administration, the United States was stockpiling nuclear weapons and taking a hawkish stance against the Soviet Union, which he referred to as the “Evil Empire”. The album version of the song starts with a slowed-down voice stating “Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you. I only want you to have some fun.”. Prince shares lead vocals on the track with members of his band The Revolution, namely Dez Dickerson, Lisa Coleman and Jill Jones. |
| Sussudio | Phil Collins | “Sussudio” written and performed by Phil Collins, is are about a schoolboy crush on a girl at school. |
| London Calling | The Clash | “London Calling” by The Clash is an apocalyptic song, detailing with the many ways the world could end, including the coming of the ice age, starvation, and war. Singer Joe Strummer was a news junkie, and many of the images of doom in the lyrics came from news reports he read. |
| Back in the U.S.S.R. | The Beatles | “Back in the U.S.S.R.” by the Beatles is written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The title was inspired by Chuck Berry’s “Back In The U.S.A.”. Since Ringo had walked out on The Beatles, Paul McCartney took over the drum part for this song. |
| Back In The U.S.A. | Linda Ronstadt | “Back in the U.S.A.” is a song written by Chuck Berry that was released in 1959 and was a top 40 hit. A cover version in 1978 by Linda Ronstadt was also a hit. The song’s lyrics were supposedly written based upon Berry returning to the United States following a trip to Australia and witnessing the living standards of Australian Aborigines. Paul McCartney got the inspiration for The Beatles “Back In The U.S.S.R.” from this. |
| Remember Russia | Fischer-Z | Fischer-Z, “fisher zed” or ‘fish head’ as they like it to be said, are a British rock group and main creative project of singer, guitarist and poet John Watts. “Remember Russia” is on their debut album Word Salad (Track 5), released on 4 May 1979. |
| De Bom | Doe Maar | De Bom’ (the bom) by the Dutch band Doe Maar is an eighties protest song against nuclear weapons as a response to the Cold War and the US government’s proposal to deploy cruise missiles in The Netherlands. |
| Abattoir Blues | Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds | “Abbatoir Blues” by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds is one of the songs in which Nick Cave draws on a sense of post-nuclear apocalypse. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds are an Australian rock band formed in 1983 by vocalist Nick Cave, multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey and guitarist-vocalist Blixa Bargeld. |
| Eve Of Destruction | Barry McGuire | “Eve Of Destruction” written by P.F. Sloan (a.k.a. Phil Sloan and born Phil Schlein to Jewish parents) is a protest song about political issues of the ’60s originally recorded by The Turtles on their first album (It Ain’t Me Babe) earlier in 1965 and which they decided to release as a single in 1970, after McGuire’s version became an instant hit, in July 1965, shortly before they broke up. The song was first offered to the Byrds as a potential single but they rejected it. “Eve Of Destruction” became a hippie anthem as the Vietnam War escalated and many radio stations refused to play “Eve Of Destruction” because of its antigovernment lyrics. |
| The Final Countdown | Europe | “The Final Countdown” by the Swedish rock band Europe is both apocalyptic and optimistic, describing a trip into Space (heading for Venus) and leaving Earth behind. The song lyrics and famous lick are written by Europe lead singer Joey Tempest. |
Sources
The information sources of the song facts include, but are not limited to, Wikipedia, songfacts.com, discogs.com, secondhandsongs.com, YouTube and artists’ related websites.
