Pop

Celebrating an iconic album by Milton Nascimento and Lô Borges that holds a special place in the history of MPB.

From the working-class neighborhoods inhabited by Latin American migrants, to the trendy discos frequented by Spain’s elite youth, reggaeton has become a unifying force that transcends issues of race, gender, or social class.

Paris will always be Paris. A journey from Bohemia into the more chic districts, from the frenzy of Offenbach to the mischief of Montmartre, from the balls in Bastille to the clubs of the Marais. And not forgetting Notre Dame and the Paris Opera, of course!

Built on the heritage of Japanese music’s Golden Age (the 60's to the late 80's), the current Tokyo music scene is vast, hosting many genres, subcultures and niches, and making the city one of the most exciting local music scenes in the world.

It’s where reggaeton meets sensual pop, MC’s scathing flows describe blatant social inequalities and soaring electronica tries to soothe a violent populous. Welcome to the new sounds from Medellín.

Colombian Eblis Àlvarez douses cumbia and salsa with LSD to generate some blistering hot psychedelia. South American music subsequently developed into a bit of a hobby for him, much like the blues for Captain Beefheart or pop for The Residents. 

Peaceful songs to help you journey through time and music, and into slumber.

Ariel Pink never wanted to be famous. Yet he is the master of writing hits that never existed. Is he simply a plagiarist? Or is it that more and more people are copying him these days?

From the electro pop of the 1980s to music for Bertolucci and Almodovar, here is a portrait of a musical chameleon who’s turned his hand to everything from Kraftwerk, to Bach, Ravel, Kenny Larkin, and Debussy. Get ready for some classical classics.

Rich in European, Latin American and Caribbean influences, Buenos Aires is an open-air musical laboratory where one can hear the most danceable cumbia-reggaeton to the most ethereal synth-pop.

Disco, gospel, Bach, Chinese groove, a splash of the organ and a twist of New Year groove for this very eclectic end-of-year cocktail.

The stress of the compulsory Christmas parties, childhood dreams turned to dust, the anxiety of one’s family, the lack of interest in a holiday devoid of values...For some, Christmas is like a nightmare that comes back to haunt them every year. They shouldn’t feel alone, as there’s plenty of music that would also like to throw Santa’s presents back in his face. A guaranteed Mariah Carey-free zone.

The story of how a piece of software intended to correct voices was transformed into an essential part of a record producer’s toolkit and a playful way to add effects.

Is this the best album by the best band of all time? We’ll leave it to everyone’s individual taste to answer that thorny question. In the meantime, The Beatles aka ‘the white album’ is an iconic double-album whose influence has reigned supreme over the record world since 1968.

La Tropicália (also known as Tropicalismo) was an iconoclastic vision of Brazilian society in the late 1960s, and two of its heroes are still making headlines: Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil.

Singer, multi-instrumentalist, charismatic public figure, universal brother-father-granddad to most music loving human beings, here’s how it can sound when Stevie Wonder, the composer, lyricist, producer and duettist, offers other artists a piece of Wonderland.

The femme fatale... A classic figure in novels and operas or a macho fantasy? Circe, Dalila, Manon and Medea (to name but a few) have traversed our imagination for centuries. Ancient man (and bourgeois writers) expressed fear and passion for the ‘eternal feminine’ via La Traviata, Salome and Lulu in the 19th century. For contemporary life we have Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Britney Spears and Tina Turner, adored as much as they’re sacrificed.

The incredible journey of the Mael brothers, from their first TV show to their latest soundtrack for Leos Carax.

The story of Talk Talk is the story of one of the most fascinating transformations in British pop music, beginning just over 40 years ago. Or it’s the story of how fake Duran Duran clones turned into post-rock heralds.

Dive into one of the best year for disco music.

Eclectic Brazilian pop diva Marisa Monte undoubtedly had one of the most successful careers in the history of this musical continent.

Songs written for some, production done for others, rare tracks and star duos. Here we discover the (more or less) hidden side to the career of the former Beatle.

There are two ways to hear the summer. One is with the light music of Bach, Beethoven, Haydn and Debussy. The other is with what emerged from the summers of love between 1968 to 1988 where house music and raves emerged. We will see that these two styles are far from being incompatible.

Praising the value of demo tapes and original recordings from bands, exploring how they provide an insight into the creative process behind legendary songs.

Tracing the porous lines separating Bowie, Miles Davis and Stravinsky from leading figures in the world of modern art like Picasso, Warhol and Dali.

Jimi Hendrix, a Room Full Of Covers, a selection inviting you to rediscover the great composer behind the famous guitarist.

Midnight in the semi-darkness of a nightclub. You’re sitting on a stool, effortlessly leaning against the bar.

A cult figure for generations of samplers weaned on his sounds and celebrated by lovers of the cinemascope format, producer and arranger David Axelrod is still a name that too few have heard.

The fourth and final installment, in which we take a chronological look at the career of one of the most influential artists of pop (and avant-garde) music.

Part three, in which we take a chronological look at the career of one of the most influential artists of pop (and avant-garde) music.  

Part two. Dive into the work of one of the most influential artists of pop (and avant-garde). 

Part one. Dive into the work of one of the most influential artists of pop (and avant-garde).

Prince penned, gave or/and contributed, openly, incognito or under a moniker, songs to an impressive and eclectic list of fellow artists. Here’s a joyful playlist to reveal the tip of that iceberg. 

Psychedelic music doesn’t only exist under a clear, benevolent sky. It also invokes the dark night of the soul, where our deepest anguish is revealed.

1966 is a watershed year in music history. A huge amount of songs were big sellers on both sides of the Atlantic and somehow still seep into our bones.
 

In London and all over the UK at the beginning of the ‘80s, ex-punks with eccentric looks were getting the party started again, inventing synthetic pop inspired by glam rock and cabaret.
 

Ecstasy and pollen, feverish funk, electro sunrises, songs of change and seasonal dances from Vienna to Manaus.
 

The eargasm: a feeling of euphoria brought about by listening to sensual music...
 

Her enigmatic 40-year career has proved that anyone who thought she was a genius at 19 was right.

March, the month of flowers budding, of returning light. For the Romans it was the month of war, and of a mysterious world little known to us humans.
 

Part two of our tribute to the anonymous musicians behind almost every US pop hit of the era. 
 

We salute the anonymous musicians behind almost every US pop hit of the era. Part one.
 

By the dawn of the 70s, the explosion of dancefloor music transformed the Italian pop scene.

In the late 60s, Italian Beat morphed into Psichedelica. Although very short-lived, Italian psychedelia is still distinctively unique.

The story of the 1960s Italian music and cultural beat revolution, when teenagers grew their hair long, hitchhiked like Kerouac’s characters, set up hundreds of guitar bands and Rome Piper Club became the Mecca of a generation of beatniks.

In record time, the Spanish singer has become one of the most fascinating and elusive artists on the pop scene, brilliantly blending her flamenco roots with hip-hop, R&B and electronic music.

30 songs to get a killer party your guests will never forget… While respecting prevention measures… Winter edition. Happy New Year 2021!

Is Christmas cancelled this year? Hopefully not!

An icon of Britain’s Swinging Sixties.

Heritage, influence, and the ongoing dialectic of Nigerian Pop. 

The continuously crashing crest of modern pop’s wave, found in the up and comers of Atlanta hip-hop.

A familiar reminder that happiness can be found anytime, even when the sky is grey.

At the turn of the ’70s, a new kinky playfulness begins to appear in the arts throughout Europe.

Four German electronic music pioneers took over the synthesiser in 1970s and changed pop music forever.

Here are 30 songs you need to listen before going out to party… While respecting prevention measures… This is our very latest summer edition.

It is the undefinable magic that he lent to the words and music of others that means Frank Sinatra will live on for a very long time.

Music’s yesteryear is R&B’s tomorrow.  

A pop icon and music legend who has influenced artists such as David Bowie, Thom Yorke, and Leonard Cohen.

This is a movie for your imagination to watch as it wishes. In fact, you’re starring in it.

Decca’s offshoot label showcased some of Britain’s most happening pop, psychedelic and progressive artists of the late 60s. 

To accompany our Motown Girls playlist, we salute the guys who shone for the world’s greatest pop and soul label.

A bittersweet selection of songs of love, loss, longing, and self loathing.

The legendary producer has creatively guided the likes of Johnny Cash, the Beastie Boys, Adele, and Kanye West over the last three decades.

While London was Swinging, this Detroit label defined the 60s of America. We celebrate their great female artists.

Songs to walk home to in the early morning.

When you know you have a long dull winter ahead of you, this might be the moment to listen to songs about going away.

The golden days of autumn are now over, the leaves have turned brown and summer is but a distant memory.

1968 continues to resonate as a landmark year for rock, pop and soul. Discover our best singles of the year.

Was 1975 that a bad year for pop and a dead zone for new music like the great Bob Stanley says?

The end is not limited to inescapable and final death. There are other kinds of endings, when we say goodbye or farewell, we leave one another, we depart.

1966 proved to be such a wonderful year for music that it is worth documenting these great tracks that somehow avoided the radar.

Brian Wilson not only founded North America’s Beatles and wrote their songs, he changed the way music could be heard.

Seriously, Britain? Come on…

In the winter, nature goes to sleep, and it’s the perfect time to dive into a sea of lively, yet sad songs.

Pulp were the band of the underdog: the student, the misfit, the quiet, the shy, the bored.