Soul Music

Landslide by Fleetwood Mac

Landslide was written by Stevie Nicks in 1973, on the cusp of huge change in her life. Penned while she was depressed and struggling financially in the snow-covered mount

Sweet Caroline

Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline was released in 1969, but it wasn't until the 1990s that it became a theme song for the Boston Red Sox, spreading to other other countries a

Rasputin by Boney M

Rasputin was a massive disco hit for the British-German Caribbean group Boney M in 1978. Nearly fifty years later it remains a much loved symbol of happiness and freedom

Make You Feel My Love

"When the rain is blowing in your face / And the whole world is on your case / I could offer you a warm embrace / To make you feel my love" Written by Bob Dylan for his

Cranes in the Sky by Solange

Marking 25 years of the award-winning series, Soul Music features songs from the last 25 years. “I tried to drink it away... I tried to run it away...” Solange’s hit so

Yellow by Coldplay

"Look at the stars, look how they shine for you..." True stories of what Yellow, one of Coldplay's most iconic songs, means to people 25 years on from its release. It's

Porcelain by Moby

A song that was everywhere after it was released as a single in 2000. Moby's Porcelain has been used in films, TV and adverts yet remains a much loved melancholic downbea

Soul Music at 25

This hour long special celebrates a quarter of a century of the programme and charts the course of a human life through pieces of music. Cerys Matthews introduces a com

Bésame Mucho

The Mexican pianist and composer Consuelo Velázquez was only 16 years old when she wrote Bésame Mucho, and she was yet to have her first kiss. Composer and conductor Od

May You Never

"May you never lay your head down without a hand to hold / May you never make your bed out in the cold." A perfect folk song of brotherly affection, with simply voice an

Ae Fond Kiss by Robert Burns

Robert Burns began a correspondence with Agnes McElhose, also known as Clarinda and Nancy, a married woman he was besotted with. When she left Scotland to reunite with

I Feel Love

Stories of love, loss and legacy surrounding Donna Summer's iconic 1977 hit. Producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte wanted to make something which sounded like the f

Sailing By

Written in 1963, 'Sailing By' by Ronald Binge was chosen by the BBC as the musical interlude to be played every night before the Shipping Forecast. These are the stories

Benedictus

Sir Karl Jenkins' Benedictus is the penultimate movement from his anti-war mass, The Armed Man. Written twenty-five years ago this year and performed over three thousand

Lovely Day by Bill Withers

"Lovely Day" was released in 1977. Its simple blissful melody masks profound lyrics which on closer examination offer hope and solace to many fans of the song. Some of th

Tender

"Tender is the night lying by your side / Tender is the touch of someone that you love too much..." - Chris Lightfoot will always associate Blur's song 'Tender' with his

Diamonds and Rust

“Well, I'll be damned, Here comes your ghost again…” Joan Baez, also known as the "Queen of Folk", is halfway through writing a song one day when she gets a call from Bo

Tiny Dancer

Elton John's slow burner is now one of his most beloved tracks. Released in 1971 during a prolific period for Elton and Bernie Taupin, many people see themselves in the l

Northern Sky

"I never felt magic crazy as this....." For some it's a beacon of hope, for others a metaphor for love. 'Northern Sky' is the penultimate track on Nick Drake's 1971 albu

I Can See Clearly Now

"I can see clearly now the rain is gone / I can see all obstacles in my way / Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind / It's gonna be a bright / Bright sunshiny day"