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the harry styles playlist — a thread of his favourite songs & his commentary
BREATHE — PINK FLOYD
“I love turning the lights down, sitting in a chair and listening to Dark Side of the Moon top to bottom. On the last [One Direction] tour there was a good six weeks I only listened to that album.” https://open.spotify.com/track/2ctvdKmETyOzPb2GiJJT53?si=HIIrnRjSSWWbdxEALlRZGA
“I love turning the lights down, sitting in a chair and listening to Dark Side of the Moon top to bottom. On the last [One Direction] tour there was a good six weeks I only listened to that album.” https://open.spotify.com/track/2ctvdKmETyOzPb2GiJJT53?si=HIIrnRjSSWWbdxEALlRZGA
MY OLD MAN — JONI MITCHELL
“[The album] Blue, that’s just the ultimate in terms of songwriting. Melody-wise, it’s in its own lane. Joni, her freedom with melodies — it’s never quite what you thought was coming, yet it’s always so great.” https://open.spotify.com/track/6NQRhp9Vv5RRySazV7ttBl?si=jZzyY6uWSfy8bzdwJOGXVA
“[The album] Blue, that’s just the ultimate in terms of songwriting. Melody-wise, it’s in its own lane. Joni, her freedom with melodies — it’s never quite what you thought was coming, yet it’s always so great.” https://open.spotify.com/track/6NQRhp9Vv5RRySazV7ttBl?si=jZzyY6uWSfy8bzdwJOGXVA
AT LAST — ETTA JAMES
“This whole album is perfect. You have ‘I Just Want to Make Love to You’ going into ‘At Last,’ which has to be one of the greatest one-twos ever. Her ad libs are so intense. It’s like, ‘Come on, Etta — tell us how you really feel.” https://open.spotify.com/track/4Hhv2vrOTy89HFRcjU3QOx?si=6bYDUZSETI6Gia3NinGemA
“This whole album is perfect. You have ‘I Just Want to Make Love to You’ going into ‘At Last,’ which has to be one of the greatest one-twos ever. Her ad libs are so intense. It’s like, ‘Come on, Etta — tell us how you really feel.” https://open.spotify.com/track/4Hhv2vrOTy89HFRcjU3QOx?si=6bYDUZSETI6Gia3NinGemA
ARROW THROUGH ME — WINGS
“While I was in Tokyo I used to go to a vinyl bar, but the bartender didn’t have Wings records. So I brought him Back to the Egg. ‘Arrow Through Me,’ that was the song I had to hear every day when I was in Japan.” https://open.spotify.com/track/3NiYvMjp5A3FZmP3dojS8k?si=TnOHQs9NRoaIXe8yrSRAlQ
“While I was in Tokyo I used to go to a vinyl bar, but the bartender didn’t have Wings records. So I brought him Back to the Egg. ‘Arrow Through Me,’ that was the song I had to hear every day when I was in Japan.” https://open.spotify.com/track/3NiYvMjp5A3FZmP3dojS8k?si=TnOHQs9NRoaIXe8yrSRAlQ
THIS WILL BE OUR YEAR — THE ZOMBIES
“I love The Zombies. I mean, first of all, I think his voice is so good, I think the melodies are incredible... This Will Be Our Year is one of my favourite songs.” https://open.spotify.com/track/02KpkaZbiutsR0ucxce4Sh?si=4bgNjsEkTri5FpQtmVtE4A
“I love The Zombies. I mean, first of all, I think his voice is so good, I think the melodies are incredible... This Will Be Our Year is one of my favourite songs.” https://open.spotify.com/track/02KpkaZbiutsR0ucxce4Sh?si=4bgNjsEkTri5FpQtmVtE4A
SO FAR AWAY — CAROLE KING
“How do people make shit like this?”
“You listen to Tapestry and stuff like that, and it’s just made so long ago, and it sounds so good. I think that’s the kind of music that just sounds so timeless.” https://open.spotify.com/track/4HHge4zAyIw3pkrtFzmwCl?si=uEcVPddqSImUXL1ynIT4Ng
“How do people make shit like this?”
“You listen to Tapestry and stuff like that, and it’s just made so long ago, and it sounds so good. I think that’s the kind of music that just sounds so timeless.” https://open.spotify.com/track/4HHge4zAyIw3pkrtFzmwCl?si=uEcVPddqSImUXL1ynIT4Ng
HELPLESSLY HOPING — CROSBY, STILLS & NASH
“Those harmonies, man. ‘Helplessly Hoping’ is the song I would play if I had three minutes to live. It’s one of my ‘one more time before I go’–type songs.” https://open.spotify.com/track/1UKobFsdqNXQb8OthimCKe?si=lbmBX1ilROC1Ini1Ayexmg
“Those harmonies, man. ‘Helplessly Hoping’ is the song I would play if I had three minutes to live. It’s one of my ‘one more time before I go’–type songs.” https://open.spotify.com/track/1UKobFsdqNXQb8OthimCKe?si=lbmBX1ilROC1Ini1Ayexmg
50 WAYS TO LEAVE YOUR LOVER — PAUL SIMON
“50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,’ that’s the greatest verse melody ever written, in my opinion. So minimal, but so good — that drum roll.” https://open.spotify.com/track/6Qb7gtV6Q4MnUjSbkFcopl?si=zwUCel8FTVmSUOApQpihYw
“50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,’ that’s the greatest verse melody ever written, in my opinion. So minimal, but so good — that drum roll.” https://open.spotify.com/track/6Qb7gtV6Q4MnUjSbkFcopl?si=zwUCel8FTVmSUOApQpihYw
LANDSLIDE — FLEETWOOD MAC
“Stevie Nicks ... She’s so wise and serene. She sees all the romance and drama in the world and she celebrates it. Her words say, in so many ways, ‘I understand you, and you are not alone.’” https://open.spotify.com/track/5ihS6UUlyQAfmp48eSkxuQ?si=acQrKGTjT_qYYVliD-voGQ
“Stevie Nicks ... She’s so wise and serene. She sees all the romance and drama in the world and she celebrates it. Her words say, in so many ways, ‘I understand you, and you are not alone.’” https://open.spotify.com/track/5ihS6UUlyQAfmp48eSkxuQ?si=acQrKGTjT_qYYVliD-voGQ
SLEDGEHAMMER — PETER GABRIEL
“The greatest music video ever. I also love that Eighties synth pan-whistle sound — it basically just exists in this song and ‘My Heart Will Go On.” https://open.spotify.com/track/029NqmIySn1kOY305AAhxT?si=tJV3b-zgTbeFvjwh194luA
“The greatest music video ever. I also love that Eighties synth pan-whistle sound — it basically just exists in this song and ‘My Heart Will Go On.” https://open.spotify.com/track/029NqmIySn1kOY305AAhxT?si=tJV3b-zgTbeFvjwh194luA
BABY IM-A WANT YOU — BREAD
“The melodies are just amazing ... I was listening to Baby Im-A Want You while I was on vacation recently almost every day.” https://open.spotify.com/track/7IX2e7pEShera9T1QIMvi7?si=B45Gd52XTMKsLp8RH4kv1w
“The melodies are just amazing ... I was listening to Baby Im-A Want You while I was on vacation recently almost every day.” https://open.spotify.com/track/7IX2e7pEShera9T1QIMvi7?si=B45Gd52XTMKsLp8RH4kv1w
SWEET THANG — SHUGGIE OTIS
“It’s so much about sound. Obviously his voice is so distinct and kind of floats through those tracks, but his sounds are just so fun.” https://open.spotify.com/track/2u3HmBPHrk3ooSdVikignW?si=NZXM3yq-TU6Qta_Qo01wJg
“It’s so much about sound. Obviously his voice is so distinct and kind of floats through those tracks, but his sounds are just so fun.” https://open.spotify.com/track/2u3HmBPHrk3ooSdVikignW?si=NZXM3yq-TU6Qta_Qo01wJg
AMERICA — SIMON & GARFUNKEL
“With America, Paul Simon’s lyrics are just insane to me. And melodies, and his voice... There’s a humour in them that I find really inspiring. You can make this amazing music with humour in it and that’s really powerful.” https://open.spotify.com/track/6dfhF1BDGmhM69fnCb6wSC?si=nP_PtjYfSna8jS-54SLDzw
“With America, Paul Simon’s lyrics are just insane to me. And melodies, and his voice... There’s a humour in them that I find really inspiring. You can make this amazing music with humour in it and that’s really powerful.” https://open.spotify.com/track/6dfhF1BDGmhM69fnCb6wSC?si=nP_PtjYfSna8jS-54SLDzw
DREAMS — FLEETWOOD MAC
“Dreams was the first song I knew all the words to, before I really knew what the words meant. I thought it was a song about the weather, but I knew it was a beautiful song about the weather.” https://open.spotify.com/track/0ofHAoxe9vBkTCp2UQIavz?si=ovJKm-tESiyhGwBcxByT1Q
“Dreams was the first song I knew all the words to, before I really knew what the words meant. I thought it was a song about the weather, but I knew it was a beautiful song about the weather.” https://open.spotify.com/track/0ofHAoxe9vBkTCp2UQIavz?si=ovJKm-tESiyhGwBcxByT1Q
MADAME GEORGE — VAN MORRISON
“Astral Weeks is my favorite album ever. Completely perfect. ‘Madame George’ is one of my favorites — nine minutes. I’ve got some long songs but not my nine-minute one — it hasn’t quite come through yet.” https://open.spotify.com/track/1N4MKISvC1ddfRCRQDXDd2?si=tT0tTXVmT9-geU7Y6-1Xpw
“Astral Weeks is my favorite album ever. Completely perfect. ‘Madame George’ is one of my favorites — nine minutes. I’ve got some long songs but not my nine-minute one — it hasn’t quite come through yet.” https://open.spotify.com/track/1N4MKISvC1ddfRCRQDXDd2?si=tT0tTXVmT9-geU7Y6-1Xpw
end of thread <33 this is definitely not ALL of his favourites, but it’s a lot of the songs that harry has explicitly spoken about and a good starting point to learn about his taste :)
here’s a spotify playlist of everything mentioned in this thread: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qQZjprckBgqBZWOpFRI1Z?si=ekvbKItbTdKFoQrsACyVlQ
here’s a spotify playlist of everything mentioned in this thread: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qQZjprckBgqBZWOpFRI1Z?si=ekvbKItbTdKFoQrsACyVlQ
and if u like this thread, maybe have a look at my others here: http://hrrythreads.carrd.co !!
(harry listening to his own music, which was of course influenced by all these songs & artists)
(harry listening to his own music, which was of course influenced by all these songs & artists)
sources of these quotes:
“the harry styles archive” — another man, 2016
“harry styles inducts stevie nicks” — rarhof, 2019
“the eternal sunshine of harry styles” & “the harry styles hit list” — rolling stone, 2019
“at home with harry styles” — apple music, 2020
“the harry styles archive” — another man, 2016
“harry styles inducts stevie nicks” — rarhof, 2019
“the eternal sunshine of harry styles” & “the harry styles hit list” — rolling stone, 2019
“at home with harry styles” — apple music, 2020
