Amira Elfeky just dropped “Breakdown.” Dark, hypnotic mix of nu metal, alternative metal, gothic rock and nu-gaze. First solo single of the year, and chapter one of a new trilogy. Co-written with Harry James Gilmour (Bring Me the Horizon). She said it’s about wanting to change, but being too exhausted to take the first step. Video is out now.

“Xanadu” was written and produced by Jeff Lynne specifically for the 1980 musical fantasy film Xanadu. Performed by Olivia Newton-John with the Electric Light Orchestra, the song was recorded at Musicland Studios in Munich, with Olivia providing the lead vocals and ELO contributing the instrumentation and backing vocals. Released in 1980, “Xanadu” became a major international hit, reaching No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks and No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also topped the charts in several European countries and became the only UK No. 1 credited to ELO. The film's dance sequences had already been shot to an earlier demo of the song. When ELO recorded the final version, they had to match the demo's tempo so the finished recording would synchronise with the footage, giving the song its slightly unusual rhythmic feel.

“Take My Breath Away” was written by Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock specifically for the 1986 film Top Gun. The song was not originally written for Berlin: Moroder brought the group into the project after several other performers had failed to satisfy the filmmakers. Singer Terri Nunn recorded a demo that impressed Moroder so much that her version was ultimately chosen for the film, despite bassist and songwriter John Crawford strongly disliking the idea because the song had not been written by Berlin and sounded unlike their usual style. The decision turned out to be spectacular. “Take My Breath Away” became a worldwide No. 1 hit, topping the Billboard Hot 100 and charts in several other countries, and won both the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song in 1987. The song became Berlin's biggest and most enduring hit but its success also deepened tensions within the band, contributing to their breakup later that year. Berlin did not perform the song at the Oscars because they were touring in Taiwan, Melba Moore and Lou Rawls performed it at the ceremony instead.

“Daydream Believer” was originally slated to be the B-side of a Michael Nesmith-led single built around “Love Is Only Sleeping,” but a last-minute issue involving the European masters led to the song being promoted to the A-side instead. Released in 1967, it became a huge hit, spending four weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (The Monkees’ last American chart-topper) and later reaching #5 on the UK Singles Chart. Included on The Birds, The Bees & the Monkees (1968), the track is often noted as one of the few recordings from that era to feature all four Monkees together, at a time when the group was increasingly splintering in the studio.

Released in 1996 as the second single from Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, “1979” became the Smashing Pumpkins' biggest American hit, reaching No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on both the Modern Rock Tracks and Mainstream Rock Tracks charts. The album was eventually certified 10× Platinum in the United States. “1979” was almost left off the album: producer Flood gave Corgan a final deadline to complete the unfinished song or remove it from the record. Corgan went home, finished the lyrics that night, and returned the next day with a new demo that convinced Flood to keep it. Billy Corgan wrote the track as a nostalgic reflection on adolescence and the transition into adulthood. Although the title refers specifically to the year Corgan was 12, the song is less a literal autobiography than an idealised reflection on what it felt like to be young.

“Maps” was written by Karen O, Nick Zinner, and Brian Chase for Yeah Yeah Yeahs' 2003 debut album, Fever to Tell. The intensely emotional song was inspired by Karen O's relationship with Angus Andrew, frontman of Liars, during a period when their lives were increasingly affected by touring and distance. Released in 2003, “Maps” became the band's commercial breakthrough, reaching No. 87 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 9 on the Alternative Airplay chart in the United States, while peaking at No. 26 on the UK Singles Chart. Its impact was amplified by Patrick Daughters' unforgettable music video, in which Karen O visibly breaks down in tears while performing. The tears were completely real: Andrew was supposed to appear at the shoot but arrived three hours late, leaving Karen convinced that he might not come at all. She later said that she became genuinely emotional because the song had been written for him.

“Friday I’m in Love” is from The Cure’s 1992 album Wish. Robert Smith has called it a dumb pop song that is also excellent, precisely because it is so out of character: optimistic, naïve and happy. Released in May 1992 as the second single, it reached No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart (the band’s last UK Top 10) and No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100, while topping the Modern Rock Tracks chart for four weeks. Smith became convinced he had stolen the progression and called everyone he could think of to play it for them, asking if they had heard it before. He had also accidentally left the vari-speed on during recording, so the track sits a quarter-tone sharp. After months of work in concert pitch, that slight lift is what makes the song jump out. The video, directed by Tim Pope, won the European Viewer’s Choice award at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards.

“Papa Don't Preach” is from Madonna’s 1986 album True Blue. Written by Brian Elliot and Madonna, the dramatic pop song became one of her biggest worldwide hits, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 on the UK Singles Chart and topping the charts in several other countries. The song sparked widespread controversy upon its release, with both anti-abortion and pro-choice groups claiming it supported their respective positions. Although Madonna was criticized by both sides, she repeatedly avoided taking a political stance, explaining that the song was meant to tell a personal story rather than advocate a position in the abortion debate. The publicity only amplified its impact, making it one of the most discussed pop releases of the 1980s.

“Oh Julie” is a song written and performed by Welsh rock and roll singer Shakin’ Stevens, released in January 1982 as the lead single from his album Give Me Your Heart Tonight. Unlike many of his earlier hits, which were cover versions, this was an original composition by Stevens himself and became his first self-penned UK number one. The upbeat track, featuring a distinctive Cajun-flavoured accordion sound mixed with classic 1950s rockabilly energy, topped the UK Singles Chart for one week and also reached number one in Ireland and several other European countries. Its success further cemented Stevens’ status as the UK’s best-selling singles artist of the 1980s and remains one of his most recognisable songs.

“Wish You Were Here” is closely associated with Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd's founding member who left the band in 1968 as his increasingly erratic behaviour made it impossible for him to continue. While the title track contains a clear nod to Barrett and is often interpreted as an expression of longing for him, the album's main tribute is “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” which was explicitly written in his memory. The album as a whole also explores broader themes of absence, isolation and alienation. During the final mixing of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” at Abbey Road Studios on June 5, 1975, Barrett unexpectedly appeared at the studio. His appearance had changed so dramatically that nobody recognised him at first: Rick Wright thought he was a friend of Roger Waters, while David Gilmour initially assumed he was an EMI employee. When Gilmour finally realised who the stranger was, he told Nick Mason, “It's Syd.” Gilmour and Roger Waters were brought to tears by the unexpected reunion. It was the last time any member of Pink Floyd saw Barrett.

"Somebody's Watching Me" is from Rockwell's 1984 debut album of the same name. The paranoid funk track peaked at #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100, kept from the top spot by Van Halen's "Jump." Rockwell (born Kennedy Gordy, son of Motown founder Berry Gordy) recruited Michael Jackson to sing the instantly recognizable chorus. Although Jackson was not credited on the single or the album, his involvement was never intended to be a secret. His unmistakable voice quickly became one of the song's biggest talking points, while the lack of a credit helped keep the spotlight on Rockwell's debut rather than turning it into "a Michael Jackson song."

Released on 9 August 1982 as the third single from Rio, Duran Duran’s “Save a Prayer” became the band’s biggest UK hit at the time, reaching No. 2 and kept off the top only by Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger.” It was not issued as a single in the United States until January 1985, when an edit peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, long after MTV had already worn out the video. Russell Mulcahy filmed that video in Sri Lanka in April 1982, at Sigiriya, the ruins of Polonnaruwa and the southern coast. Andy Taylor fell into water used as an animal latrine during the shoot and ended up in hospital with dysentery.

“Smoke on the Water” was written by Deep Purple about a fire they actually watched. On 4 December 1971 the band was in Montreux to record Machine Head at the casino, and went to the last show there before the winter renovations: Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. During “King Kong,” someone in the crowd fired a flare into the rattan ceiling. The casino burned down. From their hotel, the band watched the smoke drift across Lake Geneva. Bassist Roger Glover woke from a dream a few days later with the title. Claude Nobs (the “Funky Claude” of the lyric) helped get people out and found the band another place to record. Ritchie Blackmore’s four-note riff became the spine of the song, which they finished because the album was still a few minutes short. He later claimed the idea came from Beethoven’s Fifth played backwards, calling it “an interpretation of inversion,” though bandmate Roger Glover has said that, knowing Blackmore’s sense of humour, it may have been a joke. Released on Machine Head in 1972 and as a single in 1973, it reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was never meant to be the centrepiece. It was the song they wrote to fill the gap.

Nights In White Satin was written by Justin Hayward when he was just 19 after a show. The track is part of the concept album Days of Future Passed (1967), which pioneered symphonic rock by mixing the sound of The Moody Blues with the London Festival Orchestra (a fictitious name for studio musicians). The album version is 5:38 and ends with the spoken poem "Late Lament," written by drummer Graeme Edge and recited by Mike Pinder. Released as a single in November 1967, it reached #19 in the UK and #103 in the US. But on the 1972 reissue (after the success of long tracks like "Hey Jude" and "Layla") it was much more successful: it spent two weeks at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 (behind "I Can See Clearly Now"), #1 on the Cash Box, #9 on the UK and became the biggest hit of the band's career. It re-entered the British chart in 1979 (#14).

This clip shows David Bowie’s famous 1979 Saturday Night Live performance of “The Man Who Sold the World.” Bowie was joined onstage by the theatrical performers Klaus Nomi and Joey Arias, creating one of the most visually striking television appearances of his career. Unable to move freely because he was encased in an oversized plastic tuxedo designed by Mark Ravitz, Bowie relied on Nomi and Arias to carry and guide him across the stage. The surreal, avant-garde staging reflected Bowie's fascination with performance art and the emerging New York underground scene, and the appearance introduced many American viewers to Klaus Nomi, who would later become a cult icon in his own right.

“Daddy Cool” is from Boney M.’s debut album Take the Heat off Me (1976). The song’s deep male vocal heard in lines like “She’s crazy like a fool…” was actually performed by producer Frank Farian, while Bobby Farrell, the group’s charismatic dancer and visual frontman, typically lip-synced those parts in live appearances, television performances and videos. The track became one of Boney M.’s first major Euro-disco hits, reaching #6 on the UK Singles Chart and #65 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was even bigger across continental Europe, topping the charts in countries such as Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, while also reaching the Top 5 in Australia.

“Gypsy” is from Fleetwood Mac’s 1982 album Mirage. Written by Stevie Nicks, the nostalgic track peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped propel Mirage to #1 in the US. The song was originally inspired by Stevie Nicks' memories of the years she and Lindsey Buckingham struggled financially, when they shopped for vintage clothes in a San Francisco store whose "old back room" inspired one of the song's most memorable lyrics. After the death of her best friend, Robin Anderson, Nicks came to view "Gypsy" as a tribute to her, giving the song an even deeper emotional meaning. Its legacy was further cemented by its music video, which cost nearly $1 million to produce, making it one of the most expensive music videos ever made at the time.

“Epic” was originally released by Faith No More in 1989 as the second single from their third album, The Real Thing. The track became the band's breakthrough hit, reaching #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #29 on the UK Singles Chart. Its unconventional fusion of alternative metal, funk, hip-hop, and keyboards helped make Faith No More one of the most influential bands of the alternative-metal movement. More than 25 years later, the band performed “Epic” at the Pinkpop Festival in Landgraaf, Netherlands, on June 12, 2015, during their European tour supporting Sol Invictus, their first studio album in 18 years. The performance demonstrated that the song had lost none of its intensity decades after its original release, with Mike Patton delivering the famously theatrical vocals that had helped make the track a defining moment of the early 1990s alternative scene.

“My Immortal” is from Evanescence’s 2003 debut album Fallen. Written by Amy Lee and Ben Moody, the song exists in two well-known official versions. The original album track is the more stripped-back recording, built around piano and strings. The later “band version,” released as the single, adds guitar, drums and bass after the bridge and features a fuller string arrangement by David Campbell. Later pressings of Fallen include the band version as a hidden track. Released in December 2003, it reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 7 on the UK Singles Chart. It also topped the charts in Canada, Greece and Portugal, and has been certified platinum in several countries. The track earned a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and is frequently praised for Lee’s vulnerable vocal performance.

“Crazy for You” was written by John Bettis and Jon Lind for the 1985 film Vision Quest. The writers based the song on a nightclub scene in the script, not on Madonna’s voice. Produced by John “Jellybean” Benitez, it was her first major ballad and showed she could do more than dance tracks. Released in March 1985, it became her second No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, knocking “We Are the World” from the top. It also reached No. 1 in Australia and Canada, and No. 2 in the UK. After the song’s success, the film was renamed Crazy for You in some European markets. The track earned Madonna her first Grammy nomination, for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. A 1991 remix later returned to No. 2 in the UK and helped make it her best-selling single there at the time.

“I’ve Been Thinking About You” was written by Londonbeat members Jimmy Chambers, George Chandler, Jimmy Helms and William Henshall for the band’s 1990 album In the Blood. Chambers later recalled that the idea came to him while he was in bed with a cold. Produced by Martyn Phillips, the track pairs a mid-tempo dance beat with the group’s tight a cappella-style harmonies. Released in August 1990 as the lead single, it reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart and then topped the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1991. It also reached No. 1 in Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and several other countries, becoming the band’s signature hit. The song was the number-one airplay track in the United States for 1991 and later won the BMI Award for Song of the Year.