Molto Vivace: Music Babble

Here is a list of some of the greatest music pieces, songs, and albums that go back over four hundred years. The timeline begins with composers who pre-date the seventeenth century all the way to music considered contemporary (modern), with origins in the twentieth century. Again, this list is just a fragment of written works in the history of music and could extend forever if every body's taste was accurately reflected in it. Nonetheless, these are consequential and historic sounds that have managed thus far to endure the test of time.



1) Sacred Music

• Gregorio Allegri: Miserere mei, Deus
• Tomas Luis de Victoria: Requiem Mass
• Beethoven: Missa Solemnis in D major
• Rachmanivov: Vespers
• Arvo Part: Kanon Pokajanen
• The works of Thomas Tallis
• The works of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrinna

2) Classical (The term "classical" is used generically and encompasses both baroque, classical, and romantic styles of music)

• Bach: "Brandenburg Concertos"
• Beethoven: Symphonies No. 6 "Pastorale" and No. 9 "Choral"
• Tchaikovsky: Symphonies No. 5 and No. 6 "Pathetique" (Not "pathetic")
• Mozart: Symphony No. 25 in G Minor
• Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor" in E flat Major
• Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor
• Mozart: Symphony No. 40 in G Minor

3) Modern/ Present Day (Albums)

• Beatles: Abbey Road
• Elton John: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
• Beatles: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
• Stevie Wonder: Innervisions
• America: America
• Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life
• Frank Sinatra: In the Wee Small Hours
• Bee Gees: Saturday Night Fever (Yes, I love the Bee Gees)

3) Jazz/ Blues

I'm not a big jazz fan, but you can't go wrong with these three classics.

• Dave Brubeck Quartet: Take Five
• John Coltrane: My Favorite Things
• George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue

4) Best Song (not always accompanying the best albums)

• Beatles: Hey Jude
• Stevie Wonder: Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing
• Elton John/ Eric Clapton: Runaway Train
• Beatles: With a Little Help from My Friends
• The Alan Parsons Project: Eye in the Sky
• Beatles: Let It Be
• Queen: We Will Rock You
• Stevie Wonder: He's Misstra Know It All

5) Best Love Song

• Barbara Streisand: Evergreen
• Alisson Moyet or Dusty Springsfield renditions: What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life
• Elton John: The One
• Bee Gees: How Deep is Your Love
• Bonnie Tyler: Total Eclipse of the Heart
• Beatles: Something
• Righteous Brothers: Unchained Melody

Which one am I missing that should DEFINITELY have been up there? Let me know.

Take care,

Tom