If ever a back catalogue epitomised the American Dream, it’s the albums of Van Halen.

A look at the careers of Leonard Cohen and Elvis Costello through Costellos' three favourite songs of Cohen's, listed in a Vanity Fair article.

Finnegan’s Wake. It’s an 200-year-old Irish ballad about a man named Tim Finnegan who lived, died and was reborn – all due to ...

This Anglo-Irish group brought a visceral energy to the punk rock scene, fusing it seamlessly with traditional Irish folk ...

Wham! has made Official Charts history by landing the Christmas No. 1 spot twice in a row. "Last Christmas" was blocked from ...

The band's next pick, I Speak Astronomy, taken from the same album, is a firm favourite of Eugene's, who notes enthusiastically: "I still believe this is one of the greatest songs we've ever written ...

As BBC Radio 2 put it in 2011: Wichita Lineman is “one of those rare songs that seems somehow to exist in a world of its own – not just timeless but ultimately outside of modern music”. Bob Dylan ...

Previously, I touched on the worst Christmas songs ever written, so why not try my hand at the best? The earworms, the nostalgia bringers, the tear jerkers, this list has them all, and then some!

One called it a “moving performance” and suggested it was a fitting tribute to MacGowan and the late Kirsty MacColl, who sang with The Pogues for the original version. “This is the greatest ...

There comes a point every festive season when it suddenly dawns on you that if you hear the same old Christmas songs one more time ... Chandelier and The Greatest, Sia tried something new in ...

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.

There comes a point every festive season when it suddenly dawns on you that if you hear the same old Christmas songs one more time you are going to run for the hills. Yes, we’ll admit to getting those ...