Piano Man - Billy Joel

Music That Can't be Beat

Good ol' Billy Joel, a man who makes music about anything sound amazing. Going over this song reminds me how much I miss musicians who create music, not just produce it, there is a big difference and Billy Joel's music still surpasses the quality of many musician's today.

"Piano Man" is a powerful song to say the least. From the opening piano to the "la-la-de da" chorus, this song is genius all the way through. Let's break it down like normal. The piano, is amazing, creative and entertaining every moment of the song. I could talk about every transition, solo and chord, but it is safe to say this piano is nothing short of perfection in music. The harmonica accompanying the piano through the song is also so wonderfully done, it is hard not to want to go out and buy one to just learn the part from this song. The song is so full of life, the slower more solemn parts are emotionally engaging and the louder sections are easy goosebump givers. 

Joel's voice is fantastic. His lyrics are perfect. They tell a story, just about any person can sing along and they are complex enough on various layers of meaning and sing-ability that the song never gets boring to listen over and over again. Adding a lot of other instruments in the background during the more boisterous moments really fill the song at the right moments.

Easily one of the best songs ever written, and we'll keep listening to it for generations to come.

Originality: 10

Instruments: 10

Vocals: 10

Longevity: 10

Red Score: 10

Hungry Like The Wolf - Duran Duran

The Good Hunt

Classic pop and 80s music is something that you can't help but love as soon as they come on Spotify, the radio or your personal playlists. Duran Duran's "Hungry Like The Wolf" is no different, an infectious song that just about everyone loves.

What makes this song really amazing is the combination of excessive 80s sound and instruments. Starting with a laugh and guitar, drums, bass and synth sounds in the background, this song punches with a strong beginning and keeps going for the entire 3 and a half minutes. The guitar riff that continues through verse and changes in chorus to chords is something everyone never gets tired of hearing. The bass is a lot more bouncy and powerful than I remember, which is always a plus to hear. Drums help power the guitar and the pop synth sounds are wonderfully 80s every second of the way.

With all that goodness, possibly the most memorable part of the song is the lyrics that everyone sings along for a few words in the chorus and mumbles nonsense throughout the rest. "I'm on the hunt I'm after you...and I'm hungry like the wolf," are totally unforgettable words, but I can't imagine anyone else really knowing the other lyrics, but that doesn't make the song and vocal work any less totally entertaining.

A seriously fun song that reminds me how much I love 80's music and how much those song are timeless.

Originality: 8

Instruments: 8

Vocals: 8
Instruments: 10

Red Score: 8.5

Say Say Say - Paul McCartney (feat. Michael Jackson)

A Song That Can Serve Two Masters

Paul has worked with a countless number of people, from Stevie Wonder and Johnny Cash to Kanye and Bloody Beetroots. One of the best songs he teamed up for was "Say Say Say" with music legend, Michael Jackson. The song itself sounds much more “Jackson-y,” from the drums and opening chords it sounds more like something on his album than Paul's, but it isn't a bad thing. It is very refreshing and cool to see Paul branch out. I love how Paul works his voice a little different to match Michael’s voice, a really awesome duo, I wish they had more stuff together. At first I didn’t think it would be that great, but how could two musical geniuses not create something amazing? The guitar and drums are standard, but the bass is extra funky and moves a lot more. The harmonica throughout the song also give a lot of soul and personality, it makes the song feel so much more alive. All the horns in the bridge and into the end are a strong addition that helps support and strengthen the other parts of the song. Unfortunately, this was the first time I have ever heard this, I couldn’t believe the song never came up anywhere else though my treks into 80’s music. I hope you can really appreciate the magic that these two masters created, a really fine piece of sound and song.

Originality: 9

Instruments: 8.4

Vocals: 9.1

Longevity: 7.7

Red Score:8.5