Happy to see many appreciate the 90s alternative here.
If I could time travel, that's where I want to go back.

For me, the best time for music was in the 80's, and I agree, followed by the 90's ... they wrote some really anthemic stuff back then.

In the 80's, you unearth some gems like Bruce Hornsby's "The Way It Is" which has also been sampled by Tupac, and to go with that, Police's "Every Breath you Take" which was sampled by Puff Daddy

But I guess that's just my age talking...

Just listened to this. Very powerful song.

Here's another one that would bring a tear to my eye... in the quiet of the night, sometimes I imagined what kind of a father (hopefully not a hopeless one) I would have been to an imaginary daughter of mine... and how I would feel if I had to give her away on her wedding day:

The music is simple, but the words are so profound. It really hits us men, because usually our fathers are the ones that chased the monsters away for us when we were young. Imagine, having to reverse the roles.

If you read the background to that song, it actually helped to safe Blunt's father's life. So, even more powerful.

I love the 80s. They had few the most talented musicians in my view, people like David Bowie, Prince, Freddie Mercury... But somehow 90s is to me is more fitting and 'normal'...

90's was the time I got into CantoPop, so a lot of my Chinese music influences were from that time.

Also surprised most songs are male vocalist...here's one female , Freya Ridings.

Lost Without You https://g.co/kgs/y9WuGwg

Adding a couple more where I find the music & lyrics are very moving:

1. Tracy Chapman's Fast Car

- about a woman's desperation on escaping the cycle of poverty




2. Suzanne Vega's Luka

- Deals with the issues of child abuse



This post has been edited by Lembu Goreng: Jul 8 2024, 01:02 PM

Both are excellent songs - and great meaning from the lyrics.

Saddest part for me is not the song , is the whole story of a guy who went into basketball because of a girl and at the end didn't even get together .....

I think the reason why it doesn’t quite resonate with me is firstly, it’s sung in a language that I don’t understand and secondly, I’ve neither read the mango nor watched the movies based on these characters. Finally, my Chinese sight reading is so rusty, by the I got to half the sentence, the next one already popped up….

Wah. This one got very meaningful lyrics…. Well worth a listen. Thank you for the recommendation !

The first time I watched the anime that Mitsui guy's story left a really deep impression in me. Other part of story I didn't really follow. And just like him, I've experienced my prime time, lost direction and struggle to return. Difference is: Mitsui only wasted 2 years, I wasted 15.

I've learned basic Japanese during my university time so I can understand the meaning plus I watched the anime when I was 9 or something. The lyric actually sings about a guy's feeling after got dumped by lover. Just this song relates to the character which inspires me a lot.

And just like him, the path before me is a difficult and lonely journey. I wanted to be tower crane operator at Aussie and working to get the license. After few enquiry I found not really that easy. All my friends and family don't understand why I choose this. They all encourage me just to stay where I am and be comfortable but that's not what I wanted. I don't want to "lie flat" so early. Some of my peers starting to have chronic diseases like diabetes gout and so on. I don't want to end up like them.

I want to proof to everyone and myself that I might be old but not dead yet. So even the license not so easy to get I wont give up. Not until I used all my options.

Now when I listen to that song, I will think of your story…

Bahtera merdeka by aisyah. And santeria when i think how the death of bradley cost the remaining members a shot at sustained fame.

Had to look up your reference there... Santeria wasn't a song I was familiar with, but thanks for sharing. Too many of these "rock stars" succumb to pressure and do silly things, sadly.