Music is a language that transcends nationality, and social differences. It speaks to the heart and some say the soul. Throughout the years, we have many musical legends that defined the era, creating different genres which connotated the agenda for that era. As such, we decided to bring you a compilation of historical music videos that you can find on Youtube, with a snippet of the history behind it.
Before we take you down memory lane, let us warn you, that you might be exposed to high bouts of psychedelia, nostalgia and even groove beats, but what better way to start your Mondays with some oldies from the goldies.
Boney M
Some of you of the younger generation might not be acquainted with Boney M, but thanks to the power of Youtube, we can all now enjoy some of the greatest hits from the era of disco and funk. Boney M is a German vocal producer created by Frank Farian back in 1974. The original lineup was comprised of Liz Mitchell and Marcia Bennett from Jamaica, Maizie Williams from Montserrat and Bobby Farell from Aruba.
While you may not have heard of them, but they are the holders of one of the best selling hits of all time and with grooves such as Rasputin and Ma Baker, one really shouldn’t be surprised they managed to sell over 150 million records.
Surprisingly, the band is still performing today albeit a lower popularity base, but it has a cult following. Its tunes had not evolved much over the years and have kept to its funky tradition and catchy tunes.
Nujabes
Some of you might have heard of Nujabes, but to really appreciate his creations, one needs to go through his album of soul tempering beats. His real name is Jun Seba, and he is a Japanese record producer, DJ and song composer and he produces atmospheric mixes using a combination of jazz and hip-hop.
He has released three albums to his name until his death in 2011 due to a car collision. He created an independent record studio called Hydeout Productions which had released two compilations: Hydeout Productions 1st and 2nd Collections. Additionally, his works have been featured in popular animations such as Samurai Champloo.
His tunes are a harmonic blend between Eastern and Western instruments, often creating that beautiful transition merging low fidelity electro drum beats to create that tune that his fans are accustomed to. From the album above, you can see that he was a one of a kind musical genius that has gone too early.
Liz Longley
If you are a country music fan scouring Youtube for some hidden gems, then let me save you a search with Liz Longley.
Liz Longley is a Berklee College of Music graduate and award-winning artist, but for some reason, has been under the radar for quite a while. Her brand of country music acts as sort of a confessional true to heart tune, with lyrics that hark back to her past melded with mellow country tunes perfect for a slow day.
Longley says that her musical style was derived from the creation of her first song. She says she’ll continue to open her soul in the service of her art because that’s what matters most to her. “Every time I get into these songs they resonate with me, lock with me because they’re based on something I went through,” she says of the new collection. “I hope they connect with people and that they’ll help with whatever they’ve gone through. That’s what music does for me, and I hope I can do that for someone else.”
James Morgan
If you haven’t sampled some of her music, it’s safe to say you are missing out on life. Morgan James has one of the most powerful voices out there, and even I had only stumbled on her a couple of years back when she was playing a cover of James Brown on Postmodern Jukebox on YouTube(another worthy band might I add)
Morgan James brings soul music to the next level, with her powerful choruses and melodic transitions, she makes soul covers sound like they have been remastered. Thus far she has worked on Broadway musicals such as Godspell and the Addams Family, while she has also produced two solo albums since her first appearance and her second album would be the first album with original creations instead of covers.
Definitely, check her out if you want to take a trip back to the Soul Train era or you just fancy some powerful soul music.
Sara Niemietz
Sometimes we wonder where did the golden era of music go. The drivel that commercialised music has on the younger generation nowadays just dulls the ears and dwindles the mind. But if one would like to take a musical adventure back to the golden era, Sara Niemietz is the singer for you.
From blues to jazz, her deep acoustic voice allows you to immerse yourself in the era where all you need for the night are whiskey and good music. She has also performed on the previously mentioned Postmodern Jukebox channel as well as appearing on several TV series and producing soundtracks for feature films, her talents are boundless.
ToyBox
During the early 90’s we have been treated to a period of amazing music, as well as some weird ones, such as this group called ToyBox which was wildly popular during their hayday.
Their brand of music is commonly known and candy pop, which features tunes that sounds cute like, and has a peppery skip to the beat, while often being blasted with lots of electro-techno influences. Combined together, this made for a catchy beat for all ages.
One of the common misconceptions is how we all used to think that these songs were for kids, but with closer inspection, the lyrics are usually sexually derived, making it awkward for most of us 90’s kids as we have found out recently.
Similar artists or bands to this music style includes Venga Boys, Aqua, smile.dk and many other pop up bands in the 90’s
What Is Love by Haddaway
This is one of those tunes whereby fans have been saying that it was ahead of its time, and in this case, it is true. You might probably remember this song from the skit on Saturday Night Live with Jim Carrey, Will Ferell and Chris Kattan, bobbing their heads in sync.
Did that help jog your memory? The song itself went to become the number one hit song back in 1993. in multiple countries worldwide.
Eiffel 65
Another gem from the early 90’s, whereby the tune is catchy and difficult to forget while the lyrics made no sense and the video even more so. Eiffel 65 “Blue” was one of those songs that moulded your childhood whether or not you wanted it.
It was listed on the Billboard Top 100 and was one of the first songs that started using autotuned warble sound effects.
Pump Up The Jam
This time we are going way back with one of the songs that could be considered one of the earliest entry into technopop dance music which has grown so popular today. Released in 1989, ” Pump Up The Jam” has reached the Billboard Top 100 list in 1990, and even today it can be heard blazing on some Youtube videos. This just goes to show how much impact this song had back in its hay day.
Everybody Dance Now
Often considered one of the most cliche dance music Hollywood uses, one cannot deny that it has been used in practically every form of media out there
Eurobeat
If this tune is bringing you an urge to toggle the nearest gearbox then most likely you are a 90’s kid who spent one too many tokens in the arcades. Eurobeat was practically unknown before the advent of Initial D, which brought the music to light with its high octane blazing fast tempo which suited the animation theme well.
One of the recurring themes you might not have realised is that most of their song titles are rather uncreative as they are mostly grouped within a certain category such as if the tune is about cars, it will have titles like Driving Crazy or Wheels of Fire and so forth.
We hope you have enjoyed this trip down memory lane, and we even hope you have been inspired by some of the music that shaped your childhood if you were a 90’s kid or if you are just a music aficionado.