From time to time, I have selected songs and provided the lyrics (words in songs), with explanations. They are usually songs I like, so you’ve had to suffer (go through the pain of) my choices.
Finally, it’s your turn to be DJ (disc jockey; the person on the radio who selects the music to be played and who announces the songs). We’d like to hear what songs you’d like to hear and which lyrics you’d like explained.
We sometimes get questions from podcast listeners who ask about lyrics from Elvis songs, Beatles songs, or songs by other well-known and legendary (remarkable; very famous because of their talent) artists, so I thought we’d start with some of these, taking the top five in record sales (the number of records or CDs sold), and then adding a few other popular recording artists (anyone who records music for sale).
Tell us who your favorite recording artist is of all time. If the artist does not appear in the poll below, tell us who it is by posting a comment. Also, suggest a particular song in the comments that you’d like to hear. Let’s see which artist/song gets the most votes or the most mentions and you’ll see that here on the blog.
~ Lucy
[poll id=”13″]
Hy for all
all are good. But l prefer the ABBA group, becouse your songs etched in my brain and my my heart forever. Elvis, Michael, Frank and other are eternal.
All of them are great to me and for millions of fans, but I have voted to “The Beatles” may be because I think they made another kind of music that was
completely different from the music it was made before.
I was a teenage when The Beatles were singing and I didn´t understand a single word from the lyrics, yes it´s funny but it is true. May be it was
my first contact with the English language that it seems so odd to my ears but so nice listening to this English Group.
Yes, Beatles, always The Beatles, so good, so nice and even so “in time for ever”.
Reading the lyrics was quite a good exercise afterward to me and for my daughters while we were listening to the songs that often they said that
The Beatles taught them English too, despite the bad English of their father.
Just from that time I have in mind, and at present too, another singer author that I like very much and I have been listening to him along these so many
years, a hundred?, more or less. His name is “Cat Stevens” and between all his songs, all are great, I like one in special which calls
“Lady D’arbanville” may be made about the 1970 and also “Wild World” from the same year………well that was the year I got married.
A million thanks Lucy, I hope to see…….what? may be the Lady D´arbanville?. If you don´t know the song I am sure you´ll like it and all our
blog friends may enjoy the song and it´s songwriter´s work.
Hi Lucy,
I have been followed this indispensable site for the last one or two years. This site turn to me a thing like a fever, eheheh, I talk about ESL Pod to all my friends and family.
Well… My english is really very poor, maybe intermediate for reading, but wrinting and speaking… ugh. You are certainly the best for me in terms of audio teaching. And I like to much the English Café (naturally the ESLPods too).
Thanks to you, Lucy and Jeff. You are part of my day to day.
I have been listened lots of musics in english to try to improve my comprehension of the english spoken.
Elvis and Beatles are the best, ever. But there are many other that I like to much too.
I will make a little list: Jack Johnson, Phill Collins, John Lennon & Paul McCartney (obviously), Johnny Rivers, Lou Bega, The Bee Gees, Willie Nelson and naturally Frank Sinatra.
But let me say one thing… You show to me many singers that I don’t known. And this is very good. New talents.
Thanks for all.
Best regards.
Luís Roberto from Brazil.
Definetely the King of Pop : Michael Jackson! Beat it!! Beat it!! No matter if you are black or white!! Thriller!!! Man in the mirror!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nice article and informative with good collocations, my favorite one is Mr.Wonder.
Hi! to you all.
I do not actually have a favorite artist.
I listent to what comes trhrough the radio.
What about Jhonny Cash, I like his voice.
Thank you Lucy.
All artists above are my favorite. I was growing up listening music of those artists such as ABBA, Michael Jackson, Smokie, Paul Simon and so force and so on. At that time, I didn’t know the meaning of those lyric in that songs but just enjoy the rhythm. When I go to Karaoke, I often like to sing “Piano man” which was originally by Billy Joel and . As learning English, I’ve come to know the meaning of the lyric and I could feel better of those songs.
hi everybody….
well I am not a true lover of a unique singer, those things like being a fanatic fan of some singer or band, …. yeah, I am not that music suker comparing to the latest eslpod episodes.
But I do like alot to listen english songs…. actually , I like all songs that have a good rithm….. , indeed, nowadays since I have been in contact with eslpod, I am kind of improving my taste for song as … day-to-day popular, great rithm and easy comprehensive english songs. Got that everybody!!!
that`s my formula for learn english in a very fast way….. by doing that I pick up all those top catch songs … which got stuck in my mind and fit it in my Ipod together with all eslpod episodes available so far and that`s it….. I work the entire day listening whether song or eslpod.
And the best of all…. guess what??? I sing along and the songs are on! My day become more relaxing and believe or not…. people look at me making that face: HOW THAT GUY IS LEARNING ENGLISH SO FAST WITHOUT GOING TO SCHOOL, …. rsrssrsr this make me feel so good that I feel myself proud of me.
thanks to all of you esl team…..
I Blame on you what I have been through.
Even though I am a such lazy reader and keep myself slaking off on the learning guide, I won`t stop to be a member.
best regards!!!
Spice Girls!! They were legendary in the late 90’s!! Best British Female Group ever!!
I will go for the Beatles although I like all of them. It is always a pleasure to read your blog Dr. Lucy Tse. I learn something new everytime I read it. Thanks a lot.
Thank you for sharing information with us.
Dear Lucy, I would love to hear/understand some songs of Marillion or Pink Floyd.
Please, please, please 😉
Hi everyone, I like many of the artists of the poll but I did not find who, in my opinion, is the best artist I’ve ever listened to… and he is Phil Collins and his old group Genesis. I would like Lucy to include him in the list because he has been one of the best in the history of modern music.
Thank u for you interesting blog.
Sancho from Spain.
Dear Lucy,
“The show must go on” is the song I prefer because it make me stronger when I am in trouble (for ex: one of my 18 years old young student diead this year: cancer). The queen is the group I listen very often.
The beattles also are eternels.
I’d like to study a song I listened when I was younger than now: “the fool on the hill” by the beattles. I love this song a lot.
Bye Lucy. It’s always a pleasure to listen and read to You and Jeff
Dear Lucy,
I think it is very difficoult to pick up a recording artist because all of them have unforgettable songs: Frank Sinatra with “My Way”, U2 with “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, The Rolling Stones with “Sympathy for the devil”, and so forth…but, I would have to select one of them, I would choose The Beatles…why? I don´t know but I love his music.
I think it is a great idea to speak about the lyrics of the songs and to go on learning and improving our English skills.
Other interesting artist: Eagles, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Pinf Floyd…I would be a never ending list
Hi ! I have voted U2 with “One” . But I like very much Elvis with “Suspicious Minds” and The Beatles with their song hits : Oh! Darling, Don’t Let Me Down , Roll Over Beethoven .
Oh! Darling … it sounds so profound… I agree with Roberto : we would be a never ending list .
All the best for you all ,
Tania
Reading all the friend posts I have to agree with them by all means as it´s just so difficult to choose one among so great artists, In fact I like all the big ones they have mentioned and of course one of the greatest to me is mark knopfler, in my opinion one of the best now.
Never tired of listening to his songs and his guitar, but it´s a little difficult of understanding his English lyrics, why?…I don´t really know
but I can´t, it should be possible because he is Scottish and this acent is even more hard of understanding?.
No problem understanding the lyrics or not I like all his songs and his way of playing.
“The show must go on” is incredible and real, I agree with you Michel. It touch me very close every moment I listen to it.
Hi, Lucy,
Thank you provide so many great artists for us to vote, among these 9 singers and bands, I prefer Queen and The Beatles. When I first listened to queen’s hit album “a night at the opera” I was really shocked, it is fantastic, I can feel their strong enthusiasm for art, every time I enjoy these english songs I always wish I can understand the lyrics, not only the melody.
I don’t know how many episodes will introduce these lyrics, if it a long term work, i think do it by category may be clear and easily comprehended, such as Jazz, Ballad, Alternative, Country, Bule, New Age…
Since 4 months ago, esl podcast have became part of my life, now, I can’t live without it. thank you Lucy and Jeff, thank you for your hard work.
Hii people!
Well.. in my opinion all of them are so good…
But I have voted Michael Jackson ! The king of pop! “The Lady in my life” is his best song, for me.
Madonna have a very good song too: “Take a bow”… The melody is amazing.
Bye.. Thank you for the opportunity, Lucy
See you 😉
keep listening to Sharon den Adel and Timo Tolkki ‘ s work together song”Are you the one” recently.i love it!it’s pretty amazing to me.kinda my favorite lately.thank you for this fantastic blog,now i learn more and have more choices.
Dear, Lucy
Thank you for all work that you do to improve our English. I am a new listener of ESLpodcast and my English is on very low level and I don’t know any of those who are in the list above except Michael Jackson, so I can’t vot. I have a suggestion. I think it would be better if there is a song in which I or sb like me can underestand it’s words even memorize and repeat it for sb else. I enjoy to repeat a song while the singer is singing.
Good luck
Dear Farahnaz It´s so incredible to me that you only know Michael Jackson that please, may you inform us how old are you?. I think you have to be
very young, also if you don´t mind please tell us where are you from.
Your English is not so low as you think, you have done a good note and very clear so please go on, we would like to see you in future.
Greetings, emiliano
Hi Emiliano,
Thank you for friendly reply. In spite of the fact that women don’t like to say their ages, I tell you my age. I was born in 1969 and I’m glad that I could learn a little English and email to you my opinion. Actually I like listening my own country music/ songs and I know what the singers say, in addition I listen to other songs/ music from other countries just for pleasure and I don’t know what they say. I thought it was useless to know the singers’ name. Now, of course, when I read your email I feel ashamed that I don’t know any of them except one of whom I like his shows. So thank you for informing me.
By the way I think my dictionary help me write like this, furthermore it took me one hour and half.
Best regards,
Farahnaz
Thank you Farahnaz, by the year you were born 1969 I was walking through the Retiro Park in Madrid with the girl that now is my
wife, so to me this year is very special an unforgettable.
If I knew that you were a young woman, not a little girl, I would not ever ask you such a rude question, I agree with you absolutely.
I am very sorry, indeed.
What you said is quite nice to me, the music of your country has to be so beautiful that you don´t care about so many other groups.
Tell us, please, which is your country as now I am very curious and also I would like to listen to some of this music that you told us.
Thank you and best regards.
Hi, Emiliano
I think this web site is used to improve English by everyone no to communicate with each other.
If you want to contact sb, please give your address email. Perhaps you will have some friends who contact you.
Thanks,
Farahnaz
That´s O.K., Farahnaz, thank you.
Hi everyone, I like many of the artists of the poll but I did not find who, in my opinion, is the best artist I’ve ever listened to… and he is Phil Collins and his old group Genesis. I would like Lucy to include him in the list because he has been one of the best in the history of modern music.
Hello,everybody! I like to listen to classic rock groups, such as Queen(Who wants to live forever, Show must go on, We are the Campions, Don’t stop me now, etc.), Scorpions(Humanity), songs abput Valery :), of course, Mr. Big(Wild World), Gary Jules(Mad World) and many others. Oh, also Black eyed Peace( Let’s get it started, Shut up, Pump it)
It would be great to see texts of these songs here.