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Memorably covered by Whitney Houston, the track was inspired by a big career choice
The LA hip-hop crew forged a cultural identity for a track that went on to be widely covered and used in film soundtracks
The largely wordless composition altered the course of music history
The story of the song’s origins has recently been updated, while its message has become corrupted by contemporary US politics
The late singer spent a lifetime singing the tune from Fiddler on the Roof, though others expressed interest in the role
Set to music by Hubert Parry, the hymn has been sung by suffragettes, socialists and rugby fans
Written for a film soundtrack, the 1967 track by his band The Lovin’ Spoonful celebrates everyday pleasures
John Lennon’s groundbreaking track owed a great deal to The Tibetan Book of the Dead — and producer George Martin
The song is chiefly remembered as part of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, though others have tackled it
Over the years, the singer has revisited a song whose lyrics were mostly written by a man
The band’s simple, hymnal song has been covered by pop stars and punk rockers
The 1981 track epitomised the singer’s spirit and was sampled a decade later by MC Hammer
The singer cemented the 1941 track as a standard and dozens more covered it — including Beyoncé
It formed part of the new South Africa’s national anthem and was adopted by revolutionaries elsewhere
The composer resented its popularity — but later said he admired one of several jazz versions of the piece
Popularised by Leadbelly and Nirvana, this song of suffering has its roots in an Appalachian folk tune
The track’s release coincided with a real-life New York killing spree
Traces of this song from the Bahamas go back to the turn of the 20th century
The band’s singer Robert Plant admitted that the song’s lyrics were not wholly original
Fred Gilbert’s 1891 song told the story of a gambler and conman who hit a lucky streak
A cover version of their 1973 track paved the way for a new wave of bands
With its brilliantly playful rhymes, Sportin’ Life’s sceptical song from Porgy and Bess has been covered and reinterpreted over the years
The 1971 track, which channelled Sinatra’s ‘My Way’, became a tribute to Bowie following his death seven years ago
The composer took the piece back to its roots in Wales
Animated film of Raymond Briggs’s picture book featured a young singer who went uncredited for years
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