Difficulty: Intermediate
USA
Accompanied by an orchestra conducted by Van Dyke Parks, Gaby Moreno and Jackson Browne sing “Across the Borderline," a song first recorded for the 1982 neo-noir film The Border, starring Jack Nicholson.
Difficulty: Intermediate
USA
Tom Petty had one of the biggest successes of his career with this song and its message of defiance and resilience. It was released on the studio album Full Moon Fever, which featured members of his band The Heartbreakers and some notable guest musicians. Look for Beatles guitarist George Harrison and drummer Ringo Starr appearing in the video!
Difficulty: Intermediate
USA
Welshy Arms, a blues rock band from Cleveland, Ohio, have had their song "Legendary" featured in movies, on wrestling shows, TV shows, commercials, and even a video game soundtrack. But it started out on their album No Place Is Home.
Difficulty: Intermediate
USA
From their brand new studio release, simply titled The Album, American pop rock band The Jonas Brothers are taking us higher with this single “Wings," a celebration of a love that elevates and gives new meaning.
Difficulty: Intermediate
USA
In her biggest hit, Miley Cyrus likens herself to a heavy metal ball that is swung from a crane to demolish buildings, and describes the devastation of a relationship collapsing around her.
Difficulty: Intermediate
USA
Meghan Trainor knows she’s got our attention with this bouncy “doo-wop” style, slightly tongue-in-cheek hit. From the album Takin’ It Back, the song was inspired by a newfound confidence and positive self-image.
Difficulty: Intermediate
United Kingdom
Birdy is a singer, songwriter, and accomplished pianist from the south of England. This song, “Wings,” from the album The Fire Within is her biggest hit to date, and has been featured in movie trailers, series, and commercials. The video shows Birdy with guests at an extravagant party at a mansion, complete with masks, fencing, and horses.
Difficulty: Intermediate
United Kingdom
A lullaby is usually a quiet and gentle song sung to help children get to sleep, but this is one of the darkest and creepiest songs from goth band The Cure.
Difficulty: Intermediate
USA
Miley’s track “Flowers” is thought to reference her marriage to ex-husband, actor Liam Hemsworth, as the pop megastar asserts her independence and embraces life as a self-assured and self-reliant individual.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Australia
"Never Tear Us Apart” by Australian band INXS is featured in the 2022 film The In Between starring Joey King and Kyle Allen. This new video celebrates this love song like no other with a special edit featuring the band’s unforgettable performance from Wembley Stadium in 1991.
Difficulty: Beginner
USA
This is a simple love song by American rock band Bon Jovi. It's about appreciating another person who lifts you up when you are down and, in fact, "when" is a key conjunction to look out for in this song.
Difficulty: Beginner
Canada
"Baby" was one of the songs that brought Justin Bieber success as a young pop singer. It recalls young love and heartbreak.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Belgium, Jamaica
Belgian-born singer-songwriter Milow enlisted his friend Skip Marley, grandson of Bob Marley, to sing with him on “Until The Sun Comes Up.” Milow wrote this song about a bittersweet relationship in which his emotions are being played with, and he can only be his girl’s number one guy when it suits her!
Difficulty: Intermediate
United Kingdom
Ed Sheeran sings about someone who makes his heart take flight even when he’s beset by worldly worries. In the music video, Ed, a self-proclaimed Pokémon fan, interacts with a variety of these tiny animated creatures.
Difficulty: Intermediate
United Kingdom
For this song, 1980s English pop band Talk Talk were inspired by the book The Dice Man by Luke Rhineheart, in which the main character rolls dice to determine his daily actions. As Talk Talk’s singer songwriter Mark Hollis once quipped, “A good book, but not a lifestyle I’d recommend.”
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
USA
American pop singer Jason Derulo’s uplifting hit “Take You Dancing” is full of raised hopes, raised spirits, and heightened desire!
Difficulty: Intermediate
USA
“Into the Unknown” was a hit song from the movie Frozen 2, in which Elsa has to overcome her doubt in order to track down the source of a mysterious voice she keeps hearing. This version played as the movie’s end credits rolled, and was performed by the American rock band Panic! At The Disco.
Difficulty: Intermediate
USA
Californian hip hop collective the Black Eyed Peas scored a global success with this song that questions the values of the modern world and the society we live in, and deals with issues such as racism, terrorism, pollution, gang crime, war, and intolerance. When hatred grows, and people and nations oppose each other, there's one question we find ourselves asking.
Difficulty: Intermediate
USA
Gaby Moreno sings plaintively, asking how long she might wait for her beloved’s return... it’s as if she knows that this relationship has already slipped through her hands.
Difficulty: Intermediate
United Kingdom
Cat Burns is a young singer-songwriter from London who loves to talk about relatable things based on her own personal experiences. In “People Pleaser," Cat muses on her habit of always trying to help people and putting their needs before her own, whether the help is appreciated or not.
Difficulty: Intermediate
USA
Greta Van Fleet is a hard-rocking band with blues influences. Despite many references to cars, “Highway Tune” also alludes to an old American folk song called “The Midnight Special," which was about riding trains late at night in the US.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
USA
American rock band No Doubt caused a stir when this single came out on the album Rock Steady. It had a “dancehall” style and more of a pop sound than many fans expected. Singer Gwen Stefani has said that the song is about backstage post-show parties, and the groupies that hit on the guys in her band.
Difficulty: Intermediate
USA
The song “Anti-Hero” from Taylor Swift’s album Midnights is inspired by her own fears and issues with self-esteem, as she allows herself an introspective look into her darkest thoughts. Taylor has said that the track is “one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written.”
Difficulty: Intermediate
United Kingdom
Dan Smith of the English indie rock band Bastille describes “Good Grief” as “a song about loss, but the ups and downs of it, and those moments of euphoria you get.” The phrase “good grief” is generally used as an ironic exclamation of surprise, shock, or amazement.
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