BBC Radio Podcasts from Soul Music

Bésame Mucho

Stories of one of the most recorded Spanish-language songs of all time.

May You Never

John Martyn's most enduring song, from 1971.

Ae Fond Kiss by Robert Burns

Ae Fond Kiss one of Robert Burns' most famous poems set to music.

I Feel Love

Stories of love, loss and legacy surrounding Donna Summer's iconic 1977 hit I Feel Love.

Benedictus

With its message of peace, Karl Jenkins's Benedictus brings solace in hard times.

Lovely Day by Bill Withers

The deceptively simple song that is a mantra for people.

Tender

Stories of what Tender, from Blur's 1999 album 13, means to people around the world.

Diamonds and Rust

Stories of love and loss surrounding the song Diamonds and Rust by Joan Baez.

Tiny Dancer

Elton John's slow burner of a song is now one of his most loved tracks.

Northern Sky

Exploring why Nick Drake's song from the album Bryter Layter means so much to so many.

I Can See Clearly Now

Stories of what Johnny Nash's 1972 hit means to people around the world.

Someone to Watch Over Me

The much-loved and much-recorded song by George Gershwin.

Sweet Thing

Exploring why Van Morrison's iconic song, from Astral Weeks, means so much to so many.

Songs My Mother Taught Me

Dvorak's best known song from his Gypsy Cycle composed for voice and piano in 1880

Fire and Rain

James Taylor's song of suicide, loneliness and addiction, which somehow remains hopeful.

Pata Pata

Stories of what Miriam Makeba's iconic song means to people from around the world.

Defying Gravity from Wicked

The power of the anthem from the hit musical.

I Will Always Love You

Written by Dolly Parton... sent stratospheric by Whitney Houston.

Fast Car

Stories of personal connection to Tracy Chapman's hit song.

I Say a Little Prayer for You

Stories about the Burt Bacharach classic

Ghost Town

Stories of what this iconic song by two-tone band The Specials means to different people.

I Only Have Eyes For You

The hypnotic beauty of a Tin Pan Alley song made famous by The Flamingos.

I Believe in Father Christmas

'The Christmas we get we deserve.' How Greg Lake's 1975 hit gives people hope and comfort.

Nessun Dorma

Stories of what this powerful Puccini aria means to people from around the world.

Killing Me Softly with His Song

Stories of what Killing Me Softly with His Song means to people around the world.

Into My Arms by Nick Cave

How people find comfort in Nick Cave's music.

Chervona Kalyna

Powerful stories linked to this beautiful and stirring Ukrainian folk song

Bruch's Violin Concerto

Stories of what Bruch's popular violin concerto means to people around the world.

Ne Me Quitte Pas

Stories of what Jacques Brel's song has meant to people around the world.

Purple Rain

True stories of what Prince's epic ballad ‘Purple Rain’ means to people around the world.

Young Hearts Run Free by Candi Staton

Candi Staton helps to celebrate this uplifting 1970s disco classic

A Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten

A composition for voices and harp, written on a cargo ship on the Atlantic in 1942.

U2 - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

More gospel than rock this 1987 hit has inspired change and created strong memories

Song To The Siren

The different meanings Tim Buckley's ballad "Song to the Siren" has for people.

Unfinished Sympathy

Personal stories inspired by Massive Attack's breakthrough single.

Some Enchanted Evening from South Pacific

Personal memories of one of the most beloved songs written by Rodgers & Hammerstein

Ain't No Mountain High Enough

The story behind this uplifting anthem and the personal memories forever linked to it.

Take Me Home, Country Roads

Stories of what the song 'Take Me Home, Country Roads' means to people.

The Parting Glass

A folk song from Scotland that has endured through centuries.

We've Only Just Begun

The Carpenters' massive hit - We've Only Just Begun was originally a TV advert for a bank

Smalltown Boy by Bronski Beat

An '80s disco classic that tells a powerful story.

Sunshine on Leith

Exploring how the Proclaimers' Sunshine on Leith is a love song to humanity for many.

David Bowie - Life on Mars?

The enigmatic beauty of Bowie's classic song 'Life on Mars?'

Once In A Lifetime

Talking Heads' breakout hit from 1980 explored by people whose lives the song touched

I Wonder as I Wander

Personal stories from around the world inspired by the carol 'I Wonder as I Wander'.

Lean On Me by Bill Withers

An enduring classic which delivers a message of support and friendship.

I Will Survive

True stories of what the iconic disco anthem means to people around the world.

Harvest Moon

Neil Young's 1992 song about enduring love

Pavane Pour Une Infante Défunte by Maurice Ravel

What makes Ravel's Pavane For A Dead Princess so evocative and emotional?

Feeling Good

The surprising history behind a track made famous by Nina Simone

Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay

Otis Redding's lonely lament, and why it matters to people aged from 20 to 80

Days

How the Kinks classic 'Days' has touched peoples lives.

Toto's Africa

Released in 1982, this soft-rock anthem has become an unlikely viral smash-hit.

Coventry Carol

The 'Coventry Carol' tells the story of the Slaughter of the Innocents

We Are Family

The smash disco hit about unity and family by Sister Sledge.

The Boxer - Simon & Garfunkel

The continuing impact of Simon & Garfunkel’s song The Boxer.

Farewell to Stromness

Personal stories about Farewell to Stromness, by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.

Wind of Change

How Scorpions’ 1990s power ballad became an anthem for the fall of the Berlin Wall

Streets of London by Ralph McTell

Ralph McTell and others discuss Streets of London.

Back to Black

How Amy Winehouse's music has helped so many young people

Let the River Run

The story of how a classic 80’s movie song became an anthem for a new generation.

Smile

The classic tune written by Charlie Chaplin for a classic film.

Schubert’s B-Flat Piano Sonata D960

Personal stories of Schubert’s last Piano Sonata.

Shine On You Crazy Diamond

Shine On You Crazy Diamond by Pink Floyd

River

Personal stories of Joni Mitchell's song 'River', from her 1971 album Blue.

True Colors

How Cyndi Lauper's 1980s ballad True Colors has inspired people around the world.

God Only Knows

How the Beach Boys classic God Only Knows touches souls wherever it is played.

Prelude a l'Apres Midi d'un Faune by Debussy

People share stories of how Debussy's beautiful prelude has affected their lives.

A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum

Why has Procol Harum's surreal track remained enduringly popular for over 50 years?

Songs of the Civil Rights Movement

Actor Clarke Peters tells the stories of the songs behind the civil rights movement.

Cerys Matthews' Soul Music Mixtape - Part Three

A specially curated mixtape of Cerys's favourite stories from the 25 series of Soul Music

Cerys Matthews' Soul Music Mixtape - Part Two

A specially curated mixtape of Cerys's favourite stories from across the 25 series.

Cerys Matthews' Soul Music Mixtape - Part One

A specially curated mixtape of Cerys's favourite stories from the 25 series of Soul Music

Kraftwerk: Computer World

How Kraftwerk's classic album Computer World has changed people's lives.

Boys Don't Cry

Soul Music explores The Cure's tribute to teenage angst.

Ich Habe Genug

People from around the world describe how Bach's cantata changed their lives.

Redemption Song

How Bob Marley's Redemption Song has inspired generations around the world.

O Holy Night

How the carol O Holy Night touched the lives of the archbishop of York and Katie Melua.

Who Knows Where the Time Goes?

Memories of the much-loved song Who Knows Where the Time Goes? written by Sandy Denny.

You Are My Sunshine

The country song turned children's favourite is told through people's experiences.

Siegfried Idyll

Wagner's celebration of paternal love, written as a birthday gift for his wife.

My Favourite Things

Jazz musician David Liebman shares his memories of the song My Favourite Things.

Waterloo Sunset

The Kink's Waterloo Sunset, from1967, evokes poignant and life-changing memories

The Star-Spangled Banner

Exploring America's national anthem, set to the tune of an English social men's club song.

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

Stories of the timeless love song written by Ewan MacColl and made famous by Roberta Flack

Jerusalem

How the very English 'Jerusalem' came to be loved by people from different cultures.

A Change Is Gonna Come, by Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke's A Change Is Gonna Come is an anthem for civil rights in the USA.

Feed the Birds

'Feed The Birds' was written for the film Mary Poppins by Richard and Robert Sherman.

Mozart's Requiem

How Mozart's Requiem, written when he was dying, has touched and changed people's lives.

The Way You Look Tonight

The Way You Look Tonight was made popular by Fred Astaire in the 1936 film, Swing Time.

Sukiyaki (Ue o Muite Arukou)

Personal stories of the 1960s Japanese hit song Sukiyaki (Ue o Muite Arukou).

Bring Him Home

Contributors explain what 'Bring Him Home', from Les Miserables, means to them.

Fairytale of New York

The stories behind 1988's 'Fairytale of New York' by the Pogues.

Nimrod

Composer and conductor Paul Spicer explores the impact of Edward Elgar's Nimrod.

Mack the Knife

The Brecht/Weill song Mack the Knife written for The Threepenny Opera in 1928.

Nkosi Sikelel iAfrica

Ladysmith Black Mambazo's Albert Mazibuko remembers the song Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika

Mr Blue Sky

An exploration of the impact of ELO's 1978 off-beam classic, Mr Blue Sky.

The Lord Is My Shepherd

Howard Goodall and Selina Scott explore the lasting impact of the hymn based on Psalm 23.

Scarborough Fair

The mystery and emotional ties of the folk song Scarborough Fair.

First Cut Is the Deepest

The story behind the Cat Stevens song, and the memories people associate with it.

Bach Cello Suite No 1 in G Major

Leading cellists explain the power of Bach's Cello Suite No 1 in G Major.

Hallelujah

How an obscure track on a Leonard Cohen album became a global anthem.

La Boheme

Opera director John Copley CBE reflects on his lifelong relationship with La Boheme.

There Is a Light That Never Goes Out

Exploring the lasting emotional impact of The Smiths' 1986 anthem of hope, loss and love.

Gracias a la Vida

The Latin American anthem to life is explored through personal stories.

Plaisir d'Amour/Can't Help Falling in Love With You

Marianne Faithfull recalls the French love song that went on to inspire Elvis's hit.

A Shropshire Lad

Exploring the emotional impact of George Butterworth's rhapsody inspired by the Great War.

Adagio in G minor

Albinoni's Adagio may be wrongly attributed but it still never fails to move us.

Myfanwy

A range of people explain what the hauntingly beautiful Welsh song 'Myfanwy' means to them

Something Inside So Strong

This Labi Siffre anthem has been taken up by many groups who suffer from discrimination.

Crazy

People of all ages reflect on their love of this simple song, made famous by Patsy Cline.

Rhapsody in Blue

Soul Music examines Gershwin's 'experiment in modern music', 90 years after its premiere.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

The story of the melancholic song, first performed by Judy Garland in 1944.

Brahms' German Requiem

How Brahms's work, a tribute to his mother, has touched and changed people's lives.

Can't Take My Eyes Off You

Frankie Valli and others share their memories of the classic song.

Gymnopédie No 1

Pascal Rogé leads us through a personal and musical journey of Erik Satie's Gymnopédies.

Strange Fruit

Soul Music examines the harrowing stories behind the song made famous by Billie Holiday.

Elgar's Dream of Gerontius

How Elgar's poignant choral work has touched and changed people's lives.

Don't Leave Me This Way

Exploration of the disco anthem of yearning, pain and loss.

Make Me a Channel of Your Peace

Exploring the hymn that inspires campaigners, charity workers and reformed alcoholics.

Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez for Guitar

How Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez for classical guitar touches people's lives.

Lili Marlene

The impact of wartime favourite 'Lili Marlene', made famous by Marlene Dietrich.

Shipbuilding

The Robert Wyatt song from 1982, written by Elvis Costello and Clive Langer.

Pergolesi's Stabat Mater

The Stabat Mater hymn imagines the sufferings of the Virgin Mary at the foot of the cross.

She Moved Through The Fair

Sinéad O'Connor & others talk about the haunting beauty of this ancient song. From 2013.

Beethoven's Fifth Symphony

More than just 'da da da dum', how Beethoven's famous symphony touched people's lives.

Peggy Lee's Is That All There Is?

The impact of the song written by Leiber and Stoller, inspired by the writer Thomas Mann.

Bach's St Matthew Passion

An exploration of how Bach's St Matthew Passion touches and changes people's lives.

Brothers in Arms

The enduring appeal of the Dire Straits classic is explored by those touched by the piece.

The Skye Boat Song

Exploring how this song from the 1870s continues to touch people's lives across the world.

Beethoven's Violin Concerto

An exploration of how Beethoven's Violin Concerto has touched and changed people's lives.

Dvorak's New World Symphony

Anti-apartheid campaigner Albie Sachs on the Largo from Dvorak's New World Symphony.

The Hallelujah Chorus

Exploration of the emotional impact of The Hallelujah chorus by Handel.

Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien

An exploration of the emotional impact of the song made famous by French singer Edith Piaf

Rachmaninov, 2nd Piano Concerto

Exploration of how Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto touches and changes people's lives.

Gresford, the Miners' Hymn

Exploration of the haunting melancholy of Gresford, the Miners' Hymn, by Robert Saint.

Baker Street

A celebration of Gerry Rafferty's popular solo hit, Baker Street.

Let's Face the Music and Dance

Exploring the emotional impact of the classic Irving Berlin song.

Dear Lord and Father of Mankind

Exploring the hymn which sets John Greenleaf Whittier's poem to music by Hubert Parry.

Spiegel im Spiegel

Exploring the impact of Arvo Pärt's Spiegel im Spiegel on listeners' lives.

Wichita Lineman

People reflect on the emotional impact of the country-pop crossover track.

Mendelssohn's Octet

Exploring the impact that Mendelssohn's Octet has had on different people's lives.

Mahler's Adagietto

Music lovers describe the part that Mahler's Adagietto has played in their lives.

Schubert's Winterreise

Music lovers describe the part that Schubert's Winterreise has played in their lives.

The Impossible Dream

Lesley Garrett and yachtsman Geoff Holt on the inspiring song, The Impossible Dream.

Simple Gifts

Music lovers describe the important place the tune Simple Gifts has had in their lives.

Mozart's Clarinet Quintet

Music lovers describe the impact that Mozart's Clarinet Quintet has had on their lives.

The Emperor

Examining the power of Beethoven's fifth piano concerto, The Emperor.

How Great Thou Art

Examining the power of the hymn How Great Thou Art.

Faure Requiem

David Willcocks and others reflect on the inspirational impact of Fauré's Requiem.

Ma Vlast

Ma Vlast by Bedrich Smetana has become an integral part of Czech culture.

Send in the Clowns

Stephen Sondheim's song was written late in rehearsals for the actress Glynis Johns.

Bach's Goldberg Variations

People describe the place that Bach's Goldberg Variations have in their lives.

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

Exploring what an American spiritual song means to different people

Dido's Lament

Exploring what Henry Purcell's aria means to different people.

Mendelssohn Violin Concerto

An exploration of the personal and professional impact of the concerto written in 1844.

Praise My Soul

The story of Henry Francis Lyte's hymn that never fails to move a congregation.

Richard Strauss' Four Last Songs

People describe how Richard Strauss' Four Last Songs have brought solace at key moments.

You've Got a Friend

Carole King tells the story of her song You've Got a Friend, from her 1971 Tapestry album.

Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on a Theme, by Thomas Tallis

How the beauty and richness of an orchestral fantasia inspired a young boy.

The Look of Love

The story behind this enduring love song and the personal memories forever linked to it.

Allegri's Miserere

An exploration of the impact of Allegri's 17th-century music.

What a Wonderful World

In 1967, amidst protests and war, Louis Armstrong recorded 'What A Wonderful World'

Chopin's Ballade No 1 in G Minor

How lives were shaped by Chopin's technically demanding, emotionally turbulent music.

So What

The impact of Miles Davis' 'So What' from his record 'Kind of Blue'.

Swan Lake

The story behind Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake and the impact it has had on audiences.

Spem in Alium

Thomas Tallis's work is one of the most spectacular pieces of choral music ever written.

Tainted Love

The Motown song that became a 70s Northern Soul scene favourite, and a huge 80s pop hit.

Finlandia

Sibelius's work was adopted as Finland's symbol of its fight for independence from Russia.

New York, New York

Composer John Kander on the difficulties of writing the famous song, New York, New York.