Popular Music In America

            Jump by Van Halen is one of the most iconic songs of all time. Maybe not everyone knows the name of the song but if you play the first minute of the song, just about everyone would recognize the tune of it. Van Halen's Jump is less about the meaning of the lyrics or really the details of them at all, but more about the the electrifying music and getting everyone to, ironically, jump.           The song starts out with the classic 80's synthesizers that just about everyone recognizes. It transitions from these synthesizers to the iconic Van Halen solos. In these solos he shreds like the song doesn't even exist with it. The solos are most stand outs in the song rather than being a part of the song and that element is one of the things that makes this song such an iconic and memorable one. Van Halen makes this song his own by adding these solos in and also by being very simple. It doesn't try to be just like every othe...

           Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain by Willie Nelson is a very simple but somber song that has a lot of meaning in just a little amount of lyrics. Willie Nelson has a very soft and smooth voice that is perfect for songs that typically have slower tempo. His voice also brings the feeling of home and can make you feel like you're longing the "good ol' days." Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain is one of the best examples of taking advantage of the sound and tone of someone's voice and using it in a setting that fits it best.            The song is few in lyrics but makes up for it in the depth of them. He starts out by saying that he sees a woman's blue eyes crying in the rain. This one sentence has already set up the setting and the emotion in just a few words and now we can tell what kind of song this is going to be. Then, he sings about when they had kissed, he knew that they would never meet again. This lyric lets us know a...

      Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin is one of the most iconic songs of all time. To start off, its in the small category of songs that are eight minutes long. Second, its one of the few 8 minute songs that are actually listened to and loved. Lastly it is one of the most recognized songs of all time and one of the most influential. Stairway to Heaven is a musical masterpiece. It's lyrics are able to tell a story and get their message off without being repetitive and too long. The slow build up of instruments and catchiness of the song make it one you could listen to and not get sick of.      The guitar intro at the beginning is simple enough that you can follow along to and even the amateur guitar players can play it. That intro is "forbidden" at guitar stores so much that many of them stop you from playing it there. Maybe because its played far too often by new people but also because of the lore behind it. Stairway to Heaven can be listened to in many...