"I Feel Love" by Donna Summer changed the future of music, paving the way for today's EDM. David Cheal tracks its incredible influence. Credits: UMC, Vanilla OMP, Warner Music TV, RCA  

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Before becoming one of the most sampled tunes in music history, "Apache" was an unexpected UK number 1. Richard Clayton tracks its journey. Credits: Wrasse Records, EMI, Puzzle Productions, Open Records, Sepia, Sanctuary  

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Jimmy Webb's mournful ballad became one of the most-covered songs of the 20th century. Sue Norris explores its appeal for artists from Nick Cave to Isaac Hayes. Credit: Imperial, Capitol, Mute, Enterprise  

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Written for The Shirelles in 1960, Carole King and Gerry Goffin's song nailed the insecurities of a new generation of women. Helen Brown looks at a classic of the female singer-songwriter canon

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Bobbie Gentry's understated ballad was reworked by jazz musicians, the 'rebel-country' movement and Motown - and even parodied by Bob Dylan. Ian McCann traces its history  

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What drew jazz musicians like Miles Davis and Chet Baker to a twinkly tune from Disney's 'Snow White'? And what became of the child star who first sang it? Lilian Pizzichini traces its history  

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Sam Cooke's political lament, released after his untimely death, went on to become a civil rights anthem. Sue Norris charts its history. Credit: Universal Music Group International, Rhino Atlantic, Time Life Music, RCA  

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The grand hymn of redemption took a long path to its current stature in American spirituality, from John Newton’s original lyric to the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Ian McCann follows its turbulent history. Credits: Rhino Atlantic, Marathon, Ameritz Music, Bandleader Recordings, UMC  

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Bob Dylan’s cryptic number is one of the signature songs of the 1960s, signalling a shift in his career. It helped launch The Byrds to stardom and was pivotal in the development of indie rock. Richard Clayton follows its history. Credits: Columbia, Legacy, Spectrum, Naxos  

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It took Wilbert Harrison a long time to get traction with his ode to fidelity, but it became a hit for him, Canned Heat and later Bryan Ferry. Richard Clayton traces its progress. Credits: The Restoration Project, Marianne Melodie, Universal Music Group International, Thousand Mile Inc, Naïve  

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Rising above personal tragedy, Edith Piaf wrote a defining classic for post war France. Helen Brown follows its path, as read by Anna Metcalfe. Credits: The Restoration Project, Marianne Melodie, Universal Music Group International, Thousand Mile Inc, Naïve  

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Before Julie Andrews' famous film performance, John Coltrane had turned this Broadway number into an off-kilter jazz classic. Mike Hobart charts its history. Credits: RCA, FourMatt, Hallmark, EMI, Decca, Universal.  

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Kate Bush retreated to a farmhouse to craft her richly layered song of love and insecurity. It reaffirmed her place as a pre-eminent songwriter and went on to feature in the London Olympics closing ceremony. Richard Clayton follows its history. Credits: Noble & Brite, Beams, Frontiers Records, Elevator Lady, Italians Do It Better, Obsolete Media Objects  

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Billy Holiday's secular hymn was born out of a blazing family row and its swaying melody went on to become a jazz standard, with versions by Tony Bennett and Sonny Rollins. Mike Hobart follows its history. Credits: Jazz Moon, Saga, Columbia/Legacy, Island, Geffen Gold Mine  

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Janis Joplin achieved a posthumous No.1 hit with a rueful tale of love and loss, written by her old flame, Kris Kristofferson, which in turn helped launch him to stardom. Richard Clayton follows the song's bittersweet success. Credits: Columbia/Legacy, UMC, Top Town Records, Rhino/Warner Bros, Play Digital, Ricordi  

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Bruce Springsteen's bleak ballad of American life has been promoted by politicians from Ronald Reagan to Donald Trump. David Honigmann examines the song's fraught relationship with power. Credit: Columbia  

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Boney M's unlikely disco ballad was a hit on both sides of the iron curtain but was banned by Soviet authorities. Harriet Fitch-Little explores its indestructible appeal. Credits: Ariola Express, Century Media, Super Cassettes Industries, MCI  

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Richard Clayton on how Tracy Chapman's searing ballad of low income life carried her to global acclaim. Credits: Elektra, King Tubby's Music, Virgin EMI  

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Fiona Sturges follows Patti Smith's lustful 1970s song of youthful abandon. Credits: Arista, Columbia, Coqueiro Verde Records, Stun Volume  

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Originally sung by slaves, the spiritual became a jazz and blues hit in the 1960s, with a cover by the British blues-rock musician Graham Bond. Credits: Repertoire Records, Isis, Edition Ahorn, UMC  

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Peter Aspden deconstructs the creation of Bob Dylan's legendary song over the course of a single day in the studio. This podcast was originally published in November 2015; it is republished in celebration of Bob Dylan's Nobel Prize for Literature. Credits: Columbia/Legacy  

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The origin of Deep Purple's 1971 hit is almost as famous as its instantly recognisable guitar riff. Credits: Parlophone UK, Thompson Music P/L  

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Snippets of Isaac Hayes' classic were used by trip-hop pioneers Portishead and Tricky. Richard Clayton tells the life of a sample. Credits: Decca, Universal Music, Virgin EMI  

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“Yesterday” came to Paul McCartney in a dream one night in 1963. It’s now among the most covered songs in history, with efforts from the likes of Elvis, Marianne Faithful and Marvin Gaye. Credits: EMI, TNA Records, RCA Legacy, Universal Music  

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Leonard Cohen's most famous song nearly wasn't released after being rejected by his record label. It is now among the most covered songs, with notable contributions from Jeff Buckley, John Cale and Rufus Wainwright. Credits: Sony Music, UMOD, Syco Music, Columbia, Nonesuch  

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Gene Wilder died Listening to Ella Fitzgerald’s cover, but it was Judy Garland who brought “Over the Rainbow” to fame. Credits: Spectra Records, Warner Bros, Blackbird, Documents 2  

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It's been the theme tune for the BBC's review series 'Film' since 1971, but Nina Simone's cover turned it into a civil rights anthem. Credits: Universal, Eagle Records, Rhino Atlantic, Decca  

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Buddy Holly's 1958 London performance of the song inspired the young Mick Jagger to form his own band. Credits: Universal, Not Now Music  

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Greg Lake died this week, and this track remains an enduring Christmas classic. Credit: Syco Music, Universal, Decca, Symphonia  

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This 1853 Christmas Carol, set to the melody of a 13th-century Nordic Hymn, has since fallen into the hands of Joan Baez, Tom Jones and Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple.  

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Prince wrote his song about partying in the face of nuclear threat during the cold war but it gets heavy rotation to this day  

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David Honigmann follows Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway' from its origins in a Welsh cottage to 'Wayne's World', the White House and bedrooms everywhere  

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The song that defined Fleetwood Mac's high water mark went on to be covered by country-folk and hip-hop artists Credits: Rhino/Warner Bros, Charly Digital, Universal Music International Ltda, S4DK  

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Ian McCann charts the transformation of UB40’s number one hit, from Neil Diamond’s country ballad to iconic reggae ditty. Credits: Virgin Records, Universal Music International Ltda, Sanctuary, Capitol Records, Authentic Jamaican Music, K-Licious Music  

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Joy Division's stripped-down sound signaled a new direction for music in 1978, but the lyrics to this song would prove horribly portentous. Credits: WM UK, London Records, Universal Music International Ltda, Palare, BBE  

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The song crystallises a moment in time between the optimism of the Summer of Love and the darkness on the desert horizon. Cathi Unsworth explores its history. Credits: Boots Enterprises, Inc., 4AD, Columbia, Ever  

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Songs can be mixed blessings. Screamin' Jay Hawkins' most famous one brought bliss to all who touched it - except its composer. Credits: AP MUSIC LTD, Universal Music International Ltda., Rhino  

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For more than 50 years, this ballad's haunting charms have proved irresistible to many of the world's leading musicians. Credits: Firefly Entertainment, Black Sheep Music, X5 Music Group, Manhattan Records, UMC, Mute/BMG, Sony Music Classical, RCA Records Label  

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Paul Anka originally wrote the song for, and in the persona of, Frank Sinatra, claiming he'd "never written something so chauvinistic, narcissistic, in-your-face and grandiose."  

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The Japanese hit has been renamed and redefined by western artists from the Gipsy Kings to Snoop Dogg. Credits: JB Production, K-Tel, New Jersey, 2012 Carinco Neue Medien AG  

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David Cheal traces the song's journey from a forgotten 1950s melodrama to an enduring love ballad covered by Nina Simone, David Bowie and George Michael. Credits: Old Style, Blooming Jazz Records, Rhino/Warner Bros., Parlophone UK, One Little Indian Ltd, Lakeshore Records, Sony Music Entertainment UK Ltd.  

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Amy Walker on how a saccharine love song was transformed by Otis Redding into a provocative and impassioned soul classic. Credits: Baierle Records, Cool Note, 104pro Media, Daxa production, Digital Remasterings, ABKCO Music & Records Inc., Rhino Atlantic, Universal Island Records, Roc-A-Fella Records, LLC/Shawn Carter  

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Harriet Fitch Little on how Dolly Parton's anti-work anthem went from the movies to the White House to a muddy field in Glastonbury. Credits: Sony Music Entertainment, Capitol Steps, Pumpin' UK Records, Dolly Records, BBC/Glastonbury  

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Sue Norris on how Cissy Houston and Gladys Knight respectively transformed the sound, and meaning, of Jim Weatherly's country number. Credits: X5 Music Group, Jim Weatherly, Carinco AG, Capitol Records LLC.  

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Peter Aspen looks at how The Eagles turned a few improvised chords into one of the most iconic, and enigmatic, rock songs of the 1970s. Credits: Rhino/Elektra, Parlophone UK, UMG Recordings, Elemental Records, Sony Music Entertainment  

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Helen Brown looks at how the most successful Disney song of all time became an unlikely favourite among prisoners and a "coming out anthem" for the LGBT community. Credits: Walt Disney Records, Black Crow Records  

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Ian McCann looks at how a turn-of-the-century Neopolitan ballad was adapted into a hit for Elvis, before becoming an anthem for ice cream lovers and football fans alike. Credits: Bongiovanni, Delta, AP Music Ltd, Nuova Canaria, Randy's Group, Inc, Autarc Media GmbH  

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Sue Norris explores how a B-side by a little known American singer, Gloria Jones became a cult hit on the 1970s English northern soul scene, before being turned into one of the most recognizable pop songs of all time by Soft Cell. Credits: Universal Music TV, Universal Music Enterprises, Parlophone UK, Interscope Records, The Island Def Jam Music Group, Tacca Musique  

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Ian McCann takes a look at one of the greatest and most culturally influential rap songs by genre pioneers Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five. A hit urban anthem, it almost wasn't recorded... Credits: Castle Communications, Warner Bros, Wagram Music, The Island Def Jam Music Group, Atlantic Records  

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Helen Brown looks at how Serge Gainsbourg's infamously salacious love song originally written for Brigitte Bardot would become a hit for the French composer and his English girlfriend Jane Birkin, despite facing widespread bans and condemnation. Credits: Mercury France, Mercury Music Group, Rarity Music, Parlophone UK, Barclay.  

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