Analysis

Yellow is perhaps Coldplay's most famous song and its popularity is still strong more than 20 years after it was released. So, what is special about Yellow in a musical sense? Let's look.

Hallelujah is a classic Leonard Cohen song that has been performed by a multitude of artists. So what is it about this song that makes is so engaging?

Happier Than Ever is not only a very successful song from a great album of the same name, it's a highly unusual musical composition. I explore why it's so unusual and why it seems to work so well.

Mr Brightside was the Killer's debut single, released in 2004. It was voted best song of the 2000s in many polls and is the most streamed track released before 2010. So why is its appeal so enduring?

The Rolling Stones' Paint it Black is one of the three most streamed songs in 70 years of the charts. Considering it was released in 1966, long before streaming, that's quite a achievement. So, why does it have such long-term appeal?

Harry Styles' hit As It Was has become the longest-running number one on the US singles chart by a British artist. It's a simple song so why has it been so successful?

Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline has emerged as the number one celebratory anthem in sports stadia around the world. How has this simple song become such a favourite?

Paul Simon's American Tune is not only one of my favourite songs of all time, it's a chorale based on an old German tune that was also borrowed by Bach.

Kate Bush's classic Running up that Hill has made number one in the UK singles chart, 37 years after its release, aided by its inclusion in Netflix's Stranger Things. So why is this track still such a hit after all these years? We take a look ...

David Bowie's Absolute Beginners is many people's favourite song, but why should that be? What is it in the songwriting that creates such warm feelings? I check it out.