What is the most beautiful song ever?

I think more threads should be like this one, people sharing their favorite music / music they find most beautiful. it's a discussion of actual music / songs as opposed to a discussion of the "idea" of music or what bands represents in the abstract, or the related politics

don't know if that made any sense

There's this particular tempo and chord progression that I always associate with 'beautiful'. It's I -> V (1st inv.) -> vi -> either I (2nd inversion) or IV, played ~90 BPM.

Sometimes it comes off saccharine, i.e. "Let It Be", every other Elton John song. But the best examples, off the top of my head: Gram Parsons "$1000 Funeral", Nina Simone "Do What You Gotta Do" or "Mr. Bojangles", John Cale "Paris 1919".

^^ Nick Drake's "Saturday Sun" iirc

I-V-vi-IV is a pretty obnoxiously common progression but I'm as guilty of using it in my songs as anyone else

I'd say all of these are very beautiful

Bionic Boogie-Hot Butterfly
Spiritualized-Broken Heart
Pet Shop Boys-Being Boring
Kate Bush-This Woman's Work
David Sylvian-Darkest Dreaming
Radiohead-Motion Picture Soundtrack
Billy Mackenzie-Nocturne seven
The Beach Boys-I Just Wasn't Made For These Times, God Only Knows, Till I die, Be With Me etc.
War-Deliver The Word
The Go-Betweens-Twin Layers Of Lightning
Bjork-Hyperballad
Morrissey-Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself
The Go Team-The Ice Storm
Goldfrapp-Hairy Trees
Scott Walker-Angel Of Ashes
The Divine Comedy-Our Mutual Friend
Talk Talk-New Grass (Pretty much all of their last 3 albums)
The B-52's-Topaz
Minnie Riperton-Come To My Garden
Magazine-Parade
The Cardigans-Communication
Marvin Gaye-Please Stay

I was certainly hoping you'd include some Billy Mackenzie given your handle.

Actually, scratch my previous suggestions, I forgot the one true answer to this question:
"Crucifixo," by the Kafala Brothers. Really, truly one of the most beautiful things ever done by human beings.

another vote for julia, maria b mentioned it more than 5 years ago. it's the most personal love song i had the chance to hear. part of its beauty comes from the intimacy another part from its simplicity and the last part from the lyrics full of images.

I was certainly hoping you'd include some Billy Mackenzie given your handle.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, December 7, 2009 9:13 PM (12 minutes ago) Bookmark

Beyond The Sun was actually my first Billy purchase. I was going through a big Jeff Buckley phase and I was looking for another tragic troubadour to get into. It is a stunning album and did satisfy that need for a while but I was in for a huge shock when I bought Sulk a few weeks later, which is beautiful in a completely different way.

There's a lot of songs scattered through his back catalogue that I could have included on my list. The Rhythm Divine, Baby, No, Breakfast, His versions of Wild Is The Wind and God Bless The Child. I can't think of a more beautiful voice.

I know I've mentioned this song before. Also, not sure if it's most beautiful or most sad/emotionally-powerful. In any event:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKcrdGULvbw

There's a sort of desperate quality to his near-destroyed voice by this point.

I will get made fun of for this, but

Blue Ridge Mountains - Fleet Foxes

Not yet mentioned:

Laurie Anderson - Blue Lagoon, White Lily, The Dream Before, and maybe a dozen spoken word tracks on United States Live and The Ugly One with the Jewels
Heidi Berry - Ariel
Harold Budd - Too numerous to mention
Cocteau Twins - Lazy Calm
Nick Drake - Voice from the Mountain
Brian Eno - Julie With...
Fleetwood Mac - Never Make Me Cry
Led Zeppelin - The Rain Song
Sinead O'Connor - In This Heart
Penguin Cafe Orchestra - Now Nothing
The Roches - Losing True
Paul Simon - The Rhythm of the Saints
Dusty Springfield - Goin' Back
David Sylvian - Orpheus
The Who - Sunrise
Neil Young - Hangin' on a Limb

Ride - Vapour Trail

I more often use "beautiful" just to pronounce it "beeyootiful", a snarky put-down, yes. But there are times when it fits and the standbys like "saccharine" don't. It's when the beauty is too up-front, or something.

atm
gilberto/getz - corcovado

"over you" - velvet underground
"no children" - mountain goats

yeah, canon & gigue in D maj is v hard to beat, but some pieces & performances i love:

te deum - arvo part
the girl from ipanema - astrud gilberto
sea of love - phil phillips
i don't want to set the world on fire - the ink spots
georgia on my mind - willie nelson
ebben? Ne andrò lontana (aria from la wally) - alfredo catalani
brandenburg concerto #5 in D maj, 2 affetuoso - johan sebastian bach
who does she hope to be - sonny sharrock
a love supreme, acknowledgement - john coltrane
hallogallo - neu!
me and my arrow - harry nilsson
endless summer - fennesz

i second Gilberto/Getz

The first song to come into my head when I saw the question was "Cupid de Locke." Turns out I already stated this answer upthread, so I guess my opinion hasn't changed much.

Love Reign O'er Me by The Who
Many have tried to sing this but none come close to Roger.
Here's the lyrics.
------------------------
Only love
Can make it rain
The way the beach is kissed by the sea
Only love
Can make it rain
Like the sweat of lovers
Laying in the fields.

Love, Reign o'er me
Love, Reign o'er me, rain on me

Only love
Can bring the rain
That makes you yearn to the sky
Only love
Can bring the rain
That falls like tears from on high

Love Reign O'er me

On the dry and dusty road
The nights we spend apart alone
I need to get back home to cool cool rain
I can't sleep and I lay and I think
The night is hot and black as ink
Oh God, I need a drink of cool cool rain

My completely arbitrary of the top of my head submissions:

Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus: Fleurette Africaine
Yo La Tengo: Ballad of the Red Buckets
Ashra: Sunrain
Leonard Cohen: Suzanne
Sade: Love is stronger than pride
something by Stars of the Lid

Rhythm & Sound - Smile

All of Talk Talk's later stuff is deserving, but "Inheritance" particularly stands out.

stardust performed by nat king cole, or lakmé performed by just about anyone

and yea 'suzanne' up there too.

possible spin off thread: most beautifully sung song title

stardust, then

Rasputin

The Lilys - "Eskimo"

that eyvind kang song is amazing. I vote also for "Do You Realize???", Flaming Lips, and "That's the Way", Led Zeppelin

and of course

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5H7MvT1HVU

Beach Boys- In the Back of My Mind

For a new nomination from a reoccuring band.

― Cunga (Cunga), Saturday, February 26, 2005 5:45 AM (5 years ago)

Wow, five years ago to the day...

and it's a nice song but way off, brah.

Ok. What is the most beautiful ALBUM ever? Of course, we probably all define this differently but hey whatever man...I'm just drinking a little wine and watching the rain.

don't mean to snub you, but i spent all day listening to the ethel waters and ella fitzgerald versions of "miss otis regrets" and that is absolutely without a doubt the most beautiful song ever.

Nah it's cool, I mean yeah...first and foremost this thread is for individual tunes. Just curious, what's theeee most beautiful record as a whole?

Dark globe-Syd barrett

beauty=truth

the waters of march

midnight train to georgia and rainy dayz are also pretty nice

lately I'm digging on this song
(not the most beautiful song ever but this thread has gotten to the point where we post the most beautiful songs of the moment)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMVlggVeGuk

this one gives me chills every time, I've actually had to shut it off mid-song...his music is usually pretty but this is just eerie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rk7c3Dz-u4

spider & i -- eno

when my friends wrote this we called it "the money song' because it was so pretty. it did not result it any money, itself. but it is still pretty. I gave it the final name.

charles atlas: antiphon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9Wi4rfHwog&feature=related

Most beautiful song of all time:

Claude Debussy - Clair de Lune

Current favorite:

Ben Watt - Some Things Don't Matter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwpiFg8Oc6o

http://youtube/crkXA_aZvdk

Mark Hollis - The Colour of Spring

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crkXA_aZvdk

Mark Hollis - The Colour of Spring

Actually forget about Ben Watt. This is my current favorite: Wulu Bunun & David Darling - Lugu Lugu Kan-Ibi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lAI5QFXEFM

The Moon's a Harsh Mistress - Jimmy Webb

Scott Walker - Montague Terrace (in blue)

Wulu Bunun & David Darling - Lugu Lugu Kan-Ibi

love that record. i don't think it'd be my #1, but one of the song of the -- pieces on there (lots of Ms in the title, blanking on the name) is mindblowing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIPfKi6IHTQ

honestly think it's this one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDR4-VJxMx4