Okay, so today I wanted to make a playlist of iconic songs by Black artists. I’ve been feeling like my usual playlists are getting a little stale, and I wanted to both expand my own listening and celebrate some truly amazing music.
Getting Started
First, I opened up my go-to music app. I usually just use whatever’s most convenient. I thought about where to start. I mean, there’s SO much good music out there, it’s kind of overwhelming! I decided to focus on songs that have really made a mark – you know, the ones everyone recognizes, even if they don’t know the artist right away.
Building the List
I started by just brainstorming. I jotted down artists and songs that popped into my head:
- “Respect” by Aretha Franklin – obviously!
- “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder – that intro is killer.
- “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson – gotta have some MJ.
- “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston.
- “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke.
Then I did some digging. I looked up a few “best of” lists online, just to see if I was missing any big ones. Of course, I found a ton more! I added songs like:
- “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud” by James Brown.
- “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye.
- “Alright” by Kendrick Lamar.
- “Formation” by Beyoncé.
Listening and Refining
After I had a pretty solid list, I started listening through. This is the best part, right? I wanted to make sure the playlist had a good flow, even though it spans decades and genres.I did realize that there were fewer of the newest songs, so I needed to find those as well.
Final Touches
Now that I added and listened. I made the playlist! It is a pretty awesome feeling to see something go from an idea to a list.
I still need to add more, but I am happy with the result.
