Last year was a stellar year for music here on YouTube, with live streams of
Coachella and
Lollapalooza festivals, and a barnstorming year-end with Brit-rockers
Kasabian live from London on New Years Eve. We also handed our homepage over to a host of musicians, resulting in enlightening curations from the likes of
Red Hot Chili Peppers,
My Morning Jacket and tUnE-yArDs’s
Merill Garbus. And if that’s not enough, we even let down the drawbridge to the YouTube castle, and welcomed in a fine selection of performers to take part in our
YouTube Presents series. Check out
Florence Welch,
Common, and
Panic! At the Disco at our YouTube HQ!
With even more to come in 2012, you can stay up-to-date with the latest on our
music homepage.
Now, onwards!
Norah Jones’s output has always crossed genres, from jazz to soul to pop. Since 2006 she has also explored a passionate interest in country music, with her side project The Little Willies. Six years after their first release, Norah and Co are back with For The Good Times, putting a twist on 12 country standards, including a standout rendition of Dolly Parton’s
Jolene. To celebrate the release, the band spent some time at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville to select some of their favorite country YouTube videos.
Few careers can compare to Bowie’s, both in terms of individual success and influence on pop culture as a whole. And while it’s hard to believe Ziggy Stardust hit 65 this week, even the briefest rummage through the YouTube vaults reveals dozens of gems from down the years, such as the music video for Ashes to Ashes, or this 1973 BBC performance of Jean Genie. To celebrate Mr Bowie’s big day, we’ve put together a playlist of some of his many collaborations with other artists, including Annie Lennox, Arcade Fire and even Bing Crosby.
Finally, Frànçois & The Atlas Mountains are not only producing some of the finest French language indiepop we’ve heard since Les Sans Culottes, they’ve also released one of our favorite music videos of the (short) year so far. Check it out:
