Tunes Du Jour Presents Adele

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Few artists in the 21st century have managed to make vulnerability feel as commanding as Adele does. Emerging from North London with her debut album 19 in 2008, she quickly distinguished herself with a voice that carried both technical precision and emotional depth. The songs weren’t flashy or heavily produced; instead, they leaned on classic soul and singer-songwriter traditions, framing heartbreak in ways that felt both timeless and personal.

What’s notable about Adele’s rise is how she has consistently succeeded on her own terms. At a time when pop music was increasingly leaning into EDM and maximalist production, she held firm with piano ballads and slow-burning anthems. Her second album, 21, became a global phenomenon not because it chased trends, but because it tapped into something universal—loss, regret, and the ache of moving on. “Someone Like You” and “Rolling in the Deep” didn’t just climb charts; they lingered, prompting singalongs in arenas and solo tears in bedrooms alike.

Over the course of her career, Adele has kept a relatively low profile between releases, letting the music—not a nonstop media presence—do the heavy lifting. Each album (25, and more recently, 30) has arrived as a kind of chapter marker, reflecting not just shifts in her personal life but broader changes in how we listen and connect with music. Her songwriting has grown more introspective with time, more willing to sit with ambiguity rather than resolve it neatly.

Despite the accolades and massive sales, Adele has remained surprisingly unvarnished in public. There’s a candor to her interviews and a grounded quality to her stage presence that seem to resonate just as strongly as her lyrics. In an industry often defined by reinvention, Adele’s appeal may lie in her consistency—both in her sound and in her refusal to be anything but herself.

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Tunes Du Jour Presents 1962

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The music of 1962 wasn’t so much at a crossroads as it was following several lively paths at once. What captivated the public ranged from soul ballads to novelty records to stirrings of folk activism. Instrumentals, dance crazes, and heartfelt pop all found room on the charts. It’s this eclecticism — rather than any one dominant trend — that best characterizes the year. Yet in small ways, a few songs hinted at larger shifts to come. For example, The Tornados’ “Telstar,” the first U.S. number one by a British group, captured a sense of futuristic possibility that would soon manifest more dramatically with the Beatles and the British Invasion.

Instrumentals found their way into the spotlight in very different forms. While “Telstar” beamed into space with its shimmering, otherworldly sound, Booker T. & the MG’s grounded listeners with the earthy groove of “Green Onions.” Meanwhile, Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd’s “Desafinado” introduced many American listeners to the smoother, jazz-inflected rhythms of bossa nova — a style that would quietly influence pop and jazz recordings throughout the decade. Taken together, these instrumentals showed how musical expression could take new forms without abandoning broad popular appeal, and how lyrics weren’t always necessary to convey strong emotion.

Soul music also solidified its foundation. Sam Cooke’s “Bring It on Home to Me” and Solomon Burke’s “Cry to Me” mixed gospel roots with secular longing in ways that would help define soul music itself. Girl groups and doo-wop continued to resonate, with The Crystals’ “He’s a Rebel” and The Shirelles’ “Soldier Boy” offering different takes on devotion and defiance. Dion’s “The Wanderer” carried forward some of doo-wop’s spirit, while Gene Chandler’s “Duke of Earl” stood proudly as a bridge from doo-wop’s earlier heyday into a new era of soul and R&B. Even novelty records had staying power — Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s “Monster Mash” reached number one and, thanks to perennial Hallowe’en airplay, remains a cultural touchstone.

Folk music, too, gained traction. Peter, Paul & Mary’s debut album, featuring “If I Had a Hammer,” became one of the year’s bestsellers, spending over a month at number one. Its clean harmonies and calls for justice would help set the stage for the socially conscious folk boom led by artists like Bob Dylan, whose own debut — mostly overlooked in 1962 — was just the beginning of a rapid ascent. Meanwhile, outside the U.S., Françoise Hardy’s “Tous Les Garçons Et Les Filles” offered a moody, introspective style that would come to influence the understated emotionality of later French pop and, indirectly, certain strands of indie pop decades later.

Some of 1962’s biggest hits have proven remarkably enduring. Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” originally from the Blue Hawaii soundtrack, has since become one of his most covered and beloved songs. The Contours’ raucous “Do You Love Me” found new life decades later with Dirty Dancing, while Carole King, years before Tapestry, scored her first chart hit as a performer with “It Might as Well Rain Until September” — even as she continued to dominate as a songwriter, co-writing Little Eva’s infectious “The Loco-Motion.” These songs from 1962 don’t just capture a moment in time; they reveal a popular music scene that was broadening and diversifying while quietly laying the groundwork for upcoming revolutions, capturing both the fleeting spirit of its moment and the lasting power of pop at its best in a year where no single trend reigned supreme.

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Tunes Du Jour Presents 1961

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The year 1961 didn’t roar in with a musical revolution—but in hindsight, that’s part of its charm. Instead, it offered a series of small but significant steps toward what would become a much louder, wilder, and more politically charged musical landscape. If the ’50s laid the foundation for rock and R&B, then ’61 felt like a transitional hallway: not quite out of the doo-wop era, but inching toward soul, girl groups, and the unmistakable rise of youth-driven pop. Listen closely, and you can hear a generation beginning to test its voice.

The playlist for this year paints a picture of variety and crossover. Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me” combines gospel roots with a pop sensibility, creating a timeless anthem of emotional resilience. Meanwhile, The Marcels inject a doo-wop jolt into “Blue Moon,” turning a Rodgers and Hart chestnut into something utterly of the moment. And “Shop Around” by The Miracles helps define the early Motown sound—polished, melodic, and unmistakably urban—hinting at the empire Berry Gordy was quietly building in Detroit.

Pop and R&B weren’t the only sounds of 1961. The jazz world was still vibrant, and John Coltrane’s take on “My Favorite Things” stretched the familiar into something exploratory and modal, giving the Broadway tune a hypnotic new dimension. Similarly, Art Blakey’s “A Night in Tunisia” offered a fiery reminder that hard bop was far from finished. This year wasn’t just about three-minute singles on AM radio; it also made room for longer-form musical statements that spoke to listeners seeking complexity.

And then there were the voices—so many distinct, unforgettable voices. Roy Orbison’s near-operatic Crying and Patsy Cline’s aching “Crazy” each showed that vulnerability could be commercially viable. The same went for Etta James, whose rendition of “At Last” remains one of the most iconic vocal performances ever recorded. Elsewhere, the lighter side of pop was thriving with Neil Sedaka’s “Calendar Girl” and Bobby Vee’s “Take Good Care of My Baby,” songs built for teenagers who were beginning to see themselves as a cultural force.

Taken together, the music of 1961 reflects a moment in flux: the last glimmers of the 1950s still lingered, but the seeds of what would define the 1960s were clearly being planted. Whether it was Ray Charles fusing gospel and R&B on “Hit the Road Jack,” or the early stirrings of girl-group grandeur from The Marvelettes and The Shirelles, this was a year where nothing yet dominated—but everything seemed possible.

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Tunes Du Jour Presents 1988

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In 1988, hip-hop didn’t just make noise; it made history. Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock’s “It Takes Two” lit up clubs and car stereos alike, while Eric B. & Rakim’s “Paid in Full (Seven Minutes of Madness)” remix turned the genre into a playground for sonic experimentation. Public Enemy’s “Bring the Noise” brought urgent political commentary to the mix, and LL Cool J’s “Going Back to Cali” offered a sleek, stylized West Coast daydream. Among them, Salt-N-Pepa’s “Push It” stood as a genuine milestone—a breakthrough for women in rap and, at the time, the biggest-selling hip-hop single to date. Though not on the playlist due to its hit version being unavailable on Spotify, its absence in no way reflects its cultural weight.

Elsewhere, 1988 was rich in songs that combined sincerity with staying power. Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” offered social commentary through intimate storytelling, and Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” turned self-reflection into an anthem. “Wishing Well,” performed by the artist then known as Terence Trent D’Arby, brought soul swagger to the top of the charts, while Prince’s “Alphabet St.” reminded listeners he was still capable of keeping them on their toes. Songs like Kylie Minogue’s “I Should Be So Lucky” and Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up,” both produced by the UK’s Stock Aitken Waterman, were pure pop that have endured far beyond their original chart runs, largely due to their catchiness and an occasional boost from internet-era rediscovery.

Dance floors were equally alive with invention. M/A/R/R/S’s “Pump Up the Volume” and S’Express’s “Theme from S’Express,” the latter missing from the playlist due to its unavailability on Spotify, helped define a new frontier of UK club music that was steeped in sampling and shaped by emerging house and techno scenes.

INXS’s “Need You Tonight” merged rock and funk with a modern sheen, while The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven” and Morrissey’s “Everyday Is Like Sunday” balanced emotion with pop craftsmanship. The Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind?” and Dinosaur Jr.’s “Freak Scene” would prove even more influential in hindsight, while Mudhoney’s “Touch Me I’m Sick” gave an early signal of what would soon be called grunge.

Both the UK and Australia contributed standout tracks that reflected their national scenes’ strength. From the UK, Depeche Mode’s “Never Let Me Down Again” and Erasure’s “Chains of Love” explored emotional depth through electronic textures, while Pet Shop Boys teamed with Dusty Springfield on “What Have I Done to Deserve This?” to bridge classic and contemporary pop. Australia’s Midnight Oil brought urgency and political purpose with “Beds Are Burning,” The Church crafted dreamlike melancholy in “Under the Milky Way,” and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds delivered stark intensity with “The Mercy Seat.” All three pointed to a vibrant and diverse Australian presence in global music that year.

The year also held room for collaboration, reinvention, and the unexpected. Traveling Wilburys’ “Handle With Care” saw rock legends joining forces without sounding self-indulgent. my bloody valentine’s “You Made Me Realise” hinted at the hazy swirl of shoegaze to come. The Bangles’ cover of “Hazy Shade of Winter” showed that ‘60s source material could thrive in a late-’80s rock context, and Anita Baker’s “Giving You the Best That I Got” offered polished, grown-up soul amid the noisier trends. Nineteen wighty-eight wasn’t about any one genre dominating the conversation; it was about cross-pollination, with club tracks rubbing shoulders with indie rock, hip-hop expanding its reach, and pop songs finding new ways to stick.

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Tunes Du Jour Celebrates International Be Kind To Lawyers Day

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It started, as these things often do, with a law.

Or more accurately, with three: “Law of the Land” (Temptations), “The Laws Have Changed” (New Pornographers), and “You Can’t Rule Me” (Lucinda Williams). A trifecta of declarations, all suggesting that whether you’re enforcing the law or dodging it, someone’s about to get into trouble.

This playlist is my musical tribute to International Be Kind To Lawyers Day — a real holiday, celebrated annually on the second Tuesday in April, for reasons that are presumably legal. It’s not just about lawyers, though. This 30-track journey follows the trajectory of a full-blown legal drama: rules are established, rules are broken, crimes are committed, time is served, lawyers are called, and justice is… complicated.

We meet a few Fun Lovin’ Criminals, some Smooth Criminals, and even those who insist they’re just Criminal Minded. The lawbreakers get caught — there’s fighting, testifying, jail time, and at least one unfortunate visit to the Court of the Crimson King (which, I suspect, is not a traffic violation court).

And let’s not forget the lawyers themselves. They’re gun-toting in one song, love-struck in another, and altogether overburdened. But in honor of their service — and in defense of their billable hours — we end on a note of redemption: “Return to Innocence” by Enigma. Because if music has taught us anything, it’s that legal complications can always be resolved in just over four minutes.

So, whether you’re in the mood to break the law, beat the rap, or rap to the beat of the Fat Boys (or Snoop, Freddie Gibbs, Boogie Down Productions…), press play and pass the gavel. And if you happen to know a lawyer, consider saying something nice. After all, they know where all the paperwork is buried.

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Tunes Du Jour Presents 1976

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By 1976, disco had moved from underground clubs to the top of the charts, and rock music found itself facing challenges from multiple fronts. Donna Summer’s “Love to Love You Baby” and Diana Ross’ “Love Hangover” showcased the genre’s hypnotic groove and sensuality, while Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music” blurred the lines between rock and funk, proving that even guitar-driven bands weren’t immune to disco’s influence. Hits like Andrea True Connection’s “More, More, More” and Candi Staton’s “Young Hearts Run Free” reinforced that this was no passing trend—it was a movement reshaping popular music.

Mainstream rock, meanwhile, leaned into grandeur and melody. Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” became a landmark in songcraft, a multi-part epic that defied conventional structure and solidified the band’s place in rock history. Boston’s “More Than a Feeling” offered a soaring, polished take on arena rock, while Blue Öyster Cult’s “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” balanced an ethereal mood with a sinister undercurrent. Even David Bowie, ever the shape-shifter, leaned into a sleeker sound with “Golden Years.”

Yet, outside of the glossy productions and layered harmonies, a different kind of energy was brewing. The Sex Pistols’ “Anarchy in the U.K.” was a shot across the bow, rejecting the excesses of rock in favor of raw urgency. While not a punk act, Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys Are Back in Town” carried a swagger and directness that resonated with rock fans who would soon embrace punk’s stripped-down ethos. Punk’s full-blown arrival was just around the corner, but 1976 gave the first clear signs that the dominant sounds of the decade were about to face a reckoning.

Beyond disco and rock, R&B and soul continued to thrive, offering both lush ballads and infectious grooves. The Manhattans’ “Kiss and Say Goodbye” and Lou Rawls’ “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine” showcased rich, emotive vocal performances, while Spinners’ “The Rubberband Man” and Boz Scaggs’ “Lowdown” leaned into rhythmic sophistication. Daryl Hall & John Oates’ “She’s Gone” marked a breakthrough for the duo, setting the stage for their string of hits in the late 1970s and early 1980s, where they refined their blend of blue-eyed soul and pop.

In a year that saw both nostalgia and forward momentum, songs like the Four Seasons’ “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)” and Gordon Lightfoot’s “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” reminded listeners of storytelling’s power in song. Meanwhile, ABBA’s “Mamma Mia” and Elton John and Kiki Dee’s “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” offered sheer pop exuberance. The music of 1976 reflected an industry in transition—disco was ascendant, rock was splintering, and a new wave of rebellion was beginning to make itself heard.

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Tunes Du Jour Presents 1990

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By 1990, pop music was as fragmented as ever, with the charts reflecting a mix of dancefloor anthems, alternative breakthroughs, and genre-defying oddities. Hip-hop’s mainstream ascent was well underway, electronic music was taking shape in new and exciting forms, and rock music was shifting toward something grittier. The year’s defining hits weren’t just about big hooks—they were about movement, whether physical, emotional, or cultural.

Dance music thrived in 1990, blurring the lines between house, hip-hop, and pop. Madonna’s “Vogue” channeled the underground ballroom culture into a global phenomenon, while Deee-Lite’s “Groove Is in the Heart” mixed funk, rap, and psychedelic whimsy into a club classic. Elsewhere, Snap! (“The Power”) and Black Box (“Everybody Everybody”) brought European dance music into the mainstream, and 808 State’s “Pacific (707)” hinted at a future where electronic beats would dominate pop music. Even hip-hop joined the party, with M.C. Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This” and Digital Underground’s “The Humpty Dance” bringing humor and flamboyance to the genre.

Meanwhile, alternative rock was carving out a larger space. Jane’s Addiction’s “Been Caught Stealing” and Faith No More’s “Epic” merged funk, metal, and punk into something unpredictable. The UK’s Madchester scene, fueled by dance rhythms and psychedelic guitars, produced The Stone Roses’ “Fools Gold,” Happy Mondays’ “Step On,” and Primal Scream’s “Loaded,” while The Charlatans’ “The Only One I Know” signaled Britpop’s coming rise. Across the Atlantic, Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’” offered a more traditional take on rock, while Aerosmith’s “Janie’s Got a Gun” tackled dark subject matter with arena-sized drama.

Elsewhere, pop and R&B pushed forward with innovation. En Vogue’s “Hold On” showcased impeccable vocal group harmonies, Lisa Stansfield’s “All Around the World” delivered a fresh take on blue-eyed soul, and George Michael’s “Freedom ’90” turned self-reinvention into an art form. Janet Jackson’s “Escapade” and Prince’s “Thieves in the Temple” kept their respective streaks of forward-thinking pop hits alive. And then there was Sinéad O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U”—a Prince-penned ballad that, in her hands, became one of the most emotionally raw performances of the era.

Yet 1990 also had space for the delightfully weird. They Might Be Giants’ “Birdhouse in Your Soul” was an offbeat yet catchy rock song that felt beamed in from another world, while Pet Shop Boys’ “So Hard” continued their sophisticated synth-pop explorations. Biz Markie’s “Just a Friend” made earnest goofiness into a virtue, and DNA’s remix of Suzanne Vega’s “Tom’s Diner” pioneered a new wave of genre-hopping, blending folk with electronic beats. Even the global phenomenon of “Lambada” proved that music was becoming more borderless. Whether through innovation, reinvention, or sheer force of personality, 1990’s music remains as compelling as ever.

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Tunes Du Jour Celebrates National Joe Day

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For those of you outside the U.S., today is National Joe Day — an important holiday stateside. Anyone named Joe (or Joseph, Josephine, Joey or Johanna) gets the day off. No work, no mail delivery, no access to federal buildings. Some Joels try to sneak in on the action, but they’re swiftly dealt with—usually by a retired mall cop wielding a two-by-four.

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Tunes Du Jour Presents 1966

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By 1966, rock and pop music had reached a critical turning point. The early, relatively simple sounds of rock and roll were giving way to a more experimental, ambitious approach, yet the airwaves were still filled with instantly memorable melodies. The year saw the release of songs that would go on to define entire careers—The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” took pop production to new heights, The Four Tops’ “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)” solidified Motown’s dominance, and The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black” pushed rock into darker, more dramatic territory. Meanwhile, The Monkees burst onto the scene with “I’m a Believer,” adding a dose of manufactured but undeniably catchy charm to the mix.

Psychedelia was creeping into mainstream music, foreshadowing the sonic explorations that would fully take hold in the coming years. The Byrds’ “Eight Miles High” and The 13th Floor Elevators’ “You’re Gonna Miss Me” hinted at a new, mind-expanding direction for rock, while The Beatles’ “Paperback Writer” and its B-side, “Rain,” found the band toying with the limits of studio technology. The Who’s “My Generation,” released in late 1965 but peaking on the US charts in ’66, captured the rebellious energy of youth culture, while ? and the Mysterians’ “96 Tears” gave garage rock one of its most enduring anthems.

Soul music was also in full bloom, delivering some of its most powerful and enduring records. Percy Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Woman” became an instant classic, dripping with raw emotion. Jimmy Ruffin’s “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” and The Supremes’ “You Can’t Hurry Love” showcased Motown’s knack for blending heartache and joy in equal measure. Meanwhile, James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” was a testament to his singular ability to infuse deep soul with commentary. Over in the R&B realm, Ike & Tina Turner’s “River Deep – Mountain High”—though not a hit in the U.S. at the time—demonstrated producer Phil Spector’s bombastic “Wall of Sound” approach at its most overwhelming.

The year also had its share of songs that were simply too infectious to ignore. The Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Summer in the City” painted a sweltering urban landscape with its mix of laid-back verses and explosive choruses. Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” turned a simple, stomping beat into a statement of defiant cool. The Walker Brothers’ “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore” and The Left Banke’s “Walk Away Renée” delivered lush, baroque pop melancholy, while Eddie Floyd’s “Knock on Wood” became one of the defining records of Stax-style Southern soul.

Perhaps what’s most striking about 1966 in retrospect is just how many of these songs have endured. Whether through original recordings, countless covers, or their presence in film and television, these records still resonate. From the garage rock sneer of The Bobby Fuller Four’s “I Fought the Law” to the hypnotic stomp of The Troggs’ “Wild Thing,” the music of 1966 wasn’t just a snapshot of its time—it was the foundation for what was to come.

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