Do you know of any songs that an average person wouldn’t easily find on the internet, but is still worth listening at least once in a lifetime. I highly encourage music that isn’t in English.
Okay these are ‘obscure’ in the fact that not a lot of people know of these particular performances or remixes/covers.
Bluegrass instrumental cover of “Taylor” by Jack Johnson that is a very beautiful version. If I ever got married, I’d probably want this to be the song playing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q23KUT6W8HA
Another amazingly beautiful song: Roads Must Roll https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7DYYQ4q4Go
This remix of “Sound of Silence” used in this emotionally powerful video for hearing impaired that I stumbled into over 10 years ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo7fAjfp098
This guitar instrumental cover of Billie Jean by Michael Jackson that this amazing kid does https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgVqX0a49HM
Throwing Fire by Ronald Jenkees You wanna get pumped listening to a guy rock out on a keyboard? This dude has some amazing jams. (I also recommend Disorganized Fun, Stay Crunchy, Guitar Sound, etc) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O2aH4XLbto
Destiny by Zero 7 before they were really big, and before Sia blew up as a pop artist. This particular version is really tight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xxx_MwcfbEs
Hip Hop violin by Paul Dateh and Inka One. Its old, the video quality is awful, but the music is. Amazing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36Xt-XeWnHM
I’ll probably add some more as I think of them because I love music.
Lebanese Blonde by Thievery Corporation Okay this is a well known song because it was used in a popular movie called Garden State, but not many people know the band outside of ‘oh yeah that cool song from Garden State!’ But this is such a talented band, if you can see a live show of theirs, do it. One of the best concerts I’ve ever been to in my life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t7W6NtTKAw
Cover of No Diggity by The Regulars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1be7E48Yhas
Broken in All the Right Places by I Am Jen A woman I found on YouTube over 10 years ago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=832YvQHzFqg
1976 by RJD2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HC-FGtZrPkU
Staying’ Alive instrumental cover by Luca Stricagnoli https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buH9qCgK_Qk
Thievery touring member Frank Orrall is also the lead singer for Poi Dog Pondering, which has a totally different take on world music. Their Pomegranate album is absolutely great, and a notable song from it is Complicated: https://youtu.be/-KLZMKNs7qY
For a cover, they have an awesome version of That’s the Way Love Is: https://youtu.be/k7iaA7x9oc4?si=aHd5ZJsR7KbqFy7o but I haven’t found a high quality audio YouTube version of it.
Not sure if this counts as “obscure”, but one of my favorite songs is Itte by Yorushika. Not only is it a bop, but the lyrics are surprisingly melancholic and dark for such an upbeat song.
As for a band I think is criminally underrated, perhaps check out Evening Light by Vansire.
Here is a little bit of older Canadian indie music you might enjoy. “Local Rabbits - Sally Anne’s Style Denial”
If you dig that try “Stomp your British knights down” same band
Pure 80’s pop of The Lightning Seeds https://youtu.be/lbqMD7YrGGQ
Growing up in the 80’s, I had never encountered this. Found it randomly last year and it captures that cheesy, but hopefully romantic, danceable vibe.
I bought an old iPod at a garage sale awhile ago and this was on it. It took a surprising amount of searching to find, given just the artist’s name and song title.
It could be an outtake from Velvet Underground’s Loaded. The singer even sounds like a young Lou Reed.
