Friday, January 30, 2026

Today in Music (1836): Felix Mendelssohn’s Octet for Strings premiered

Octet for Strings in E♭ major, Op. 20

Felix Mendelssohn

Composition Completed: October 15, 1825

First Performed: January 30, 1836

Peak: --

Sales (in millions): --

Genre: classical > chamber music

Parts/Movements:

I. Allegro moderato ma con fuoco (E♭ major)
II. Andante (C minor)
III. Scherzo: Allegro leggierissimo (G minor)
IV: Presto (E♭ major)

Average Duration: 30 minutes

Rating:

4.745 out of 5.00 (average of 4 ratings)

Quotable:

Awards:

(Click on award to learn more).

About the Work:

Felix Mendelssohn was born in 1809 in Hamburg. Germany. He died in 1847 at age 38. He was only 16 years old when he completed composition on his octet. ^ES He has been called “the greatest prodigy in Western musical history.” ^ES The octet “is regarded as a first-rate masterwork on par with those of the finest mature composers of any age.” ^ES

It was written for four violins, two violas, and two cellos. He wrote it and gave a signed score to Eduard Rietz, his friend and violin teacher, as a birthday present. ^WK It “created a new chamber music genre” ^WK as string quartets were the most widely known works within chamber music. ^WK

EarSense.org argues that “Mendelssohn had no specific models from distinguished predecessors as a basis: his Octet is the first of its kind and has arguably never been surpassed.” ^ES However, he may have been inspired by Louis Spohr’s Double Quartet in D minor, Op. 65. Nonetheless, Mendelssohn’s Octet is an undivided ensemble while Spohr’s work was written with two quartets playing apart from each other. ^WK Mendelssohn specified in the score that the piece “must be played by all the instruments in symphonic orchestral style.” ^WK

The piece is comprised of four movements in sonata form. A performance runs about 30 minutes with the first movement comprising about half of the playing time. ^WK At EarSense.org, Conrad Wilson says, “Its youthful verve, brilliance and perfection make it one of the miracles of nineteenth-century music.” ^ES

Reviews:

^ES EarSense.org
^WK Wikipedia

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

2020-2029: Top 50 Songs of the Decade So Far

Top 50 Songs of the Decade (so far):

2020-2029

These are the top 100 songs from the 2020s according to Dave’s Music Database. Rankings are figured by combining sales figures, chart data, radio airplay, video airplay, streaming figures, awards, and appearances on best-of lists.

Check out other “songs of the decade” lists here.

Miley Cyrus “Flowers” (2023)
Harry Styles “As It Was” (2022)
The Kid Laroi with Justin Bieber “Stay” (2021)
Dua Lipa with DaBaby “Levitating” (2020)
Glass Animals “Heat Waves” (2020)
Olivia Rodrigo “Drivers License” (2021)
Shaboozey “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” (2024)
The Weeknd with Ariana Grande “Save Your Tears” (2020)
Adele “Easy on Me” (2021)
Olivia Rodrigo “Good 4 U” (2021)
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars & Anderson.Paak) “Leave the Door Open” (2021)
Alex Warren “Ordinary” (2025)
Cardi B with Megan Thee Stallion “WAP” (2020)
Xiao Zhan “Spotlight” (2020)
Teddy Swims “Lose Control” (2023)
Benson Boone “Beautiful Things” (2024)
Lil Nas X “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” (2021)
24K Goldn with Iann Dior “Mood” (2020)
Kendrick Lamar “Not Like Us” (2024)
BTS “Dynamite” (2020)
Hozier “Too Sweet” (2024)
Taylor Swift “Anti-Hero” (2022)
SZA “Kill Bill” (2022)
Ed Sheeran “Bad Habits” (2021)
Morgan Wallen “Last Night” (2023)
Billie Eilish “Birds of a Feather” (2024)
Lil Nas X with Jack Harlow “Industry Baby” (2021)
Lizzo “About Damn Time” (2022)
Noah Kahan “Stick Season” (2022)
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars “Die with a Smile” (2024)
Sabrina Carpenter “Espresso” (2024)
Chappell Roan “Good Luck, Babe!” (2024)
Post Malone & Morgan Wallen “I Had Some Help” (2024)
Justin Bieber with Daniel Caesar & Giveon “Peaches” (2021)
BTS “Butter” (2021)
DaBaby with Roddy Ricch “Rockstar” (2020)
SZA “Snooze” (2022)
Huntr/x “Golden” (2025)
Olivia Rodrigo “Vampire” (2023)
Steve Lacy “Bad Habit” (2022)
Billie Eilish “What Was I Made For?” (2023)
Sam Smith & Kim Petras “Unholy” (2022)
Beyoncé “Texas Hold ‘Em” (2024)
Zach Bryan with Kacey Musgraves “I Remember Everything” (2023)
Rema with Selena Gomez “Calm Down” (2022)
Megan Thee Stallion with Beyoncé “Savage” (remix) (2020)
Jack Harlow “First Class” (2022)
Kendrick Lamar & SZA “Luther” (2024)
Jawsh 685 with Jason Derulo “Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)” (2020)
Encanto Cast “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” (2021)

Resources/Related Links:

Dave’s Music Database: “‘Songs of the Decade’ lists”
Dave’s Music Database: “‘Albums of the Decade’ lists”

First posted 10/12/2024; last updated 1/21/2026.

The Top 50 Songs of 2025

Dave’s Music Database:

Top 50 Songs of 2025

These are the top 50 songs for the year based on their overall performance in Dave’s Music Database, which is determined by combining chart data, sales figures, streaming, video views, and aggregates from year-end lists and charts.

Check out “Top Songs and Albums of the Year” lists here.

DMDB Top 2%:

Alex Warren “Ordinary”
Huntr/x “Golden”
DMDB Top 5%:
Taylor Swift “The Fate of Ophelia”
Lady Gaga “Abracadabra”
DMDB Top 10%:
Sabrina Carpenter “Manchild”
Morgan Wallen & Tate McRae “What I Want”
Chappell Roan “The Subway”
Olivia Dean “Man I Need”
Tate McRae “Sports Car”
Justin Bieber “Daisies”
Bad Bunny “DTMF”
Drake “Nokia”
DMDB Top 20%:
Sombr “Undressed”
Kehlani “Folded”
Tame Impala “Dracula”
Benson Boone “Mystical Magical”
Benson Boone “Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else”
Morgan Wallen “I’m the Problem”
Bad Bunny “Baile Inolvidable”
The Weeknd “Cry fo Me”
Lorde “What Was That”
Pink Pantheress “Illegal”
Role Model “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out”
Raye “Where Is My Husband!”
Chappell Roan “The Giver”
Somb “12 to 12”
Bad Bunny “NuevaYol”
Justin Bieber “Yukon”
Ed Sheeran “Azizam”
Taylor Swift “Opalite”
Morgan Wallen “Just in Case”
Tyler the Creator “Sugar on My Tongue”
Disco Lines with Tinashe “No Broke Boys”
Moliy with Silent Addy, Shenseea, & Skillibeng “Shake It to the Max (Fly)”
Sabrina Carpenter “Tears”
Alex Warren & Jelly Roll “Bloodline”
Saja Boys “Soda Pop”
Lil Tecca “Dark Thoughts”
Doechii “Denial Is a River”
Mumford & Sons “Rushmere”
Sleep Token “Caramel”
Saja Boys “Your Idol”
Taylor Swift & Sabrina Carpenter “The Life of a Showgirl”
SZA “BMF”
Lady Gaga “The Dead Dance”
Sleep Token Emergence”
Playboi Carti & The Weeknd “Rather Lie”
Tate McRae “Revolving Door”
Russell Dickerson “Happen to Me”
Linkin Park “Up from the Bottom”

Resources/Related Links:

Dave’s Music Database: Top Songs and Albums by Year lists
Dave’s Music Database: Songs of the Decade lists

First posted 1/21/2026.

The Songwriters Hall of Fame Inductees, 1969-2026

Songwriters Hall of Fame:

1969-2026

Songwriter Johnny Mercer and music publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond established the Hall in 1969. As the website says, “To be nominated for induction…a songwriter must have been active for a minimum of 20 years and have written an extensive catalogue of hit songs. Once candidates are determined, ballots are sent to the members of the National Academy of Popular Music, which comprises songwriters and other music industry professionals.”

There were no awards given in 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Hall has also given out special awards (noted in listing below by two-letter code after award name), including:

Johnny Mercer Award (JM) 1980-2026. Given to previous inductees (with the exception of Frank Sinatra) who have been determined by the nominating committee to have “established a history of outstanding creative works.” Personally, this seems like an unnecessary award designed to create double inductees. Noted in list below as JM.
Sammy Cahn Award (SC) 1980-2012. Given “to individuals or teams who are recognized as having done a great deal to further the successes of songwriters.”
Howie Richmond Hitmaker Award (HR) 1981-2018. Acknowledges “artists or ‘star makers’ in the music industry who have been responsible for a substantial number of hit songs for an extended period of time.”
Hal David Starlight Award (HD). 2004-2025. Honors “gifted songwriters who are at an apex in their careers and are making a significant impact in the music industry via their original songs.”
Pioneer Award (PA). 2012-2013. Established to “recognize the career of a historic creator of an extensive body of musical work that has been a major influence on generations of songwriters.”
Contemporary Icon Award (CI) 2015-2019. Established “to celebrate a songwriter-artist who has attained an iconic status in pop culture.”

Here are the inductees into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (and recipients of special awards – noted by two-letter codes). Note: click on the name to see the act’s bio in Dave’s Music Database Music Maker Encyclopedia. Click on “bio” to see the act’s bio at the Songwriters Hall of Fame website.

Click here to see a list of recipients of special awards who have not been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

See other Hall of Fames.

SONGWRITER HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES