The theme of new beginnings, fresh starts, and rebirth is a rich and enduring vein running through popular music. From the euphoric rush of falling in love to the defiant resilience of picking up the pieces, artists have long turned to this universal experience for inspiration. We explore twenty of the most powerful and iconic songs that capture the spirit of starting again.
The Euphoric Anthems of Hope and Change
Some songs capture the unbridled joy and optimism of a new chapter. Maxine Nightingale's 1975 hit 'Right Back Where We Started From' is a three-minute blast of cod-northern soul performed by an unlikely supergroup of session musicians. Its sheer exuberance is hard to resist. Similarly, Otis Clay's 1980 original version of 'The Only Way Is Up' infuses disco strings with a deeply felt, gospel-steeped vocal that outshines the later, better-known cover.
In the house music scene, Joe Smooth's 1987 track 'Promised Land' stands as a monumental song of resistance and optimism. Created for a primarily Black, gay audience during the AIDS epidemic, its warm, cosseting sound offers a powerful assurance that change is not only possible but imminent. Meanwhile, Curtis Mayfield's 'Move on Up' (1970) makes striving for a better life sound like an exhilarating journey, propelled by insistent brass and Mayfield's irresistibly urging lyrics.
Personal Reinvention and Defiant New Starts
Many anthems of rebirth are born from personal turmoil or the need for self-reinvention. Gloria Gaynor's 'I Will Survive' (1978) may be overplayed, but its status as a quintessential breakup and resilience anthem is earned. It perfectly articulates the emotional labour of picking oneself up, delivered with Gaynor's powerhouse vocal.
Diana Ross's 1980 disco classic 'I'm Coming Out' was famously written by Chic with her gay following in mind. The buoyant combination of Nile Rodgers' guitar and Bernard Edwards' bassline creates an unstoppable feeling of positive forward momentum. On a more literal note, John Lydon's 1978 debut with Public Image Ltd, 'Public Image', was a furious and exciting declaration of a new artistic path, sonically heralding the post-punk era while excoriating his past with the Sex Pistols.
Peter Gabriel's 'Solsbury Hill' (1977) is a beautifully reflective account of his decision to leave Genesis. The song captures the racing heart and smiling resolve of a major life change, its music subtly uplifting. Decades later, CMAT's 2022 song 'Nashville' offers a witty, modern take, spinning a elaborate fictional tale of emigration to Tennessee as a way of dealing with the urge for a fresh start that one never actually intends to make.
Quiet Revolutions and Gentle Renewals
Not all new beginnings are loud declarations; some are quiet marvels or gentle cycles of renewal. The Beatles' 'Here Comes the Sun' (1969), written by George Harrison, has become a billion-stream phenomenon thanks to its lovely, reassuring sense of cyclical renewal, offering a musical hug in the face of uncertainty.
Pulp's 'Something Changed' (1995) marvels at the unplanned, life-altering coincidence, set to soft-hued, sweet music. It's a soundtrack for the new beginning you never saw coming. Similarly, The The's 'This Is the Day' (1983) masterfully blends fragile introspection with fuzzy, hopeful elation, arguably influenced by the then-novel experience of MDMA, arguing compellingly that life can get better from this point on.
Even instrumentals can capture the theme. David Bowie's 'A New Career in a New Town' (1977) moves from a tentative intro to fresh, optimistic music punctuated by breezy harmonica, sonically mapping its titular promise. And sometimes, a song's origin adds poignant layers. Fleetwood Mac's 'Don't Stop' (1977) was written by Christine McVie for her soon-to-be-ex-husband, John, urging him to see their split as a new beginning. Despite this complex backdrop, the song remains a preposterously effective, buoyant anthem of forward motion, free of the bitterness that marked much of the 'Rumours' album.
From the defiant to the joyful, the planned to the accidental, these twenty tracks prove that the journey of starting anew is one of pop music's most powerful and enduring inspirations.
