Read on Twitter
[THREAD] Harry Styles’ music influences and inspirations: RECORDS
ALBUMS:
ASTRAL WEEKS - VAN MORRISSON:
“It’s my favorite album ever, ‘Madame George’ is one of my favorites — nine minutes. I’ve got some long songs but not my nine-minute one — it hasn’t quite come through yet.”
“Blue (
) and Astral Weeks are just the ultimate in terms of songwriting.“
“It’s my favorite album ever, ‘Madame George’ is one of my favorites — nine minutes. I’ve got some long songs but not my nine-minute one — it hasn’t quite come through yet.”
“Blue (
) and Astral Weeks are just the ultimate in terms of songwriting.“
BLUE - JONI MITCHELL:
“I was in a big Joni hole, I kept hearing the dulcimer all over Blue. So I tracked down the lady [Joellen Lapidus] who built Joni’s dulcimers in the Sixties.“ – Lapidus invited him over, taught him to play and built him the dulcimer he plays in ‘Canyon Moon’
![BLUE - JONI MITCHELL:“I was in a big Joni hole, I kept hearing the dulcimer all over Blue. So I tracked down the lady [Joellen Lapidus] who built Joni’s dulcimers in the Sixties.“ – Lapidus invited him over, taught him to play and built him the dulcimer he plays in ‘Canyon Moon’](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ea-1RPHWsAQNMvs.jpg "BLUE - JONI MITCHELL:“I was in a big Joni hole, I kept hearing the dulcimer all over Blue. So I tracked down the lady [Joellen Lapidus] who built Joni’s dulcimers in the Sixties.“ – Lapidus invited him over, taught him to play and built him the dulcimer he plays in ‘Canyon Moon’")
“I was in a big Joni hole, I kept hearing the dulcimer all over Blue. So I tracked down the lady [Joellen Lapidus] who built Joni’s dulcimers in the Sixties.“ – Lapidus invited him over, taught him to play and built him the dulcimer he plays in ‘Canyon Moon’
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR - STEVIE NICKS:
‘Harry’s pad in London is lavish, yet very much a young single dude’s lair. Over here: a wall-size framed Sex Pistols album cover. Over there: a vinyl copy of Stevie Nicks’ The Other Side of the Mirror, casually resting on the floor.’
‘Harry’s pad in London is lavish, yet very much a young single dude’s lair. Over here: a wall-size framed Sex Pistols album cover. Over there: a vinyl copy of Stevie Nicks’ The Other Side of the Mirror, casually resting on the floor.’
STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS - PAUL SIMON:
‘“50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,’ that’s the greatest verse melody ever written, in my opinion,” Harry says. “So minimal, but so good — that drum roll.” - Paul Simon was one of his childhood soundtracks, with or without Art Garfunkel’
‘“50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,’ that’s the greatest verse melody ever written, in my opinion,” Harry says. “So minimal, but so good — that drum roll.” - Paul Simon was one of his childhood soundtracks, with or without Art Garfunkel’
BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER - SIMON AND GARFUNKEL:
“‘The Boxer’ is a perfect lyric, especially that first verse.”
“I grew up in a pub for a few years and they were just constantly playing...Every time ‘Cecilia’ started, I’d be like, ‘I think I’ve heard this a 100 times today.’”
“‘The Boxer’ is a perfect lyric, especially that first verse.”
“I grew up in a pub for a few years and they were just constantly playing...Every time ‘Cecilia’ started, I’d be like, ‘I think I’ve heard this a 100 times today.’”
BACK TO THE EGG - WINGS:
“While I was in Tokyo I used to go to a vinyl bar, but the bartender didn’t have Wings records. So I brought him Back to the Egg. ‘Arrow Through Me,’ that was the song I had to hear every day when I was in Japan.”
“While I was in Tokyo I used to go to a vinyl bar, but the bartender didn’t have Wings records. So I brought him Back to the Egg. ‘Arrow Through Me,’ that was the song I had to hear every day when I was in Japan.”
RAM - PAUL MCCARTNEY:
“I love Ram so much — I used to think it was a mixed bag, but that’s part of its beauty.”
“We’d do mushrooms, lie down on the grass, and listen to Paul McCartney’s Ram in the sunshine. We’d just turn the speakers into the yard.” (while working on Fine Line)
“I love Ram so much — I used to think it was a mixed bag, but that’s part of its beauty.”
“We’d do mushrooms, lie down on the grass, and listen to Paul McCartney’s Ram in the sunshine. We’d just turn the speakers into the yard.” (while working on Fine Line)
MCCARTNEY - PAUL MCCARTNEY:
“I love Ram so much [...] And the one that’s just called McCartney, with the cherries on the cover and ‘The Lovely Linda’ on it.”
![MCCARTNEY - PAUL MCCARTNEY:“I love Ram so much [...] And the one that’s just called McCartney, with the cherries on the cover and ‘The Lovely Linda’ on it.”](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ea-1TziWAAQdtN9.jpg "MCCARTNEY - PAUL MCCARTNEY:“I love Ram so much [...] And the one that’s just called McCartney, with the cherries on the cover and ‘The Lovely Linda’ on it.”")
“I love Ram so much [...] And the one that’s just called McCartney, with the cherries on the cover and ‘The Lovely Linda’ on it.”
NILSSON SCHMILSSON - HARRY NILSSON:
“I think of all the great songwriters I love — but they all had their pop songs. [Joni Mitchell’s ‘Help Me’, Paul Simon’s ‘YCCMA’] Harry Nilsson with ‘Coconut.’ You have to conquer the fear of pop.”
Harry can play ‘Gotta Get Up’ on the piano.
![NILSSON SCHMILSSON - HARRY NILSSON:“I think of all the great songwriters I love — but they all had their pop songs. [Joni Mitchell’s ‘Help Me’, Paul Simon’s ‘YCCMA’] Harry Nilsson with ‘Coconut.’ You have to conquer the fear of pop.”Harry can play ‘Gotta Get Up’ on the piano.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ea-1UUBXYAA2aiG.jpg "NILSSON SCHMILSSON - HARRY NILSSON:“I think of all the great songwriters I love — but they all had their pop songs. [Joni Mitchell’s ‘Help Me’, Paul Simon’s ‘YCCMA’] Harry Nilsson with ‘Coconut.’ You have to conquer the fear of pop.”Harry can play ‘Gotta Get Up’ on the piano.")
“I think of all the great songwriters I love — but they all had their pop songs. [Joni Mitchell’s ‘Help Me’, Paul Simon’s ‘YCCMA’] Harry Nilsson with ‘Coconut.’ You have to conquer the fear of pop.”
Harry can play ‘Gotta Get Up’ on the piano.
THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON - PINK FLOYD:
His father, Des, was a fan of the Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Queen, and Pink Floyd. Young Harry toddled around to The Dark Side of the Moon. “I couldn’t really get it, but I just remember being like – this is really fucking cool.”
His father, Des, was a fan of the Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Queen, and Pink Floyd. Young Harry toddled around to The Dark Side of the Moon. “I couldn’t really get it, but I just remember being like – this is really fucking cool.”
AT LAST! - ETTA JAMES:
“This whole album is perfect. On that record you have ‘I Just Want to Make Love to You’ going right into ‘At Last,’ which has to be one of the greatest one-twos ever. Her ad libs are so intense. It’s like, ‘Come on, Etta — tell us how you really feel.’”
“This whole album is perfect. On that record you have ‘I Just Want to Make Love to You’ going right into ‘At Last,’ which has to be one of the greatest one-twos ever. Her ad libs are so intense. It’s like, ‘Come on, Etta — tell us how you really feel.’”
CROSBY, STILLS AND NASH - CROSBY, STILLS AND NASH:
“Those harmonies, man,” Harry says. “‘Helplessly Hoping’ is the song I would play if I had three minutes to live. It’s one of my ‘one more time before I go’–type songs.”
“Those harmonies, man,” Harry says. “‘Helplessly Hoping’ is the song I would play if I had three minutes to live. It’s one of my ‘one more time before I go’–type songs.”
TAPESTRY - CAROLE KING:
Harry arranged to listen to a playback of his new music at a Studio that’s “the room where Carole King recorded Tapestry.” Harry reveres King as both a singer and songwriter. His favorite: “‘So Far Away’. How do people make shit like this?”
Harry arranged to listen to a playback of his new music at a Studio that’s “the room where Carole King recorded Tapestry.” Harry reveres King as both a singer and songwriter. His favorite: “‘So Far Away’. How do people make shit like this?”
CAN’T BUY A THRILL - STEELY DAN:
‘Harry insists that Can’t Buy a Thrill is better than Countdown to Ecstasy and seals his case by turning it up and belting “Midnite Cruiser”. He’s behind the wheel in Hollywood singing along with every note of the sax solo from “Dirty Work.”’
‘Harry insists that Can’t Buy a Thrill is better than Countdown to Ecstasy and seals his case by turning it up and belting “Midnite Cruiser”. He’s behind the wheel in Hollywood singing along with every note of the sax solo from “Dirty Work.”’
SONGS:
LANDSLIDE - FLEETWOOD MAC:
Harry performed ‘Landslide’ with Stevie Nicks multiple times (Gucci Event Rome, At The Forum...), she dedicated it to him at a Fleetwood Mac concert he attended with Anne with the words “I’d like to dedicate this to my little muse, Harry Styles”
Harry performed ‘Landslide’ with Stevie Nicks multiple times (Gucci Event Rome, At The Forum...), she dedicated it to him at a Fleetwood Mac concert he attended with Anne with the words “I’d like to dedicate this to my little muse, Harry Styles”
THE CHAIN - FLEETWOOD MAC:
Harry covered ‘The Chain’ in the BBCRadio1 Live Loungen in 2017 and joined Fleetwood Mac on background vocals when they performed ‘The Chain’ at New York City’s Radio Music City Music Hall on the 26th of January 2018
Harry covered ‘The Chain’ in the BBCRadio1 Live Loungen in 2017 and joined Fleetwood Mac on background vocals when they performed ‘The Chain’ at New York City’s Radio Music City Music Hall on the 26th of January 2018
RICH GIRL - HALL AND OATES:
‘Harry is feeling the smooth Seventies yacht-rock grooves, blasting [...] Hall and Oates. When I mention that Nina Simone once did a version of “Rich Girl” by Hall and Oates, he needs to hear it right away”’
They’re part of Harry’s favourite artists.
![RICH GIRL - HALL AND OATES:‘Harry is feeling the smooth Seventies yacht-rock grooves, blasting [...] Hall and Oates. When I mention that Nina Simone once did a version of “Rich Girl” by Hall and Oates, he needs to hear it right away”’ They’re part of Harry’s favourite artists.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ea-1X6nXQAAw0Dp.jpg "RICH GIRL - HALL AND OATES:‘Harry is feeling the smooth Seventies yacht-rock grooves, blasting [...] Hall and Oates. When I mention that Nina Simone once did a version of “Rich Girl” by Hall and Oates, he needs to hear it right away”’ They’re part of Harry’s favourite artists.")
‘Harry is feeling the smooth Seventies yacht-rock grooves, blasting [...] Hall and Oates. When I mention that Nina Simone once did a version of “Rich Girl” by Hall and Oates, he needs to hear it right away”’
They’re part of Harry’s favourite artists.
YOU’RE STILL THE ONE - SHANIA TWAIN:
Harry covered ‘You’re Still The One’ with Kacey Musgraves during one of his concerts at Madison Square Garden.
“I think both my music and fashion main influence was probably Shania Twain. Yeah, I think she’s amazing.” (Entertainment Tonight)
Harry covered ‘You’re Still The One’ with Kacey Musgraves during one of his concerts at Madison Square Garden.
“I think both my music and fashion main influence was probably Shania Twain. Yeah, I think she’s amazing.” (Entertainment Tonight)
COSMIC DANCER - T. REX:
‘In the studio, he’s overseeing the string quartet. He has the engineers play T. Rex’s “Cosmic Dancer” for them, to illustrate the vibe he’s going for. [...] “Yeah, it’s pretty T. Rex. Best damn strings I ever heard.”’
![COSMIC DANCER - T. REX:‘In the studio, he’s overseeing the string quartet. He has the engineers play T. Rex’s “Cosmic Dancer” for them, to illustrate the vibe he’s going for. [...] “Yeah, it’s pretty T. Rex. Best damn strings I ever heard.”’](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ea-1Y6xXsAcVgg0.jpg "COSMIC DANCER - T. REX:‘In the studio, he’s overseeing the string quartet. He has the engineers play T. Rex’s “Cosmic Dancer” for them, to illustrate the vibe he’s going for. [...] “Yeah, it’s pretty T. Rex. Best damn strings I ever heard.”’")
‘In the studio, he’s overseeing the string quartet. He has the engineers play T. Rex’s “Cosmic Dancer” for them, to illustrate the vibe he’s going for. [...] “Yeah, it’s pretty T. Rex. Best damn strings I ever heard.”’
SLEDGEHAMMER - PETER GABRIEL:
“The greatest music video ever. I also love that Eighties synth pan-whistle sound — it basically just exists in this song and ‘My Heart Will Go On.’”
Harry covered ‘Sledgehammer’ on the Howard Stern Show
“The greatest music video ever. I also love that Eighties synth pan-whistle sound — it basically just exists in this song and ‘My Heart Will Go On.’”
Harry covered ‘Sledgehammer’ on the Howard Stern Show
SOURCES:
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/harry-styles-cover-interview-album-871568/
(
) Spotify Playlist to the ‘The Eternal Sunshine of Harry Styles’ article: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5KCsUbiuTe9BWNJCDjv8Ct?si=sege2AD2RxOinRIugwsU3g
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/harry-styles-favorite-things-albums-tv-878041/
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/harry-styles-new-direction-119432/
https://www.vogue.com/article/harry-styles-shania-twain-style
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/harry-styles-cover-interview-album-871568/
(
) Spotify Playlist to the ‘The Eternal Sunshine of Harry Styles’ article: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5KCsUbiuTe9BWNJCDjv8Ct?si=sege2AD2RxOinRIugwsU3g https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/harry-styles-favorite-things-albums-tv-878041/
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/harry-styles-new-direction-119432/
https://www.vogue.com/article/harry-styles-shania-twain-style
DO THE RIGHT THING and GET INVOLVED! This LINKTREE has links to carrds and other resources and WAYS TO HELP on MULTIPLE CAUSES IN THE WORLD like blm, yemen crisis, lgtbq+ rights, palestine, save the uyghurs as well as WAYS TO DONATE FOR FREE AT THE BOTTOM http://linktr.ee/getinvoIved
There’s also Harry’s Ultimate Mixtape he made for Another Man: https://www.anothermanmag.com/life-culture/10168/listen-to-harry-styles-ultimate-mixtape-for-another-man
