love this new Muse track Madness

Joe writes: They are combining seventies soft rock with dubstep, and it works. Amazing.



But just for some perspective, here's I Want To Break Free by Queen:

all four members of Queen were amazing songwriters

Joe: I heard a bit of a Freddie Mercury documentary on Radio 2 yesterday and learnt that These Are The Days Of Our Lives (one of the best Queen songs) was written by Roger Taylor.

So all four members of Queen wrote amazing, massive hit songs. Is this true of any other group?

Freddie Mercury wrote Don't Stop Me Now, Bohemian Rhapsody, Somebody To Love, Crazy Little Thing Called Love and We Are The Champions.

John Deacon wrote Another One Bites The Dust, I Want To Break Free and You're My Best Friend.

Roger Taylor wrote Radio Ga Ga and A Kind Of Magic as well as These Are The Days Of Our Lives.

Brian May wrote Fat Bottomed Girls, We Will Rock You, and Who Wants To Live Forever? So I'd say he's the weakest link in terms of songwriting, but he'd still be the best writer in just about any other group.

What about Under Pressure? A genuine collaboration between all four members and David Bowie. See Wikipedia for more info.

my favourite ever TV programme about music

Joe writes: How Pop Songs Work is presented by Charles Hazlewood, the classical conductor, Mercury Music Prize judge and Wyclef Jean fan.

It features Charles and an array of experts explaining not only how pop songs work but why they are so great. Too many goosebump moments to mention but I particularly loved the footage of Joni Mitchell performing A Case Of You live (oh to see that in the flesh), Dire Straits doing Romeo & Juliet, plus the deconstructions of Back To Black (Amy not AC/DC) and Salvador by Jamie T.