From the beginning of his solo career, Harry Styles has laced his sound with that of his heroes. With his self-titled debut, Styles leaned hard into ’70s rock with guitar-led motifs and Fleetwood Mac-type harmonies. His subsequent projects, Fine Line and Harry’s House, continue on in that vein while adding some new-wave elements to the mix. Styles has been a pro at taking something classic and reworking it for a new generation.
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While it’s clear Styles wears his inspirations on his sleeve, what songs, in particular, is the “As It Was” singer listening to? Find four of Styles’ favorite tracks, below.
1. “Madame George” (Van Morrison)
Styles has long professed his love for Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks. The eight-track album is home to seminal Morrison tracks like “Beside You” and “Sweet Thing.” As to which track is the standout for Styles on the record, he picked “Madame George.” The song—a ballad about a drag queen in Morrison’s native Belfast—played every night before Styles went on stage on his first-ever solo tour.
2. “A Sunday Kind of Love” (Etta James)
Etta James’ At Last! is another source of inspiration for Styles. Particularly, “A Sunday Kind of Love.” While at home during the pandemic, Styles worked with Apple Music to create a playlist of his current musical obsessions—among which is this James’ classic.
3. “Arrow Through Me” (Wings)
On the same playlist, Styles chose Wings’ “Arrow Through Me.” But, its inclusion on the playlist was just one of many times Styles has made nods to McCartney. “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,” Styles once told Rolling Stone. “‘Arrow Through Me,’ that was the song I had to hear every day when I was in Japan.”
4. “Helplessly Hoping” (Crosby, Stills & Nash)
Last, but certainly not least for Styles, is “Helplessly Hoping” by Crosby, Stills & Nash. In an interview, he once said this song would be the last he would play if he only “had three minutes to live.” “It’s one of my ‘one more time before I go’–type songs,” he added.
Photo by Jacopo Raule/FilmMagic
