70 songs for 70 years of the PRC: List view
A song for each year of the People’s Republic of China. This is an attempt to distill the many diverse, fascinating currents of music in mainland China over the last 70 years into a primer, an invitation to dig deeper. Click here to read more:
If you prefer to just listen to the songs, you’ll find this playlist on Spotify and YouTube.
1949: Tian Han 田汉 / Nie Er 聂耳
义勇军进行曲 (March of the Volunteers)
1950: Cao Huoxing 曹火星
没有共产党就没有新中国 (Without the Communist Party, There is No New China)
1951: Shankar Jaikishan / Raj Kapoor
Awara Hoon, from “Awaara” (The Wanderer)
1952: Xian Xinghai 冼星海, the “People’s Composer”
黄河大合唱 Yellow River Cantata
1953: Tongfu 通福 / Wang Shuli 王树理, Wu Xiuyun吴秀云
敖包相会 (Meeting at the Fair) from 草原上的人们 (People on the Prairie)
1954: Shostakovich, Symphony No. 10 (as seen by Li Delun 李德伦)
1955: Liu Zhi 刘炽
让我们荡起双桨 (Let Us Sway Twin Oars)
1956: 我的祖国 from 上甘岭 (Battle on Shangganling Mountain)
1957: 九九艳阳天 from 柳堡的故事 (The Story of Liubao Village)
1958: Li Huanzhi 李焕之
社会主义好 (Socialism is Good)
1959: He Zhanhao 何占豪 / Chen Gang 陈钢
梁祝小提琴协奏曲 Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto
1960: 五朵金花 from 五朶金花 (Five Golden Flowers)
1961: 娘子军连歌 (Song of the Women’s Detachment)
1962: Lata Mangeshkar
Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo (O’ People of my Country)
1963: Yin Chengzong 殷承宗
红灯记 (Red Lantern Piano Piece)
1964: 大海航行靠舵手 (Sailing the Seas Depends on the Helmsman)
1965: 白毛女 (The White Haired Girl), ballet version
1966: 东方红 (The East is Red)
1967: 万岁 毛主席 (Long Live Chairman Mao)
1968: 我爱北京天安门 (I Love Beijing Tiananmen)
1969: Xian Xinghai 冼星海, directed by Jiang Qing 江青
黄河协奏曲 Yellow River Piano Concerto
1970: Li Guyi 李谷一
边疆的泉水清又纯 (The Springs of the Frontiers are Clear and Pure)
1971: 全世界人民一定胜利 (The People of the World Will be Victorious)
1972: The People’s Liberation Army Marching Band
Home on the Range (cover)
1973: Li Shuangjiang 李双江
我爱五指山，我爱万泉河 (I love Wuzhishan, I love Wanquanhe)
1974: Red Star Shines 红星闪闪 from Shining Red Star 闪闪的红星
1975: Sam Hui 许冠杰
鬼馬雙星 (Games Gamblers Play)
1976: Richard Clayderman
“Ballade Pour Adeline”
1977: Teresa Teng 邓丽君
月亮代表我的心 (The Moon Represents My Heart)
1978: Hou Dejian 侯德健
龙的传人 (Descendants of the Dragon)
1979: 万里马王乐队
The Beatles – Jey Jude (万里马王乐队 cover)
1980: Su Xiaoming 苏小明
军港之夜 (Night on a Naval Base)
1981: Jean-Michel Jarre
Souvenir de Chine
1982: Peng Liyuan 彭丽媛
在希望的田野上 (On Fields of Hope)
1983: Leslie Cheung 张国荣
风继续吹 (The Wind Blows)
1984: Zhang Minmin 张明敏
我的中国心 (My Chinese Heart)
1985: Wham!
Careless Whisper
1986: Cui Jian 崔健
一无所有 (Nothing to My Name)
1987: Fei Xiang 费翔
冬天里的一把火 (A Fire in Winter)
+
Zang Tian Shuo 臧天朔
朋友 (Friend)
1988: Chang Yusheng 张雨生
我的未来不是梦 (Your Life Is Not a Dream)
1989: Concert for Democracy in China 群星为八九民运创作的
为自由 (For Freedom)
1990: Kenny G
Going Home
1991: Lo Da-Yu 罗大佑
東方之珠 (Pearl of the Orient)
1992: Tang Dynasty 唐朝
梦回唐朝 (A Dream Return to Tang Dynasty)
+
Black Panther 黑豹
Don’t Break My Heart
1993: Beyond
海阔天空 (Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies)
1994: Dou Wei 窦唯
噢！乖 (Be Good, Boy)
+
Zhang Chu 张楚
蚂蚁蚂蚁 (The Ant)
1995: Lao Lang 老狼
同桌的你 (You, My Deskmate)
+
Ömärjan Alim
Mehman Bashlidim (I Brought Home a Guest)
1996: Jiang Kairu 蒋开儒
春天的故事 (A Story of Spring )
1997: Tengger 腾格尔
天堂 (Heaven)
1998: SMZB 生命之饼
你是該死的！(Begone with You!)
Early 1999: The Boring Contingent 无聊军队
朋克万岁 (Long Live Punk)
Mid 1999: The Flowers 花儿乐队
静止 (Stillness)
Late 1999: Pu Shu 朴树
New Boy from 我去2000年 (I Want to Go to the Year 2000)
2000: Faye Wong 王菲
寓言 (Fable)
2001: Jay Chou 周杰倫
雙截棍 (Nunchucks)
2002: Xu Wei 许巍
蓝莲花 (Blue Lotus)
2003: Hang on the Box 挂在盒子上
I’m Mine
+
Eat Truck
Sunday Morning
2004: Joyside
I Need a Beer
+
Torturing Nurse
Junkyisuzu
2005: Xiang Xiang 香香
猪之歌 (The Pig Song)
+
FM3
Buddha Machine v1
2006: Khalil Fong 方大同
爱爱爱 (Love Love Love)
+
New Pants 新裤子
Bye Bye Disco
2007: Carsick Cars
中南海 (ZhongNanHai)
+
Zuriaake
God of Scotch Mist
2008: Yin San’r 阴三儿
北京晚报 (Beijing Evening News)
2009: Chris Lee 李宇春
Why Me
+
Shanren 山人
三十年 (Thirty Years)
2010: Omnipotent Youth Society 万能青年旅店
杀死那个石家庄人 (Kill that Man from Shijiazhuang)
+
Hua Lun 花论
上海观光客 (Shanghai Tourist)
2011: Escape Plan 逃跑计划
夜空中最亮的星 (Brightest Star in the Sky)
2012: Hedgehog 刺猬乐队
乐队 (The Band)
2013: Duck Fight Goose 鸭打鹅
Future is a Cult
2014: EXO-M (Luhan 鹿晗 and Kris Wu)
Overdose
2015: Xiao Quan 萧全
社会摇 (Social Shake)
+
Wutiaoren 五条人
广东姑娘 (Canton Girl)
2016: No Party for Cao Dong 草东没有派对
山海 (Wayfarer)
+
Hyph11e
叶子 (Leaf)
2017: Abdurrehim Heyit ئابدۇرېھىم ھېيىت
Atilar (Fathers)
+
David Boring
I Can’t
2018: Lexie Liu 刘昱妤
NADA
2019: 願榮光歸香港 (Glory to Hong Kong)