Recommended Western music for men in their 50s: world classics and popular songs

Like a VirginMadonna

Madonna – Like A Virgin (Official Video)

Madonna, hailed as the second coming of Marilyn Monroe and bursting onto the music scene with provocative titles and album covers, wielded an influence that extended beyond music into fashion and culture, becoming a major social movement.

Call MeBlondie

Call me Blondie

When it comes to new wave, the UK is the home turf, but Blondie, an American new wave band formed in New York, found success in the U.S.

with a sound that had a distinctly different flavor from British new wave.

Call Me was the theme song for the film American Gigolo and became a hit, spending six consecutive weeks at No.

1 in the U.S.

Upwhere we belongJoe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes

Up Where We Belong : Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes

An insert song from the film An Officer and a Gentleman starring a young Richard Gere.

In the climactic scene where this song plays, Richard Gere looks cool even from a man’s perspective.

The harmony between Joe Cocker’s husky voice and Jennifer Warnes’s soaring vocals is also outstanding.

I Need YouMAURICE WHITE

MAURICE WHITE I NEED YOU

A classic ballad released in 1985 by Maurice White, known as the leader of Earth, Wind & Fire, a funk/disco band emblematic of the 1970s and 1980s.

Although Maurice White sadly passed away in 2016, this song can be considered a hallmark of his solo career.

Its mellow, beautiful sound also became a hit in Japan at the time, especially in discos.

B-A-B-YCarla Thomas

Carla Thomas – B-A-B-Y

If you’re thinking of spending your 50th birthday watching a movie, I recommend the innovative car-action film Baby Driver.

There’s no doubt you’ll want to imitate the scene where the protagonist, Baby, introduces himself by saying, “B-A-B-Y, Baby.” I’m dedicating this track, which could be called the film’s theme song, to you.