So at the start of this year’s countdown we spoke about the most romantic song of all time, but today let’s agree that Against All Odds, Phil Collins’ breakout solo hit from the mid-80s, is perhaps the most beautiful break-up song of all time. Inspired by a film, this is the kind of song that stands the test of time; it was released and topped the charts in 1984, but it could have been released this year or in the 90s or in the 70s and it would still echo to the broken hearted but hopeful. There was a time before Phil Collins music was considered cheesy, and this was it. Mariah Carey covered it in 2000 but, in my opinion, the original can never be one-upped no matter how many melismas a chanteuse can deliver. Give Phil’s version a listen and hear the grit in his voice, the pleading and the depth. It’s brilliant
From the historical writing archive. Original date: December 9, 2019. Recovered from local source material; editorial review is still in progress.
