20 Exquisitely-Produced Songs That MUST Be Played Loud As Hell
15. Kanye West "All Of The Lights"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAfFfqiYLp0 Say what you want about Kanye West but the guy certainly knows his way around a production studio. That much is proved in spades on "All of the Lights," arguably the most grandiose song from West's wildly ambitious 2010 LP, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy." As a whole, "Fantasy" is a masterclass in production, but "All of the Lights" is simply in another league. West somehow manages to cram pittering drum machines, booming beats, floor-to-ceiling horn and string arrangements, and a laundry-list of guest vocalists (including Rihanna, Fergie, John Legend, Alicia Keys, Elton John, and nine others) into just a five-minute runtime. The song never became as culturally ubiquitous as many of West's other singles, but blast it at a party and you'll see what a crowd pleaser it is.
Craig is a Chicago-based freelance writer who like to talk incessantly about music on AbsolutePunk.net. He also does writing for marketing companies to "pay the bills," but his true passion lies with the pop culture sphere.