What are your favourite pop song AD LIBS?

[VoR]

Obviously the name is a bit misleading as in studio performances these things are very rarely spontaneous, but I do love a pop song with some well-timed RIFFING

EXAMPLE: Ellie Goulding’s little ”WOOOOOAH!” at 3.45 in Love Me Like You Do is as pure of a moment of pop Euphoria as I’ve heard in the past decade.



It’s somehow better for me if it comes from a singer who doesn’t have *that* great of a voice, weirdly.

 

[lolly]

Kate Bush in the 'new vocal' Whole Story version of Wuthering Heights

 

[lolly]

Annie Lennox in You Have Placed A Chill In My Heart

 

[VoR]

I could write an essay on how deeply weird yet utterly perfect the decision to randomly cut out all the autotune for 8 seconds of raw vulnerable perfection on the otherwise studio-pristine ’Give Your Heart A Break’ by Demi Lovato was.

(2.44 - 2.52)

 

[Tisch]

Immediately thought of the hilariously out of place and suddenly cut short whistle note at 3.49 in Safe to Believe



And the painful scream at 1.55 here



Speaking of Celine I can never help but snort at the weird gurgled unfinished sounding AAAHHHH-RAWWERRRHHHH-AHHHHHHHHA in Loved me Back to Life either (about 2:50)

 

[Tisch]

But SERIOUSLY queen of ad libs is obviously Mel C and my personal favourite is at the end of Stop



THANK YOU VERY MUCH UH-UH!

 

[VoR]

YES to that ludicrous Loved Me Back To Life middle eight!

”STRONG HANDS THICK SKIN
AND AN OPEN HEART
YOU SAW THROUGH THE PAIN
SAW THROUGH THE MASK
YOU NEVER GAVE UP ON MEEEEE
*ANNOYED GRUNT*

 

[ButterTart]

Everything past 3:17 in this song is a huge part of my argument that this is the best pop song of the 21st century.

 

[Penelope]

2:34! 2:34!

 

[ButterTart]

2:34! 2:34!

I don't see Tooji dressing like a Grattan model and hitting the big notes like his family's safety depends on it...

 

[Pipo]

oh there are TONS of Max Martin ones I gotta dig out

 

[OutSynk]

Ariana shouting SOMETHING BOUT SOMETHING BOUT at the end of Dangerous Woman.

 

[Diddy]

I’m confused by this thread are these adlibs in recorded studio songs? How does that work? Or has the definition broadened?

 

[Diddy]

I mean who needs an excuse to post this?

Especially near the end in that last FREEDOM section, I don’t know if she’s got a big lung capacity (I’d guess not) but by god does she squeeze out every last drop, which really is a road to CROX but it never happens.

 

[straightorbroken]

3:35 for the profound sound of Cher falling down a well.

 

[Cerro de Casa]

* mic drop *

@Loufoque

 

[octophone]

Billy Ocean's "WO-OAH" in "When The Going gets Tough" is unbeatable.

 

[Pipo]

this at 3.16



this from the 3 minute mark onwards is amazing (particularly at 3.20) come through Keisha QUEEN



the final vocal runs in this have always left me wigless

 

[Jark]

But SERIOUSLY queen of ad libs is obviously Mel C and my personal favourite is at the end of Stop



THANK YOU VERY MUCH UH-UH!

Melanie C always tore buss (on the tour bus) with her adlibs and Stop is such a phenomenal example. queen.

 

[Jark]

anyway the very first person who comes to mind for me is Katy Perry. almost every song of hers has some gorgeous adlib play from the 2nd chorus onward, and she always goes all-out for the final chorus.

prime examples



oh WOAH-oh! oh WOAH-oh! oh WOAH-OH-OHH-OH-OH! *collapses*



Rather than adlib additional lines she actually tends to raise the key of a specific line in the chorus (DANCING THROUGH THE FIRE!) while also double-layering that vocal, which makes it feel quite EPIC.

what can we say? a legendary artiste. *pussy pops to Birthday for 495th time*

 

[Ellie]

Any good old Shamone from Man In The Mirror will do. Nice and classic.

 

[dUb]

the first one that SPRINGS to mind is Mutya's ascending "wa-a-aaa-aa-ave" at 3:08 in Flatline

 

[straightorbroken]

The first one that actually came to mind was Anytime You Need A Friend. Vocal freefall.

 

[VoR]

One of my all-time favourite comedy ones (and a genuinely banging choon to be fair)

2.45

"It can happen to... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGH!"

 

[Kratz]

This can't go without a mention.

 

[Dark Carnival]

But SERIOUSLY queen of ad libs is obviously Mel C and my personal favourite is at the end of Stop



THANK YOU VERY MUCH UH-UH!

Yes! Came in here to say basically that. Her as libs on Viva Forever are my favourite

 

[SystemAddict]

I always admired Lyane Leigh or Lydia Madajewski or whoever the fuck was singing on E-Rotic's hitsingles for her ability to ad-lib moaning like she had a cactus up her CHUFF.