Introducing The Best Music Reaction Videos on Youtube

Have you heard Elton John’s “Your Song” on the radio so many times that its magic has been kind of lost over the years? Well, imagine re-discovering it anew with a friend who has never heard it. Welcome to “Youtube Reaction Videos”. A reaction video is where someone appears on camera and listens to a song they have never heard before and you get to experience their musical discovery along with them.

introduction to music reaction videos — Elton

Just like you enjoy introducing your friends IRL to your favorite songs, now you don’t have to wait around to make time to force your friends to be in the mood to discover new music. These content creators are willing and in the mood for discovery. Here are a couple of my favorites (in no particular order):

Rob Squad Reactions

This husband and wife team are personable, charming and try to bring a positive vibe to all their reactions. There are a couple interesting aspects of their channel. One, it is crazy to see how far their music knowledge has grown.

In their first videos, they really know nothing about rock music. But they kept at it. Not to spoil anything, but they now have favorites bands that not even the most dedicated music followers would know. Their change in opinion on The Beatles is kind of humorous. Seeing that growth is what makes the channel—start at the beginning if you can.

They have a couple innovations: “female Friday” where they only review female artists and “the bell”. They ring the bell when they are hearing a band for the first time. This is interesting. There is a big difference between hearing ANY queen song for the first time and just hearing a particular queen song for the first time. They are the most prolific channel. Check out them discovering Hey Jude.

Brad & Lex

Another husband and wife team. Whereas Rob Squad is upbeat, Brad & Lex are more subdued. Brad especially. If he doesn’t like a song—or doesn’t get a song—he’ll say it. And that is a strength of their channel. If someone likes every single song it doesn’t sound genuine. You don’t like every song you listen to! Brad is serious and into lyrics and Lex is quirky and into vibes. It makes for a great mix. Their analysis tends to be short. Their reaction to The Beach Boys “I Get Around” is both astute and funny.

The Charismatic Voice

Elizabeth is a classical singer, so she has a lot of experience with vocal techniques and the channel is primarily focused on vocals. That is a strength. For reaction videos you need to pick a lane and offer a unique value proposition. Her analysis tend to be way more in depth than other YouTubers. I also like that she does a little research on the song before hand. She doesn’t listen to the song…she reads about it’s historical significance and will read up on the band whereas the previous two go in stone cold.

Her excitement and enthusiasm carries the channel. Her reaction to hearing a young Nancy Wilson from Heart sing Crazy on You was especially fun. Expect a lot of pauses and analysis. You can tell she is an expert in her field.

Virgin Rock

Virgin Rock is a somewhat newer reaction channel. It features classical musician Amy Shaffer. She is a tough critic. Her analysis of the music is much more in-depth than any other Youtuber. She is a good educator. She explains why a song works so well—from the standpoint of music theory. Though you don’t necessarily have to know theory to appreciate her channel; she will teach you.

Her above video on Simon & Garfunkel’s The Boxer is particularly good. This is the best channel IMO.

Millie Reactions

When Millie listens to a song she genuinely has never heard before, her reactions and commentary are quite on point. Her enthusiasm is exciting. She is a young, aspiring musician—that is her angle. You must have a unique value proposition, or your reaction channel just won’t work. What makes you unique or different from all of the rest of the channels? Millie’s personality, enthusiasm and aspiring music career brings a unique perspective. I recommend watching her video where she listens to Van Halen’s Eruption.

Alex & Andy

Alex & Andy were one of the first reaction channels on Youtube. Their gimmick is two college guys discovering old music over a drink in their dorm—which eventually becomes a nice off-campus apartment. They are music fans and when something hits them they let their audience know. They have discerning tastes. Their discovery of The Chain is a good video.

SyedRewinds

Do you like lyrics? If you are a reader of my site, you probably do. Syed’s channel is newer. He is a younger guy who was raised on hip hop and is getting into classic rock. He is really into lyrics. Watch as he listens to Dylan for the first time.

Empress

Empress has the smallest channel (as of this writing). Empress’ enthusiasm, joy and risk-taking are her strengths. What I liked most about her is that she is the only person who has reacted to “Near You Always” by Jewel—which I consider Jewel’s best song and also one of the top 100 songs of all time.

How To Make Reaction Videos

A lot of the time you will hear people react to the same songs…and rightfully so. Everyone wants to see the staple song-reactions like: “The Chain”, Bohemian Rhapsody”, “Unchained Melody”, “In the Air Tonight” “California Dreaming” “Zombie” “Barracuda” “Can’t Find My Way Home”.

However there is a treasure trove of songs that have not been reacted to. Many are on this site! A couple under-represented reaction songs IMO are Judy Sill’s The Kiss, For Emily by Simon & Garfunkel, Blues Run the Game by Jackson C Clarke, Bridget St John’s “Ask Me No Questions”, Heartbeats by The Knife & Jose Gonzalez, “I’m So Afraid” and Big Love Live by Fleetwood Mac, “Tomorrow is a Long Time” by Bob Dylan, “Needle & the Damage Done” Neal Young, The Weakness in Me” Joan Armatrading, Who Knows Where Time Goes by Nina Simone & Fairpoint Convention, “The Loves Still Growin” Buzzy Linhart, “Court of the Crimson King”, Ghost by The Indigo Girls, etc. I’d love to see my favorite reactors and my readers discover these gems.

A great way to capture new subscribers is to react to deeper cuts that are beloved by fans but not huge mainstream successes. There are a ton of songs that no one has ever reacted to–that are extremely beautiful–and would be a great way to build an audience as there is less competition for content when people are looking for “song x reaction”. If you are the only one who has reacted to that song that is an easy way to get a eyeballs–and a potential subscriber.

1980s songs, memories

Same Old Lang Syne- Dan Fogelburg

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Just for a moment, I was back at school/
And felt that old familiar pain…

Dan Fogelburg’s “Same Old Lang Syne”, is a play on the new year’s eve song Auld Lang Syne which translates roughly to “a long time ago”. The narrator stumbles into a girlfriend from a long time ago at the grocery store—we can tell he once loved her.

They don’t recognize each other at first but soon they are sharing drinks in her car and reminiscing. But there is a sadness behind their stories. They have changed. Maybe not for the better. They were everything to each other at one point in each other’s lives and now…this.

They want to bond like they used to. But they are no longer young and innocent. There is a vastness of years and pain between them that prevents them from truly connecting like before. Their communication is disjointed; they are essentially strangers—but not quite. Their shared history creates a unique, powerful, bittersweet dynamic. Conversation alternates between being vapid and oversharing. He loves his fans and hates the road; she married a rich architect who she is not in love with.

The storytelling is straightforward, and easy to understand in real-time—as you’re listening to the song. The music is complementary to the themes of nostalgia, regret and wondering what could have been. The saxophone outro drives home the mood. It sounds bluesy. Sad.

It is preceded by his description of her walking away and the snow turning to rain. A potential picturesque scene quickly brought back to reality as he realizes that his old love is no more, and this might be the last time they see each other. Where did the years go?

Same old lang syne meaning greatest songs — Fogelburg

I first heard Dan Fogelburg’s Same Old Lang Syne when I was about fifteen—a few years into my discovery of music. Though I had never experienced love before, I immediately recognized the pain and angst in this tale. There is a sadness in the story and music—but also behind the lyrics—that is difficult to articulate. Why was I able to empathize with the narrator so well even though it was so foreign to anything I had experienced at the time?

Because the ability to communicate your experience and emotions to a stranger who didn’t live your experience is what makes great music. And Fogelburg’s Same Old Lang Syne is a great song. Great art can communicate an artist’s experience and mindset more closely than other forms of language.

That is why we cry more often when we hear a song or watch a movie than when we watch the news. Art hits us on a deeper level as it grabs you and takes you to the place the artist was when they composed it. Fogelburg’s Same Old Lang Syne has always hit like a ton of bricks.

Same Old Lang Syne Lyrics

Met my old lover in the grocery store
The snow was falling Christmas Eve
I stole behind her in the frozen foods
And I touched her on the sleeve

She didn’t recognize the face at first
But then her eyes flew open wide
She went to hug me, and she spilled her purse
And we laughed until we cried

We took her groceries to the checkout stand
The food was totaled up and bagged
We stood there lost in our embarrassment
As the conversation dragged

Went to have ourselves a drink or two
But couldn’t find an open bar
We bought a six-pack at the liquor store
And we drank it in her car

We drank a toast to innocence
We drank a toast to now
And tried to reach beyond the emptiness
But neither one knew how

She said she’d married her an architect
Who kept her warm and safe and dry
She would’ve liked to say she loved the man
But she didn’t like to lie

I said the years had been a friend to her
And that her eyes were still as blue
But in those eyes, I wasn’t sure if I
Saw doubt or gratitude

She said she saw me in the record stores
And that I must be doing well
I said, “The audience was heavenly
But the traveling was hell”

We drank a toast to innocence
We drank a toast to now
And tried to reach beyond the emptiness
But neither one knew how

We drank a toast to innocence
We drank a toast to time
Reliving in our eloquence
Another auld lang syne

The beer was empty, and our tongues were tired
And running out of things to say
She gave a kiss to me as I got out
And I watched her drive away

Just for a moment, I was back at school
And felt that old familiar pain
And as I turned to make my way back home
The snow turned into rain
Source: thegreatestsongs
Songwriters: Dan Fogelberg

2000s songs, anthem

Umbrella- Rihanna

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Know that we’ll still have each other/
You can stand under my umbrella…

Rihanna’s “Umbrella” is one of the most successful and enduring pop songs of the last two decades. The song became a massive commercial hit, reaching the top of the charts in multiple countries and earning accolades from fans and critics alike. The track’s unique blend of pop, R&B, hip-hop, and dance elements, along with its memorable chorus and Jay-Z’s guest verse, have made it one of Rihanna’s signature songs and perhaps one of her best.

The melody of “Umbrella” is fantastic. The chorus is an upbeat, catchy tune that has become one of Rihanna’s most recognizable hooks. The melody is memorable and easily recognizable, and its pop-friendly quality helped the song to appeal to a wide range of listeners.

The production of “Umbrella” features the use of several samples from other songs, including “Singin’ in the Rain” and “Longer” by Dan Fogelberg. These samples add a distinctive quality to the song and helped to make it stand out from other tracks in the pop genre. These are unique and unlikely samples from a breadth of musical genres–she has a good team around her.

The song combines the smooth R&B vocals of Rihanna with Jay-Z’s rap verse and a pop-friendly chorus, making it a unique and innovative hybrid of several different genres. This fusion of styles helped to make the song a standout track in the pop music landscape of the 2000s.

The line “Because when the sun shines, we’ll shine together” has become one of Rihanna’s most recognizable lyrics. The upbeat, optimistic quality of the chorus helps to convey the message of protection and security that is at the heart of the song’s message.

Co-writer Jay-Z’s guest verse on “Umbrella” adds an extra layer of depth and sophistication to the track. His rap complements the song’s theme of protection and support, and his contributions helped to make the song a standout collaboration between two of the biggest names in music.

The lyrics of “Umbrella” are clearly a metaphor for protection and security in a relationship. In the song, the narrator uses the image of an umbrella to represent the emotional support and protection she wants to offer to her significant other. She intends to make a promise to be there for her partner through thick and thin, just as an umbrella provides protection from the rain.

“Umbrella’s” unique blend of different musical styles, its memorable melody, and its meaningful lyrics combined with its fusion of pop, R&B, hip-hop, and dance elements, along with its catchy chorus and Jay-Z’s guest verse, helped to make it one of the biggest pop hits of the early 2000s.

Also check out Stay and Diamonds by Rihanna. Two other great Rihanna songs.

Umbrella Lyrics

Uh huh, uh huh
Yeah, Rihanna
Uh huh, uh huh
Good girl gone bad
Uh huh, uh huh
Take three, action
Uh huh, uh huh, Hov

No clouds in my stones
Let it rain, I hydroplane in the bank
Comin’ down at the Dow Jones
When the clouds come, we gone
We Rocafella
We fly higher than weather
In G5s or better
You know me
In anticipation for precipitation stack chips for the rainy day
Rain Man is back with little Ms. Sunshine
Rihanna, where you at?

You have my heart, and we’ll never be worlds apart
Maybe in magazines, but you’ll still be my star
Baby, ’cause in the dark
You can’t see shiny cars
And that’s when you need me there
With you I’ll always share
Because

When the sun shines, we’ll shine together
Told you I’ll be here forever
Said I’ll always be your friend
Took an oath, I’ma stick it out ’til the end
Now that it’s raining more than ever
Know that we’ll still have each other
You can stand under my umbrella
You can stand under my umbrella, ella, ella, eh, eh, eh

These fancy things will never come in between
You’re part of my entity, here for infinity
When the world has took its part
When the world has dealt its cards
If the hand is hard, together we’ll mend your heart
Because…

When the sun shines, we shine together
Told you I’ll be here forever
Said I’ll always be your friend
Took an oath, I’ma stick it out ’til the end
Now that it’s raining more than ever
Know that we’ll still have each other
You can stand under my umbrella
You can stand under my umbrella, ella, ella, eh, eh, eh

You can run into my arms
It’s okay, don’t be alarmed
Come into me
(There’s no distance in between our love)
So gon’ and let the rain pour
I’ll be all you need and more
Because…

It’s raining, raining
Ooh, baby, it’s raining, raining
Baby, come into me
Come into me
It’s raining, raining
Ooh, baby, it’s raining, raining
You can always come into me
Come into me
It’s pouring rain
It’s pouring rain
Come into me
Come into me
It’s pouring rain
It’s pouring rain

Source: thegreatestsongs.com
written by Christopher Stewart, Jay-Z, Terius Nash, Thaddis Harrel

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