When I first heard about Avicii's death, I felt disbelief and devastation in a way that I never had before following the passing of a public figure. In an instant, I suddenly understood why my parents and other older adults always seemed so affected when rock and pop artists from the Twentieth Century passed away. As Michael Jackson, Prince, and countless others had to my parents, Avicii represented so much more to me than just a musician. Tim Bergling, or Avicii, was the first purveyor of "my music" to achieve mainstream popularity in the United States. Avicii opened up the floodgates of EDM to my generation, and gave me the push I needed to start sharing my music collection with others. Were it not for Avicii, I wouldn't be sitting here publishing a post on an EDM blog.
I first encountered Avicii when browsing the music blog Thissongissick.com, then one of my go-tos for music discovery. It was there that a song called Don't Give Up on Us caught my attention. While the song is by no means my favorite Avicii track, it was undeniably catchy in a way that I had never experienced before. At that moment, I knew Avicii would be an artist to watch––and watch him I did. All the way from relative obscurity on Internet blogs to the 2012 Super Bowl, when Avicii and his now ubiquitous hit Levels were featured on a Bud Light ad. From there, Avicii continued to ascend to musical stardom, headlining Ultra Music Festival, and dominating radio stations and college party playlists everywhere. Avicii was not content to rest on his laurels, however, and exhibited a remarkable depth of musical ability in the evolution of his sound over the years. Don't Give Up on Us Avicii was different from True Avicii, who was different from Stories Avicii. What remains constant in Avicii’s music are soaring melodies, expert layers of diverse samples, and lyrics that are uncharacteristically profound for the genre.
I was fortunate enough to see Avicii live in Boston in a sold-out show that was so packed that multiple members of the audience were hospitalized for overheating and dehydration. In my mind, this speaks to the absurd level of dedication that Avicii enjoyed from his fans. I was also lucky enough to see Laidback Luke (Avicii’s former mentor) in New York on the night of Avicii's passing, and celebrate Avicii's life in the most fitting way possible: listening to a medley of his greatest hits under the flashing lights and surrounded by an audience who had showed up to experience a genre that he helped create.
This playlist consists of my favorite Avicii originals, collaborations, and remixes. It also contains a number of other tracks heavily influenced by Avicii, from artists such as Tobu, Marcus Mouya, and Lucas & Steve. I believe fans of Avicii's unique sound will appreciate these additions, and hopefully broaden their horizons in his artistic niche. Avicii's legacy lives on through his music and the undeniable impact he had on the Electronic & Dance genres. Rest in Peace to an absolute legend.