The Lit List – art imitating art

Top 10: literature’s influence on popular music

Literature has long been a pool of inspiration for popular music. Here are ten of the best examples of works of fiction with the songs or bands they influenced.

1. 1984 by George Orwell – ‘1984’ by David Bowie. Also, ‘2+2=5’ by Radiohead, ‘Ministry of Love’ by Eurythmics, ‘Testify’ by Rage Against the Machine, ‘Big Brother’ by Stevie Wonder, ‘Standards’ by The Jam
2. Ulysses by James Joyce – ‘The Sensual World’ by Kate Bush
3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee – The Boo Radleys adopted the name of the recluse who lives on the same street as Scout and Jem Finch.
4. Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare – ‘Romeo & Juliet’ by Dire Straits
5. The Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley – The Doors
6. The Outsider by Albert Camus – ‘Killing an Arab’ by The Cure
7. The Master & Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov – ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ by The Rolling Stones
8. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë – ‘Wuthering Heights’ by Kate Bush
9. The Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkien – ‘Ramble On’ by Led Zeppelin
10. Naked Lunch by William S Burroughs – Steeley Dan took their name from the steam-powered metal dildo in this controversial Beat generation classic.

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