1. ‘Ah, That Girl’ - Rashid Behbudov (from the movie ‘I Met a Girl’, 1957)
This is an Eastern fairy tale of the Soviet music scene. This song was written for a movie made in the Tajik SSR, but, in the end, the song became more popular than the movie itself. You still can hear it sung in the repertoire of different singers.
2. ‘So Many Golden Lights’ (from the movie ‘It Happened in Penkovo’, 1957)
This song is about the feelings towards a married man that a young woman is trying her best to hide, but he, it seems, has figured it all out. One of the saddest songs about love from Soviet cinema.
A very romantic and beloved song in the USSR about a girl that doesn’t seem to be “all that special”, but an enamored young man can’t keep his eyes off her. Joseph Kobzon was the first singer to perform it.
4. ‘The Queen of Beauty’ - Muslim Magomayev (1965)
Muslim Magomayev was one of the leading stage singers of the 1960s-1970s; he had millions of fans across the entire Soviet Union. This song about a dazzling girl, who makes all men fall in love with her, became a true hit with his performance.
5. ‘Help Me’ - Aida Vedishcheva (from the movie ‘The Diamond Arm’, 1968)
The song of a femme fatale about how HE woke up a “volcano of passion” in HER. Tango-style music and the velvety voice of Aida Vedishcheva remain in the memory of all inhabitants of the post-Soviet space for half a century!
6. ‘A Ray of Golden Sun’ (from the cartoon ‘The Bremen Town Musicians’, 1969)
This serenade by the troubadour from the cartoon based on the fairy tales of Brothers Grimm was very much loved by Soviet listeners. This song, dedicated to the princess, speaks about the obstacles in their love (of course, they’re all surmountable).
7. ‘Wedding’ - Muslim Magomayev (1971)
“Ah, there was singing and dancing at the wedding party” – this song in the Russian folk style was, in reality, written during Soviet times. But, it gives off that vibe when you want to get into a Russian troika and ride off into the sunset.
8. ‘Hello, Alyona’ - Igor Ivanov (1976)
Do you know how much courage a teenager has to muster to call a girl he likes? And imagine that he rings her number after all, but she’s already gone out with someone else.
9. ‘When Gardens Blossomed’ – Anna German (1977)
Songs performed by Anna German immediately became popular among all Soviet listeners (read more about her here). ‘When Gardens Blossomed’ is a song about a girl who trusted her fiance, but in vain. It’s a bit sad, but an incredibly touching song.
10. ‘People Meet’ – VIA Vesyolye Rebyata (1979)
It hurts sometimes, when it’s spring out there, everyone is falling in love and you’re lonely. But, everything changes when you see HER in a train car and can’t forget her. That’s what this song performed in the 1970s is about.
11. ‘Love Has Come’ - Roza Rymbaeva (1979)
No matter what happens on this planet, love will find you… Just listen to what deep and powerful voice this fragile girl possesses!
12. ‘I Can’t Dance’ - Tõnis Mägi (1981)
An incredible song of a young man who learns how to dance in front of a mirror to invite a girl to a disco. One of the most famous songs by Tõnis Mägi from the Estonian SSR!
13. ‘I’ll Never Forget You’ (from the rock opera ‘Juno and Avos’, 1981)
‘Juno and Avos’ is the most famous Soviet rock opera. This is a story of love between a Russian explorer and the daughter of the governor of San Francisco that took place at the beginning of the 19th century. It premiered in 1981 at the Lenkom Theater in Moscow and it’s performed there to this day. Of course, actors and some scenes have changed over more than 40 years. But, it’s as popular as ever! Its main song is the love song ‘I’ll Never See You Again, I’ll Never Forget You’.
14. ‘I’m Ready to Kiss the Sand’ - Vladimir Markin (1987)
This song was written based on a poem published back in the 1960s. The authorship of the poem is contested by different poets; the song gained nation-wide popularity in 1987, when a young Vladimir Markin performed it during the TV program ‘Morning mail’.
15. ‘Half’ - Larisa Dolina (1988)
Larisa Dolina started off as a jazz singer, but it was pop music that made her unbelievably popular during Soviet times. Her song ‘Half’ is still played on the radio! By the way, Dolina also still performs on stage.
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