The Edm revolution can look towards one artist as its benefactor: Avicii. Widely considered one of the best DJs in the world, the Swede rose up the ranks to become one of the first mainstream acts from the genre to gain acceptance.
Tragically, Avicii's life came to a close all too soon. His publicist announced that he passed away in Oman on April 20 - he was just 28 years old.
While Avicii won't be around to inspire the next generation of EDM and musical acts, he leaves behind an incredible array of songs and performances that assuredly leave his mark on the musical world.
'The Days'
This pop-punk song came from an EP of the same name, essentially. Brandon Flowers of The Killers provided background vocals to the track, which had an upbeat feel to it. Nevertheless, it delved into the more introspective side of Avicii, with a hook detailing how heartbreak can sometimes be turned into something positive. "These are the days we won't forget" may become a battle cry yet for his fans.
'Hey Brother'
The name of the song suggests exactly what the lyrical content was about. In the song, Avicii is dispelling advice to his brother about how to navigate the challenges that come with life. It became the second-most successful single of his career in the United States, featured on his breakout album "True." Yet again, this song demonstrated that Avicii was an artist who was about more than making people dance - he was about being an inspiration.
'Levels'
"Levels" was the song that put the DJ on the map. The song sampled Etta James' gospel standard "Something's Got a Hold on Me," eventually serving as the primary inspiration for Flo Rida's mega-hit "Good Feeling." There aren't very many lyrics in the song, but there didn't have to be either. This track became a top hit in the United States and in countries around Europe.
Back in 2016, Billboard named it the top hit of Avicii's career.
'Wake Me Up'
Many American fans would identify "Wake Me Up" as Avicii's greatest song. It had the best charting performance of any of his tracks, ascending all the way to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. A lot of the credit for that needs to be attributed to Aloe Blacc, who provided the memorable vocals on the song.
But it was the DJ who created a vivid landscape for this vocals to play in. It's just as universal as "Levels," if not more so.
Who knows what else he could've provided to the world - all we know is that Avicii left us a masterpiece of EDM music.