As we continue to celebrate the month of the diamond we want to share an unusual space where diamonds have appeared in popular culture - Music. Since the inculcation of diamonds into mainstream society, musical artists have written songs that put them at the forefront.
Below are the top 5 songs written about diamonds.
Diamonds are A Girl’s Best Friend - Marilyn Monroe
Diamonds are Forever- Shirley Bassey
Diamonds and Pearls - Prince
Diamonds From Sierra Leone- Kanye West
Diamonds- Rhianna
“Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” isn’t just a song, it’s the unofficial motto of most jewelers and commonplace in social media captions. Performed by Marilyn Monroe in the film, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes released in 1952, the song has endured generations and continues to hold its pop culture significance. In fact, American rapper, Megan Thee Stallion and American singer Normani sampled the song on their 2020 hit, “Diamonds,” which was the lead track from the film Birds of Prey.
“Diamonds are Forever,” is a theme song from the James Bond film by the same name which was released in the 70s. Since then it’s been remixed and demoed (most recently in Kanye West’s, "Diamonds From Sierra Leone," which also made our list). The film itself wasn’t well-received and many claimed that it was the worst film of the franchise. But, the song spent 9-weeks at #57 on the Billboard chart and continues to be a go-to sample for modern songs.
“Diamonds and Pearls,” by Prince is also the name of his 13th studio album that produced five hits when it was released in 1991. The album continues to hold its relevance and has become a cult classic. The song spent 46 weeks on the Billboard chart and had a peak position at #3. Prince is a celebrated artist and despite his death in 2016, he continues to inspire the music industry. His music holds a special place in popular culture and this song is no exception.
“Diamonds From Sierra Leone,” by Kanye West was released in 2005 off of West’s second album, Late Registration. The song sampled Shirley Bassey’s, “Diamonds are Forever,” and reflected on the blood diamond conflict that is ongoing in West Africa. The song received critical acclaim as well as praise from Bassey. West’s version spent 10 weeks on the charts and peaked at #9.
“Diamonds,” by Rhianna was released from her seventh studio album Apologetic in 2012. The song uses diamonds as a metaphor for self-confidence. The song encourages listeners to, “shine bright like a diamond.” The song spent 23 weeks on the Billboard charts and peaked in the #1 position. The song continues to get frequent radio plays despite being almost nine-years old.
If you’re looking to celebrate the month of the diamond, be sure to add these hits to your playlist.
We foresee diamonds being a part of mainstream culture for a long time to come and expect that musicians will continue to sing about it too.
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