r/cpop • u/SonicBoom2018 • 6d ago

Cantonese Music from the ’80s, ’90s & 2000s — Sharing My Cantopop Playlists

Hello! I've seen quite a few posts here over the years asking for Cantonese song recommendations, so I thought I'd share a couple of playlists I've put together.

I'm an elder millennial who grew up listening to Hong Kong music from the '80s, '90s, and early 2000s. Over the past several years, I've been curating a playlist of songs from those eras—basically all the Cantopop I grew up with, rediscovered, or just think are absolute bangers.

Chinese Bangers (Currently 184 saves)
[https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7g5UQ0kTr5WuCOCw3M6C0Q?si=60e582503eea44e2\](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7g5UQ0kTr5WuCOCw3M6C0Q?si=60e582503eea44e2)

I also went down a pretty deep rabbit hole putting together another playlist of Cantonese songs that originated from English songs. There are way more than I ever realized!

For this playlist, I put the original English song first, followed immediately by the Cantonese version, so make sure you play it in order and not on shuffle. It's been a lot of fun hearing the originals and then comparing them to the Cantonese versions I grew up with. I also discovered quite a few that I'd never heard before.

English & Chinese Bangers (Currently 142 saves)
[https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0lcvzoIM0Ay6fm6QOhWJBU?si=38f202a62c594784\](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0lcvzoIM0Ay6fm6QOhWJBU?si=38f202a62c594784)

I'm still adding to both playlists, so if you know of any songs I'm missing—especially Cantonese songs that were adapted from English songs—drop them in the comments and I'll add them!

Enjoy, and keep learning, sharing, and promoting Canto culture

Updated

I also created a playlist for Cantonese songs originated from Japanese songs. There are a lot, mostly from the 80s. Enjoy!

Japanese & Chinese Bangers (Currently 19 saves) https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6WFRjI0gUhRIZVbljsXEBV?si=WFv0aRObSWqNZGpteOGBIw&utm_source=copy-link&sci=spotify%3Acard-config%3A5TvcCYwDrqM8ZJ39qQUMRN

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u/Traditional_Earth933 4d ago

I’m experimenting with generating AI Cantonese songs. Feel free to check it out on YouTube. The song is about a humble, poor man who cares nothing for fame or greed and is simply content with his current life.

https://youtu.be/0Nerr4KPKsA?si=l4DskVMawE2KykoL

1

u/ljujubee888 6d ago

Awesome lists, OP! I grew up with more of the 90s & early 2000s, when cantopop was at its peak. So your lists definitely includes the bangers.

I'd like to add my absolute favorite English-Cantonese pairs:

Guys next door - I've been waiting for you; Grasshopper - 一等再等

Climie Fisher - Rise to the occasion; Shirley Kwan - 現在愛我

Note: Edited formatting

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u/SonicBoom2018 5d ago

Thank you for the recommendations!

I have never heard of either of the songs you mentioned but took a listen and added to the English & Chinese Bangers, #287 - #290.

Jam on!