Despite the street violence that plagued Turkey and the anxiety and fear that coated residents like an invisible second skin, it was still the 1970s and, like everywhere in the world, music was King. Villages hosted wandering bards for dueling performances of lute music and poetic verses composed on the spot. On the big-city stage, Zeki M眉ren, with his magnificent voice and gender-bending attire, sang elegant love songs set to classical Turkish music. Rock-and-roll and Western pop bred new styles of Anatolian music, its lyrics ranging from longing to resistance to silly fun. The works of famous poets were set to music. It became popular to give well-known foreign songs new Turkish lyrics in what was called aranjman style. Arabesk, a relatively new type of music combining Arabic and Turkish elements, became enormously popular among the working classes. Its themes echo melancholy, unrequited love and the harshness of city life for migrants from the countryside. I’ve always thought it resembled American blues music. Esmeray, Turkey’s first black singer, became a sensation with her song about separated lovers. Despite the severe political and economic crises, despite the ubiquitous street violence, people went to work, fell in love, and raised families. People tell me that they have lovely childhood memories from those days, though with the sound of gunshots in the background. And, like everywhere, people remember where they were when they first heard this or that song that has stayed with them, hearts beating rapidly whenever they hear the opening chords. This playlist may or may not make you cry, but at the very least it will surprise you with the diversity and haunting beauty of its songs. The list was compiled by the talented Zeynep Isil Isik Dursun, a scholar and former DJ who has studied the music of this period. I admit to sneaking in a couple of favorites, the ones that make my heart beat.
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Annotated Song List
Benimle Oynar M谋s谋n? 鈥 B眉lent Orta莽gil
B眉lent Orta莽gil asks: 鈥淚f I were water, if I were fire, if I were the sun in the skies, if I were a stone and couldn鈥檛 speak, will you still play with me?鈥
Anlatam谋yorum 鈥 21. Peron
鈥淚 Can Not Tell鈥 is a rock composition based on a poem by the Turkish poet Orhan Veli Kan谋k. 鈥淚f I cried, could you hear it from my verses? Could you touch my tears with your hands?鈥
脟emberimde G眉l Oya 鈥 Selda Ba臒can
An Anatolian pop cover of a folk song about two lovers. The man was put in prison because of his left-wing ideas and the woman made embroidery lace while waiting for him. Selda Ba臒can is an internationally known left-wing singer.
K芒tip Arzuhalim 鈥 Bar谋艧 Man莽o
An Anatolian rock cover of a folk song by Pir Sultan Abdal, a rebel Alevi poet who was imprisoned and sentenced to death in the early 16th century, accused of resistance against the Ottoman Empire. Bar谋艧 Man莽o identified himself as neither left nor right, but as a 鈥減atriot folk poet.鈥
H眉rriyete Do臒ru 鈥 Timur Sel莽uk
鈥淭owards Freedom鈥 is based on a poem by Orhan Veli Kan谋k about moving forward to freedom in the sea. The song is also associated with Deniz Gezmi艧, one of the student leaders of the 68 Movement in Turkey who was sentenced to death in 1972. The name 鈥淒eniz鈥 means sea.
Toroslar 鈥 Mo臒ollar
An instrumental Anatolian rock song dedicated to the Toros Mountains in southern Anatolia.
Gel Teskere 鈥 M眉r眉vvet Kekilli
An arabesk version of a folk song about a man missing his love while doing military service in the army, sung by the left-wing folk singer M眉r眉vvet Kekilli. Arabesk is a unique mixture of Arabic and Turkish folk musical styles that became enormously popular in the 1960s and 1970s.
Bu Ne Sevgi Ah, Bu Ne Izd谋rap 鈥 Zeki M眉ren
A song about the anguish of love by one of Turkey鈥檚 most accomplished singers of Turkish classical music, the flamboyant Zeki M眉ren.
Hayat Kavgas谋 鈥 Orhan Gencebay
An arabesk song about the harsh battle of life. Arabesk was often associated with new migrants in shantytowns and right-of-center politics. Its themes echo melancholy, love and the difficulties of migrant life in the cities.
Ekmek Paras谋 鈥 Ferdi Tayfur
An arabesk song about Turkish guest workers in Germany, working for 鈥渂read money鈥 and missing their families.
Krallar 鈥 Erkin Koray
A progressive rock song by one of the leaders of the genre in 1970s Turkey.
Anayasso 鈥 Selda Ba臒can
An Anatolian pop song about tough living conditions and poverty in Eastern Anatolia.
Yeter Art谋k 鈥 Melike Demira臒
Melike Demira臒, a left-wing singer, calls 鈥淓nough鈥 to corruption, injustice and inequality.
Ho艧g枚r Sen 鈥 Ajda Pekkan
Ajda Pekkan, a Turkish 鈥渟uperstar,鈥 reminds us that life is short and people should have more tolerance and enjoy life.
Para Parra Parrra 鈥 R眉莽han 脟amay
R眉莽han 脟amay sings 鈥淢oney money moneyyyy, its existence brings troubles; its lack is a wound.鈥
Yoksulluk Kader Olamaz 鈥 Cem Karaca
鈥淧overty Can鈥檛 Be Fate鈥 is a progressive song criticizing popular culture, inequality and economic imbalance. Cem Karaca鈥檚 songs carry a strong left-wing political discourse.
Ilgaz 鈥 Mo臒ollar
An instrumental Anatolian rock song dedicated to the Ilgaz Mountain in northwest Anatolia.
Drama K枚pr眉s眉 鈥 Ruhi Su
An Ottoman folk song from Rumelia, today鈥檚 Greece. Ruhi Su is a pioneer in modernizing the folk music of Turkey.
脰renli Gelin 鈥 Selahattin Alpay
A folk song from Malatya, sung by the right-wing folk singer Selahattin Alpay.
Maden Da臒谋 鈥 陌zzet Alt谋nme艧e
A folk song from Diyarbak谋r, sung by the right-wing folk singer 陌zzet Alt谋nme艧e.
Uzun 陌nce Bir Yolday谋m 鈥 T眉lay 脰zer
A well-known folk song about life and its uncertainty, by the famous folk poet A艧谋k Veysel. 鈥淚鈥檓 on a long and thin road, I鈥檓 going night and day. I don鈥檛 know how I am, I鈥檓 going night and day鈥︹
Da臒lar Da臒lar 鈥 Bar谋艧 Man莽o
An Anatolian rock song about a man longing for his beloved behind the mountains.
Edal谋 Gelin 鈥 Seyhan Karabay
An Anatolian folk song about a pretty bride, reinterpreted in Anatolian pop style.
Leylim, Leylim 鈥 Fikret K谋z谋lok
An Anatolian pop song about two lovers. The woman was forced to marry another man in the village.
Sevenler A臒larm谋艧 鈥 3 H眉rel
An Anatolian rock song about seeking love.
Ho艧莽akal Karde艧im Deniz 鈥 Z眉lf眉 Livaneli
Melodizing a poem by the socialist Turkish poet Naz谋m Hikmet, Z眉lf眉 Livaneli sings a goodbye song to the sea. The song is in memory of Deniz Gezmi艧, a student leader who was sentenced to death in 1972. The name 鈥淒eniz鈥 means 鈥渟ea.鈥
Ellerinde Pankartlar 鈥 Ruhi Su ve Dostlar Korosu
Ruhi Su was a pioneer in modernizing folk music. This song is about young people going to a demonstration with 鈥渂anners in their hands.鈥
1 May谋s 鈥 Cem Karaca
An anthem about May 1st, written by Sarper 脰zsan. This song was originally made for the theater play 鈥淢other鈥, adapted from Maxim Gorki鈥檚 novel and played by the Ankara Art Theater. The song quickly became one of the emblematic songs of the workers鈥 movement.
Elele 鈥 Melike Demira臒
Melike Demira臒 sings about people hand in hand, aiming for the same goal: renovating the country from scratch through revolution.
D枚nek T眉rk眉s眉 鈥 Timur Sel莽uk
鈥淭he Renegade Song鈥 is about political renegades turning their backs and going wherever the wind blows.
Oooh鈥 Ooh!.. 鈥 陌stanbul 艦ark谋c谋lar谋
A sarcastically critical song about not worrying about anything, being thankful, having fun, following the mainstream media and not worrying about anything.
Gen莽lik 艦ark谋s谋 鈥 Erol B眉y眉kbur莽
A song about being young, having fun, not worrying about anything and running toward happiness.
Bak 艦u Adama A艧谋k Oldu 鈥 Ayla Algan
A pop song about the love between an elderly man and a young woman.
Sevdim Bir Gen莽 Kad谋n谋 鈥 Esin Engin
A well-known tango love song from the early republican era, sung by Esin Engin in the 1970s.
陌spanyol Meyhanesi 鈥 Timur Sel莽uk
A hit song from Timur Sel莽uk, who is also known for his political songs.
Unutama Beni 鈥 Esmeray
This popular song from the 1970s is about a separated lover who sings 鈥淒on鈥檛 be able to forget me鈥︹. Esmeray was the first well-known black musician and actress born and raised in Turkey.
Bak Bir Varm谋艧 Bir Yokmu艧 鈥 陌lham Gencer
This is a version of the French song 鈥淐鈥檈st 茅crit dans le Ciel鈥 by Bob Azzam, arranged with Turkish lyrics in 1961. The song is one of the first examples of the Turkish aranjman style, the arrangement of well-known foreign songs with new Turkish lyrics. The song tells a love story from 陌stanbul, repeating the title phrase 鈥渙nce upon a time鈥 frequently. 陌lham Gencer is a jazz pianist and singer who was close to the right-wing MHP in the 1970s.
Resimdeki G枚zya艧lar谋 鈥 Cem Karaca
A popular Anatolian-rock song about lovers who have split up.
Karl谋 Kay谋n Orman谋 鈥 Z眉lf眉 Livaneli
鈥淚s my homeland, or the stars, or my youth further away?鈥 Z眉lf眉 Livaneli composed the music for a poem by Naz谋m Hikmet, a socialist poet who lived in exile after the 1950s.
Mihriban 鈥 Musa Ero臒lu
A popular poem of the 1960s and 1970s, written by Abdurrahim Karako莽 to a young, unnamed woman, with whom he fell in love, but was never able to get together. Alevi singer Musa Ero臒lu composed this version in 2000.
Uyan Be Karde艧im 鈥 Hakk谋 Bulut
A song calling on the oppressed public to wake up and rise. Arabesk songs usually don鈥檛 carry a critical and revolutionary attitude, but this song is an exception.
Bir G眉n Gelecek 鈥 Esmeray
The song 鈥淲e Shall Overcome鈥 became a key anthem of the Civil Rights Movement in the USA and was sung around the world during the 1960s and 1970s. This is the Turkish version of the song, translated as 鈥淎 Day Will Come.鈥 Esmeray was the first well-known black musician born and raised in Turkey.