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(CNN) - Millions of followers wrote to Bono wishing him a happy 60th birthday on Sunday, but the U2 singer took advantage of the day to thank the 60 artists who made him the musician he is today by publishing a list called “60 songs that saved my life. "
The Bonus list, available on Spotify, YouTube Music, and other music listening platforms, includes some classics like Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis Presley, I Want to Hold your Hand by The Beatles, and Mother by John Lennon.
But it also has some pop songs you wouldn't expect from an Irish-born rock star like Billie Eilish's Everything I wanted , Kanye West's Black Skinhead , and Lady Gaga's Born This Way .
"These are some of the songs that saved my life," Bono said in a statement. "The songs without which I could not have lived ... the ones that brought me from there to here, from zero to 60 ... through all the scratches, all kinds of annoyances, from serious to silly ... and joy, about all the joy ”, wrote the singer.
Because the songs mean so much to him, Bono added that he will write a "letter from an admirer to accompany each song and try to explain" his "fascination."
The first six letters, published Sunday on the U2 website, were written to Eilish, David Bowie, Kraftwerk, Daft Punk, Luciano Pavarotti, and Massive Attack.
In his letter to the artist Eilish, 18, and his brother Finneas, co-author of the song selected by the artist, Bono wrote: “My ears crave those empty spaces to wander… to sneak away from the density of the digital surfaces they have Too much information… I get into your song and it's a black beauty, painfully vulnerable and terrifying. ”
The Bonus letter on Life on Mars? David Bowie's is directed at Bowie's son Duncan.
“When did I hear your father's song LIFE ON MARS? on the radio in 1973, I was hiding under the covers of my bed at (my home on) Cedarwood Road 10 listening to a pirated radio station called Radio Caroline, ”Bono wrote. “The song was answering a much more important question when I was 13… Is there intelligent life on earth? As far as I'm concerned, it was a test. ”
Bono's list includes three tracks on which he collaborated with Pavarotti, Kendrick Lamar and Frank Sinatra.
In his letter to Alice Pavarotti, the daughter of the late opera singer, Bono wrote about the memories he has of when he worked with the father on the song Miserere . " Miserere is one of my favorite crescendos from your father," said Bono. "I can hardly remember what it was ... other than forgiveness ... and a toast for being alive," he explained.
More letters will be released in the coming week, according to the band's website.
This is the complete list of "60 songs that saved my life", according to Bono:
1. Luciano Pavarotti, Bono & Zucchero - Miserere
2. Sex Pistols - Anarchy In the UK
3. Kanye West - Black Skinhead
4. Billie Eilish - Everything I Wanted
5. David Bowie - Life on Mars?
6. The Beatles - I Want to Hold your Hand
7. Ramones - Swallow My Pride
8. The Clash - Safe European Home
9. Public Enemy - Fight The Power
10. Patti Smith - People Have the Power
11. John Lennon - Mother
12 The Rolling Stones - Ruby Tuesday
13. Elton John - Daniel
14. Andrea Bocelli - Con Te Partiro
15. Elvis Presley - Heartbreak Hotel
16. Johnny Cash - Hurt
17. This Mortal Coil - Song to the Siren
18. Kraftwerk - Neon Lights
19. Fugees - Killing Me Softly With His Song
20. Prince - When Doves Cry
21. Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers - Get Lucky
22. Madonna - Ray of Light
23. Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind
24. Talking Heads - Love Goes to Building on Fire
25. Lou Reed - Satellite of Love
26. The Verve - Bitter Sweet Symphony
27. Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
28. New Order - True Faith
29. REM - Nightswimming
30. Adele - Chasing Pavements
31. Arcade Fire - Wake Up
32. Pixies - Monkey Gone to Heaven
33. Oasis - Live Forever
34. Iggy Pop - Lust for Life
35. Gavin Friday - Angel
36. Massive Attack - Safe From Harm
37. Kendrick Lamar feat. U2 - XXX
38. Bob Marley & The Wailers - Redemption Song
39. Echo and the Bunnymen - Rescue
40. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
41. Pearl Jam - Jeremy
42. Bob Dylan - Most of the Time
43. Beyoncé feat. Kendrick Lamar - Freedom
44. Depeche Mode - Walking in My Shoes ”
45. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Into My Arms
46. Simon & Garfunkel - The Sounds of Silence
47. Coldplay - Clocks
48. INXS - Never Tear Us Apart
49 . New Radicals - You Get What You Give
50. Angélique Kidjo - Agolo
51. Lady Gaga - Born This Way
52. Frank Sinatra & Bono - I've Got You Under My Skin
53. David Bowie - Heroes
54. Simple Minds - New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)
55. Sinéad O'Connor - You Made Me The Thief Of Your Heart
56. Van Morrison - A Sense of Wonder
57. Bruce Springsteen - There Goes My Miracle
58. Daniel Lanois - The Maker
59. Peter Frampton - Show Me The Way
60. Bee Gees - Immortality (Demo Version)
