5 on Friday -- Set 287

Spinning Friday tunes since 2010...

For anyone who wants to join in, simply choose five pieces of music and post them for other bloggers to enjoy. Then check out the set posted by the other 5 on Friday blogger -- you can sign in over at Golch Central's Rambling Stuff.

This year I've been taking a once-a-month look at specific instruments and showcasing five songs or tunes which place that instrument front and center.

This year's feature is called Spotlight On...

...and for our tenth installment, let's move into an element of deeper tonal complexity by the addition of a string section. Strings immediately bring a sense of emotion along with them, whether it's joyfulness or melancholy.

We began the year listening to the primal body instruments of hand-clapping, whistling and vocal harmonies.

Moving on, we explored percussion with April's look at drums, May's look at the vibraphone or vibes, June's look at piano, and wrapping things up with cowbell in July.

In August I trained the spotlight on a favorite of mine, the bass guitar. In September we gave the stage over to that diva of instruments -- the lead guitar.

For October, I'm moving from stringed guitars to orchestral strings. Here are five songs where the string arrangements are the prominent feature.

1 - Tonight, Tonight - Smashing Pumpkins - 1996

And what about the awesome music video by Little Miss Sunshine directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris? 

2 - Eleanor Rigby - The Beatles -1955

3 - The World I Know - Collective Soul - 1995

4 - Cloudbusting - Kate Bush - 1987

5 - Exogenesis Part 1 - Muse - 2010