Today sees the sixth instalment of 1,000 Songs Everyone Must Hear, a lovingly compiled week-long series of supplements free with your copy of the Guardian and the Observer.
Today we look at songs inspired by life and death. Popular music may be dominated by songs about love and sex, but there have always been songwriters who find themselves drawn to tackle life's big questions, even if they don't necessarily know the answers. From Nick Drake's Black Eyed Dog to the Blue Nile's Happiness, Blue Oyster Cult's Don't Fear the Reaper to Norman Greenbaum's Spirit in the Sky, these are songs of vast ambition. And, as Richard Thompson writes in today's supplement, "a true artist should be tackling matters of life and death".
Naturally, some of you may think we've left off a song that speaks to you about your life, which is why we need you to tell us what's missing. List the songs you think we should have included below – and we'll include the ones with the highest number of recommendations in our final chart: Readers recommend ... Songs we forgot.
