When great songs have been written and released, they often take on a life of their own, reshaped and given new life, transcending genres.

THE LIFE OF A SONG is a compilation of weekly columns written for FT Weekend, containing the biographies of 50 songs that have been born, reborn, sometimes hideously mangled, but often reinvigorated by new generations of artists.

Here you will find songs that shook the world, songs that heralded the birth of a new musical movement, songs that made the journey from soul to punk and from heavy rock to hip-hop.