In a time where everything depends on the internet, many artists still prefer to go old-school. However, for what it’s worth, the age of technology has more benefits than we could fathom. And the best example of this is a digital audio workstation by Apple, GarageBand. For budding artists, this DAW has enabled them to create music without the hassle of spending money on per-hour visits to recording studios. A virtual studio, GarageBand, does not only help aspiring artists but is popular among the best of the lot, all over the world.
As the musical specialist, GarageBand is behind some of the most astounding music that we’ve ever come across. Presenting a compilation of such songs and albums:
1. Pride by Kendrick Lamar:
Kendrick Lamar’s producer, Steve Lacy, likes to create music wherever he is, he said in an interview. And using GarageBand, he came up with the music for “Pride” from the album Damn. As it turned out, Lamar’s album was later nominated for the Grammy’s.
Fun Fact: Steve later joined The Internet and was responsible for creating the beats for “Curse” and “Gabby” for the album Ego Death, using GarageBand.
2. Love In This Club by Usher:
Although “Love In This Club” has its major track loops from the Apple Remix Tools JamPack since these were designed to be used in GarageBand, all credits go to this DAW. Originally, the track received some criticism for the heavy sounds, however, producer Polow da Don had gotten it right, the song was an absolute hit. “Love In This Club” topped the music charts, with #1 tracks in the US, and #4 in the UK.
3. A Hundred Million Suns by Snow Patrol:
A fan of the Apple DAW, Gary Lightbody, Snow Patrol’s frontman, shared during an interview that he uses GarageBand as much as he can, even if it is just noise. As a result, Snow Patrol’s fifth album, A Hundred Million Suns, was based on the laptop recordings on GarageBand.
Fun Fact: Lightbody had about 220 songs in his GarageBand, during the Eyes Open tour, which he later had to cut down to about 30 songs, finally recording 20 of them.
4. Some Kind Of Trouble by James Blunt
Not many can follow him, but James Blunt fans fall under an entirely distinct category. A regular with GarageBand, James Blunt understood that it was an easy-to-use recording studio. Hence, in 2011, the third album, Some Kind of Trouble, was demo-ed to the T on GarageBand since it helped him remember things when a studio version of the recording took place.
Also Read – How to Delete GarageBand
5. Folie à Deux by Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is yet another band that knows the importance of GarageBand. The band’s guitarist Joe Trohman and singer/guitarist Patrick Stump were very public about the fact that they used GarageBand in the initial recordings for Folie à Deux, a 2008 album. In an interview, Joe said that having tried other software, they always came back to GarageBand.
Fun fact: Apparently, Patrick did the initial work, sending across the files, and Joe would do the guitar part of the music later. He also added that GarageBand’s quality made demos sound like real recordings, and hence a favorite among the band.
6. Cross by Justice
Xavier de Rosnay of the Justice band, a duo, is yet another admirer of the GarageBand’s functioning. In an interview, Rosnay said that a lot of people considered the use of GarageBand wrong, however, we think otherwise, it is an amazing tool. Released in 2007, the album Cross by Justice turned out to be a critically acclaimed debut for the duo. And yes, even this hit was created with the help of GarageBand. What more, the band also clarified that they’ll continue using GarageBand for future projects.
Fun fact: The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album, and the 2007 Shortlist Prize.
7. Umbrella by Rihanna
Now, last but not the least, a song that every 90s kid has heard and lip-synced to. The top song of the pop industry, Umbrella by Rihanna, used a drum loop, i.e., the Vintage Funk Kit 03, from the Apple DAW’s program. The loop was tweaked into the song, making it reach the top charts, the same year it was released.
Fun fact: Umbrella won a Grammy, reached #1# spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Also, it a well-deserved spot on Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” list.
8. “Visions” by Grimes
Grimes, also known as Claire Boucher, released her third studio album, “Visions,” on January 31, 2012, through a debut album with 4AD. It was created using Apple’s Garageband in her apartment in just three weeks.
The album seamlessly blends emotional rawness with a dreamy vibe, adopting elements of house music without the heavy beats. Each sound feels deliberately placed, creating a unique listening experience.
Visions is like a musical chameleon, constantly shifting and evolving with just a few notes. Critics loved it, and it’s impressive that such a detailed album came from Garageband, a basic music-making tool.
Grimes recorded Visions alone in her bedroom, piecing it together on Garageband. The meticulous attention to detail makes her earlier works seem like mere practice runs. Tracks like “Vowels = Space and Time” and “Be A Body” are big dance hits—the first Grimes songs fit for the club scene.
9. “Wavves” by Wavves
The band Wavves released their first album, “Wavves,” on September 30, 2008. Initially, it was available as a cassette from Fuck It Tapes and later came out on vinyl and CD as well.
Nathan Williams, after quitting his record store job, moved back in with his parents and made the entire album in their garage.
He worked on this album and his second one during February and March of 2008, using an old 80s 8-track Tascam recorder and Apple’s Garageband. Wavves is Nathan’s personal project, named after his fear of the ocean.
The lyrics, often hard to decipher, revolve around topics like boredom, weed, and the beach, with some references to goth rock culture. The album quickly gained positive attention from online music critics and bloggers, being hailed as “the next big thing.”
10. “Carte Postale” by Pringle
Another musician reaping the benefits of Garageband is Pringle. George Pringle, a London-based artist, is celebrated for his single “Carte Postale.” It was produced in his home studio on his MacBook. He used the DAW called Garageband to create this masterpiece.
“Carte Postale” is a uniquely comforting, melancholic, and beautiful track. Its allure is difficult to define but undeniably captivating.
Furthermore, Pringle has this to say about Garageband:
“You can run it through an amp emulator, change the preset sounds, transform your voice into an instrument, connect old beatboxes, and craft your loops. Garageband itself is like an instrument—if you understand how to use it effectively, you can produce virtually any sound.”
So, all and all, GarageBand has been more than just a software and led to some of our favorite repeat-mode playlists.