Storytelling Through Sound: The Best Narrators in Music

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To celebrate National Storytelling Week (1st February – 9th February 2025), fellow IndustryMe writer Kloe Paton and I have decided upon our favourite storytellers in the music industry. From hip-hop to classic and alternative rock, we’ve dug deep into our favourite genres to identify the artists that tell the best tales.

Hip-Hop and Storytelling

Storytelling has been at the heart of hip-hop since its beginnings in the Bronx, New York. Black, Brown, and Hispanic peoples from the borough gathered to riff rhymes of shared struggle. The bloodshed, alongside the political and economic oppression of their communities were hot topics. Consequentially, a storytelling art form was born. 

For many, these stories reflected their reality and let them feel heard. For others, like myself on the other side of the Atlantic, it opened up a world that might not be my reality but felt so real I could touch it. I felt the passion resonate in a way no other genre of music had ever done for me. Furthermore, I felt the soul and spirit in every bar and beat. Here are some of my favourite storytellers of all time;

Slick Rick

When you think of storytelling and hip-hop, fans of the old-school think of Slick Rick. He literally has an album called ‘The Art Of Storytelling‘. His larger-than-life persona kicked progressive rhymes that have a cautionary effect. It speaks to the era of his time when he was rapping. The crack epidemic took over the streets of the states, and crime rates were soaring.

Best Storytelling Song: Children’s Story

This story is set up as a bedtime tale for kids to deter them from the evils of street life. In this song, a youngster addicted to robbery comes face-to-face with an undercover police officer with some deadly consequences.

The Notorious B.I.G

We can’t leave out Brooklyn’s finest. Nobody tells a story like Biggie. He mixes playfulness, absurd similes, and punchlines that transport you to the scenario. Even incorporating sound effects into his skits and songs – listeners are gripped from the moment they press play.

Best Storytelling Song: ‘I Got a Story to Tell’

This is the pinnacle of his storytelling ability. He exaggerates his storytelling prowess with his slick lyrics here. I love how he sets up the skit, gathering his friends and laughing to himself before he can even begin to tell the story. This ludicrous tale is so absorbing, and if we are to take Fat Joe’s word for it, one hundred percent factual. I also recommend his song ‘Warning’ – another example of Biggie’s storytelling mastery.

Ghostface Killah

There aren’t many that can articulate street drama in the way Ironman can. His rhymes are abstract at the best of times, but give a different flavour when recalling a high-pressure episode. Every member of the Wu-Tang Clan has this gift, but nobody tells ghost stories quite like Ghost himself!

Best Storytelling Song: Saturday Nite

There are many I could choose from. ‘Alex‘ tells the story behind the making of the Ray Charles movie starring Jamie Foxx, and the real-life drama that ensued. ‘Guest House’ also always makes me laugh. Give it a play to hear Fabolous get caught red-handed with Ghost’s lady. 

However, I choose ‘Saturday Nite’ as my favourite overall. It’s from my favourite album of his, ‘Supreme Clientele’. Playing like an episode of a hit HBO show, the story hits a high and the song ends. Furthermore, this story is completely true. This details an average Saturday night for the Wu-Tang soldier at this time, where one of their managers was working as an informant for the FBI. Side note – the mention that he has eleven thousand dollars stashed in his beige boots is still a line I think about regularly. He’s a storytelling king.

Dave

I need to show the UK some love, so I’m giving one of the top spots to Dave. Who can bring a country to tears like Dave can? I’ve never heard such beautiful and harrowing renditions of what it’s like to be Black and British communicated in the way he can. He truly has a gift. 

Best Storytelling Song: Psycho

I’d like to give a special shout-out to ‘Black‘ – his BRITS performance with that additional verse is a video I replay regularly. The storytelling in that song is masterful. However, to truly show how good he is at storytelling, I point to ‘Psycho’ from his ‘PSYCHODRAMA’ album. It’s hard to make a good storytelling song radio-friendly, but ‘Psycho’ does it. He’s able to keep the plot progressing as he lays his feelings bare to his therapist. Yet, he’s still spitting some of the hardest bars. It’s shocking to hear him admit he’s battling with manic depression. You can hear it in the way his voice switches from arrogance to vulnerability in the song.

J. Cole

I’m biased. Projects like ‘Friday Night Lights’ and even ‘2014 Forest Hills Drive’ soundtracked my teen years. It was Cole’s blatant honesty and storytelling ability that drove me to become such a huge fan of him in the first place. For this, I will always be in Cole’s corner. Although I toyed with giving 2Pac the final spot, I feel J. Cole had a greater effect on my generation. 

Best storytelling song: A Tale Of 2 Citiez

Throughout ‘2014 Forest Hills Drive’, there are nods to 2Pac, with the stylising of the z’s in the song titles, to the commitment to enlightening his people. I cherish Cole’s records that showcase his higher consciousness. I also love how he admits his own flaws and addictions. He continually stresses he isn’t an idol – just a guy with a story and a lethal pen.

Additional mentions:

2Pac – Listen to ‘Brenda’s Got A Baby‘

Eminem – Listen to ‘Stan‘

Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) – Listen to ‘Ms. Fat Booty‘

Ice Cube – Listen to ‘It Was A Good Day‘

Kojey Radical – Listen to ‘Gangsta‘

Kendrick Lamar – Listen to ‘Sing About Me, I’m Dying Of Thirst‘

ENNY – Listen to ‘Keisha & Brenda’s’

Storytelling in Rock and Alternative

Storytelling has been an important part of the music industry for decades. Some of the most established artists have made a name for themselves through their ability to fictionalise their own experiences and influences. My list is varied and contains some artists who have shaped me into the person and writer I am today.

It’s such a wonderful skill to be imaginative and tell stories that can captivate an audience for generations. Here are some of the storytellers whose stories have stayed with me and helped inspire me in my craft;

Lou Reed

Lou Reed demonstrated his abilities as a storyteller outside of The Velvet Underground‘s work. His 1972 album, ‘Transformer‘, has defined his solo career for many audiences. The album is packed full of stories told through clear narratives and descriptive vocabulary which paints a picture in the listener’s mind.

Best Storytelling Song: Perfect Day

Here, Lou utilises a slow, somber piano to tell a story of being in love and spending a day with a partner. However, looking through the cracks of this cheerful tale demonstrates how the partner is Reed discussing his drug usage. This topic often appears in both his solo work and The Velvet Underground. I enjoy the simplicity of the piano as well as how it counters the dramatic burst into the chorus. It’s a great track which featured in the 1996 cult-classic film ‘Trainspotting‘.

David Bowie

David Bowie‘s record ‘Hunky Dory’ has always been a personal favourite for mine. Despite it not containing some of his biggest hits, I believe the lesser-known songs make this album. Bowie was almost able to tell a story through himself and his own image too. Right up until his death, he made his life a piece of art.

Best Storytelling Song: Andy Warhol

This is a brilliant track with childlike imagery that feels whimsical and almost stripped back in comparison to some of his later work. Ever since I first heard this song years ago, I’ve always been able to vividly imagine the lyrics taking place as he sings them.

Ryan Ross / Panic! At The Disco

Ryan Ross was the primary songwriter for the first two records by Panic! At The Disco, as well as the primary guitarist and occasional singer. His songwriting ability, and notable extensive vocabulary, shot the group to fame when he was just nineteen. He often drew on his personal life, creating a fictional world that was rooted in burlesque and circus imagery. Later, he took inspiration from the likes of The Beach Boys and The Beatles for a more whimsical approach that was rooted in the psychedelic sounds of the sixties.

Best storytelling song: ‘Build God, Then We’ll Talk‘

The track is masterful for its command of language. It’s over the top in addition to being dramatic, which adds to the allure of Panic!’s first record. The imagery it is able to conjure on a line-by-line basis is very impressive and I have to admire Ross for his writing ability at such a young age.

Nick Cave

Nick Cave is probably the most notorious storyteller on my list. The power of the emotion in his music definitely comes from a real place inside him. It’s no wonder his work has become synonymous with some of the biggest TV shows and films such as ‘Peaky Blinders‘.

Best storytelling song: ‘O Children’

There is such depth here, that it has to be admired. Whilst many fans will know of it from the iconic scene in the final ‘Harry Potter‘ film, the meaning behind the track is bleak and hopeless. It can be interpreted in a few different ways which is something that I believe demonstrates Cave’s mastering of his craft. However, I’ve always considered it a tale of loss and the passing of time. His haunting use of choirs matched with his poignant voice makes this record a very powerful listen.

The Bonzo Dog Band

When I was considering songs that tell a story, I knew I had to talk about this band. Their absurdity could mean some audiences don’t look beyond the interesting use of instruments they often display. However, this band knows exactly what they’re doing and masks their artistry through a silly facade.

Best Storytelling Song: Rhino Cratic Oaths

The track ‘Rhino Cratic Oaths’ is probably the first song I remember hearing that I really took note of in regards to narrative. It has elements of jazz in its use of instruments, and builds a feeling of falling into a spiral. The formal voice telling the most absurd stories always confused me. From trimming a garden hedge into the shape of a leg and a woman choosing to spend her prize winnings on becoming an alcoholic, it really has it all.

Special mentions

Steeleye Span – ‘King Henry‘

Curved Air – ‘Back Street Luv‘

Super Furry Animals – ‘Mario Man‘

Al Wilson – ‘The Snake’

The Beatles – ‘Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da’

Conclusion: Great Stories Know No Genre

In an ever-divisive world, music, and sharing stories are more important than ever to unify us. We turn to these incredible musicians to articulate how we feel about the worlds within and around us. Music is so powerful – it can spread messages of joy and hope, as well as rebellion and defiance. It can stir up emotions in the way only great art can. Deep dive into some of our suggestions this storytelling week and let these artists take you into their world with their words.

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