When someone we care about passes away, it’s difficult to smile, but it’s important. Celebrating the life that was lived, in addition to mourning the absence of it, can be incredibly therapeutic. In 2016, there were many traumatic events that took place that ranged from trivial to history making, from the presidential race to the death of Vine. We saw some of our favorite musicians pass away, but that doesn’t mean they’re lost to us – we still have the beautiful art they left behind.

We here at LIVV know the importance of great music for every occasion – we’ve even built a company around it so you can take it with you everywhere. Because of that, we thought it important that we celebrate a few of the greats that are no longer with us. Scroll down to stroll down memory lane, and stay to the end for a few emerging artists who can satisfy your craving for new music:

George Michael
The most recent to pass away in the music world, George Michael left behind a legacy of not only great songs but also incredibly generous charitable acts. Our favorite song of his was Freedom, which is the ultimate warm up song at the gym or road trip tune on a long empty expanse:

Sharon Jones
Funk and soul queen Sharon Jones lost her battle with pancreatic cancer in November. Her songs and performances are all full of incredible energy and heart, and she always seemed to put her whole self into every piece she sang. Our favorite song is 100 Days, 100 Nights, a classic soul jam that has a great beat for cardio or working late in the office:

Leonard Cohen
We lost this counterculture legend in early November, but he was able to live until the wise age of 82. He was a contemporary of Bob Dylan and Neil Young, and shared the same incredible level of talent. His voice, similar to Johnny Cash, was most known in the song Hallelujah, which we argue is not so much a Christmas classic as a pure classic. We listen to this song during solo yoga sessions, long bike rides and, of course, when we’re in a bit of a mood:

Prince
The King of Pop left behind a very different legacy than the old souls we’ve listed. We doubt we have to remind you of any of his hits, but just in case, he was known for flamboyant, high energy style and of course, the color purple. We love listening to Kiss (especially the extended version) to get energized:

Phife Dawg
Co-founder of the hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest, Phife Dawg brough philosophical rhymes to all five A Tribe Called Quest Albums, as well as producing his own solo album, Ventilation: Da LP. Check out Oh My God by A Tribe Called Quest next time you need to hit a rhythm in the gym or just in life:

David Bowie
How could we possible make a memorial list without David Bowie? The singer was the hero of misfits, outcasts and strange looking people everywhere – even Tilda Swinton, when she was a young teenager. We love Rebel Rebel while driving or slugging through a difficult task, like olympic lifts or research projects:

There are many more that we weren’t able to cover in this post, but we wanted to salute a great new artist that should be on your radar, especially if you dig these older sounds: Miles Mosley. Rolling Stone explains him as “Lenny Kravitz backed by a killer jazz crew,” and we don’t disagree. He’s been around for a while, but hit it big in 2016, and we couldn’t be happier to add him to our list.

Check out his song, Abraham, next time you need a boost of motivation:

Here’s to more music in 2017!