#6: Nick Drake — “River Man” (1969)
Arranger Harry Robinson provided a stunning, impressionistic string section written in an unusual 5/4 time signature that swirls hauntingly around Nick Drake’s fingerpicked acoustic guitar. Inspired by French classical composer Frederick Delius, the dark, sweeping violins evoke the image of moving water and deep psychological isolation. The arrangement remains one of the most hauntingly beautiful orchestrations in folk-rock history.
