The Nights

Harmonically, 'The Nights' is deliberately simple: a single diatonic minor-key loop sustained for the whole song. Its character comes from how that loop is dressed — folky acoustic guitar and lap steel against EDM synths and drums — and from the melody's constant lean toward the relative major, which turns a minor progression into something that feels triumphant rather than sad. It is an excellent first song for guitarists learning the i–VI–III–VII family of progressions.

Singer-songwriter Nicholas Furlong began writing the song as an ode to his father, under the original title 'My Father Told Me'. He sent the idea to Arash Pournouri, Avicii's manager, who felt it carried the same sense of euphoria that characterises much of Avicii's music. Pournouri and Avicii then reworked the track to make it, in Pournouri's words, more 'us'. The final songwriting credits include Nicholas Furlong, Gabriel Benjamin, Jordan Suecof, John Feldmann and Avicii.

'The Nights' is a 2014 single by Swedish DJ and producer Avicii, featuring uncredited vocals from singer-songwriter Nicholas Furlong. Built around the mantra 'live a life you will remember', it fuses Avicii's signature folk-influenced electronic sound with a rousing, singalong chorus. Released on The Days / Nights EP, it reached number six on the UK Singles Chart and number one on the UK Dance Chart, and later gained renewed life as one of Avicii's most streamed and most quoted songs.