3. Words (1968) (Barry, Robin, Maurice) Gorgeous melody and simple lyrics combine for one of the all time great ballads. Cliff Richard turned it down, so the Bee Gees did it themselves.  4. Massachusetts (1968) Elegant, acoustic strumming folk rock anthem first intended for The Seekers. The Gibbs had never been to Massachusetts but loved the sound of the word.  5. You Should Be Dancing (1976) It was the birth of the falsetto, as Barry hit the sweet spot in a groovily percussive paean to the joys of disco.  6. Stayin’ Alive (1977) The essence of disco emerges in a lyric of gritty reality and a groove of pure, defiant escapism. “The cardiac people said Stayin' Alive was exactly 103 beats per minute,” according to Barry. “The exact bpm you use to revive somebody in a heart attack.”  7. If I Can’t Have You (1977) Deeply romantic and luxuriously produced B-side to Stayin’ Alive full of urgency and drama. Few other groups have so classic they could throw this away on a B-side.  8. Woman In Love - Barbara Streisand (1980) One of the great female anthems written by men, reminding us of the underlying sensitivity and emotional quality inherent in the Bee Gees work.  9. Islands In The Stream - Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton (1983) Renowned as a classic country duet you can still hear the Bee Gees trademark soulfulness and harmonic construction underneath. Great songs no know genre bounds.  10. You Win Again (1987) A crunchy, thumping Eighties drum beat underpins this perversely defiant anthem, plucking victory from the jaws of emotional defeat.  Follow Telegraph Music on Twitter.
After the sad passing of Robin Gibb, Neil McCormick selects his ten   favourite tracks penned by the Bee Gees.