THE 200 MOST ESSENTIAL BRITISH ROCK SONGS. 
This post: #90-81. Continues next week.

Caffé Latté celebrates…

THE 200 MOST ESSENTIAL

BRITISH

ROCK SONGS

Rock and roll’s roots may have been American, but the Brits have been putting their own stamp on its sound and attitude since the 1950s. Some significant rock legends hail from the United Kingdom, including The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Clash, Sex Pistols, Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton, Elton John and David Bowie. This countdown focuses on 200 British tracks that have made the greatest impact on rock music.

*90

THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE

U2

U2's music has gone through a series of stages. The band re-invented its sound with 'The Unforgettable Fire', a studio album which saw the Irish rockers collaborate with producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. The title track varies greatly from the songs on past albums. Lifted off the 1984 LP, the song made the Top 10 in the following year.

*89

MAKE ME SMILE 

(COME UP AND SEE ME)

Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel

Penned by Steve Harley, "Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)" topped the UK chart in 1975. The track has an abundance of hooks and its charm is enhanced by the production skills of the writer and Alan Parsons.

 

*88

SUNNY AFTERNOON

The Kinks

"Sunny Afternoon" is another lyrical masterpiece from the pen of Ray Davies. In 1966, The Kinks achieved its third and final #1 with the single. Its lyrics make a statement about Britain's tax system and created a scenario for another of Davies' protagonists.

*87

WON'T GET FOOLED AGAIN

The Who

The closing track on The Who's 1971 album 'Who's Next' runs for 8.5 minutes. "Won't Get Fooled Again" finds Pete Townshend feeling disillusioned and realizing the promise of the late 1960s would not be realized. The song reached the Top 10.

*86

A FOREST

The Cure

"A Forest" finally gave The Cure its chart debut hit. Issued in 1980, the Gothic rock track became the blueprint the group would mine effectively for years.

 

*85

LEVON

Elton John

The 1970s was a prolific time for Elton John and his lyricist Bernie Taupin. Together, they created several immortal staples. "Levon" is certainly one of his epic classics. It was lifted off John's 1971 album 'Madman Across The Water'.

*84

SOMETHING

The Beatles

As George Harrison's contributions to The Beatles' albums continued, his output improved sharply. "Something" is one of The Fab Four's most beautiful tracks. Inspired by Harrison's wife Patti Boyd, even the group's detractors had to admit this was a classic. The song was featured on the 1969 album 'Abbey Road' and made the British Top 10. It also marked the first time a Harrison composition would be issued as an A-side.

 

*83

PARANOID ANDROID

Radiohead

Radiohead peaked at #3 with the single "Paranoid Android". Lifted off the 1997 album 'OK Computer', the track finds the group exploring a new soundscape.

 

*82

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

The Police

As the lead single from the band's second album 'Regatta de Blanc', "Message In A Bottle" proved to be a wise choice. In 1979, it became the first UK #1 single by The Police.

 

*81

COMMON PEOPLE

Pulp

Pulp took aim at tourists that opt to go slumming while on vacation despite having affluence on the cleverly written "Common People". In 1995, the single peaked at #2.

Check out the playlist on spotify with new songs added for each update of the countdown.