THE 200 MOST ESSENTIAL BRITISH ROCK SONGS. 
This post: #150-141. 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.

*150

ALL DAY AND ALL OF THE NIGHT

The Kinks

The Kinks didn't stray too far from previous #1 hit "You Really Got Me" when creating follow-up single "All Day And All Of The Night". Also issued in 1964, this disc climbed to #2. Songwriter Ray Davies was sharpening his skills in creating rock with a uniquely British twist.

*149

MONEY

Pink Floyd

"Money" is one of the key reasons that 'Dark Side Of The Moon' catapulted Pink Floyd into legend status. The lengthy yet thrilling track is driven by Roger Waters' guitar magic. David Gilmour delivers a strong vocal. The 1973 album and single exposed a wider audience to the group as it explored sounds beyond the parameters of prog rock.

*148

WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS

The Beatles

George Harrison's finest moment as a member of The Beatles is the sublime "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". Eric Clapton guested on lead guitar. The single was lifted off 1968's 'The Beatles' (aka 'The White Album'). Harrison initially had to persist in order to get his songs on the band's albums, which resulted in many impressive additions to the Fab Four's canon.

*147

LOVE IS THE DRUG

Roxy Music

Suave, polished and arty, Roxy Music had its own approach to British rock. "Love Is The Drug", a #2 hit issued in 1975, contains hints of funk, prog rock, art pop and glam.

*146

SHE'S NOT THERE

The Zombies

Rod Argent penned "She's Not There" for his group The Zombies to record. Unleashed in 1964, it gave the band its debut chart hit, reaching #12 in Britain and even peaking at #2 in America. Argent's work on the electric piano makes the recording an exciting classic of the decade.

*145

SHE SELLS SANCTUARY

The Cult

Lifted off The Cult's 1985 album 'Love', "She Sells Sanctuary" made the UK Top 15 with its explosive blend of hard rock and alternative / goth rock.

*144

YOU GET WHAT YOU GIVE

The New Radicals

In 1998, The New Radicals hit the airwaves with a fresh-sounding radio hit that evoked the music of The Rolling Stones and the 1970s. On the UK chart, the disc flew to #5. 

*143

THE CUTTER

Echo & The Bunnymen

Echo & The Bunnymen managed to draw from the past while creating music that would influence the likes of Simple Minds and Psychedelic Furs during the 1980s. "The Cutter" made the Top 10 in 1983.

*142

TROUBLE

Coldplay

The follow-up to "Yellow", "Trouble" was also lifted off Coldplay's debut album 'Parachutes'. In 2000, the piano-led track returned the group to the Top 10.

*141

MONEY FOR NOTHING

Dire Straits

In 1985, Dire Straits was dominating the radio airwaves. 'Brothers In Arms' was recorded with compact disc technology in mind. "Money For Nothing", with Sting's guest vocals, gave MTV a lifetime of free advertising. The single went Top 5 in Britain, despite its unfortunate use of a homophobic term in the lyrics.

 

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