THE 200 MOST ESSENTIAL BRITISH ROCK SONGS. 
This post: #140-131. Continues tomorrow.

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.

*140

CHILDREN OF THE REVOLUTION

T. Rex

Marc Bolan was glam's biggest star until he was eclipsed by David Bowie. He penned "Children Of The Revolution", one of glam rock's finest moments. The single peaked at #2 in 1972.

 

*139

TUBTHUMPING

Chumbawamba

Although exactly what 'tubthumping' is remains a mystery, the song's chorus about getting knocked down and getting back up proved irresistible enough to reach #2 in 1997.

 

*138

COMFORTABLY NUMB

Pink Floyd

"Comfortably Numb" encourages the listener to surrender to its mesmerizing effect. A highlight of the group's classic 1979 album 'The Wall', it features a majestic guitar solo courtesy of David Gilmour.

 

*137

SWEET DREAMS (ARE MADE OF THIS)

Eurythmics

Synth pop duo Eurythmics consisted of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart. Together, they created a unique sound that combined synthesizers with dance and a new wave attitude. "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" was issued in 1983 and was accompanied by a revolutionary music video.

*136

BOYS DON'T CRY

The Cure

"Boys Don't Cry" was an early release for The Cure. It failed to reach the UK charts but made some minor inroads in other countries in 1979. The track is a preview of future Cure songs.

*135

WEST END GIRLS

Pet Shop Boys

The 1984 single "West End Girls" captures the shifting musical scene in London. As the Pet Shop Boys' first single, it was re-recorded a year later and, second time around,  topped the British and US charts. The duo fused synth pop, dance and hip hop on the track.

 

*134

VENUS AND MARS / ROCK SHOW

Wings

The first 2 tracks on the 1975 Wings LP 'Venus And Mars' were combined as a single. Both songs were written by Paul McCartney.

*133

SUNSHINE OF YOUR LOVE

Cream

Cream applied psychedelia, hard rock, blues and hard rock with a decidedly British twist on "Sunshine Of Your Love". The track was lifted off the group's 'Diraeli Gears' album which was issued in 1967.

*132

ROCK AND ROLL

Led Zeppelin

In 1971, Led Zeppelin unleashed its fourth studio album. "Rock And Roll" is a powerful track that possesses elements of hard rock, blues and metal.

*131

NEW YEAR'S DAY

U2

'War' was U2's third studio album release. It included the thrilling "New Year's Day". Released in 1983, the Top 10 hit marked further progression in the evolution of the band from Dublin. Bono was penning lyrics that would help define the 1980s as the group grew into the biggest on the planet.

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