THE 200 MOST ESSENTIAL BRITISH ROCK SONGS. 
This post: #40-31. 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.

*40

TINY DANCER

Elton John

"Tiny Dancer" has only grown in stature with the passage of time. As a single in 1972, it barely dented the rungs outside of the Top 40 on both sides of the Atlantic. The track was first encountered on Elton John's 1971 album 'Madman Across The Water'. Today, it is one of the his most cherished and famous songs.

*39

STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER

The Beatles

In 1967, The Beatles released "Strawberry Fields Forever" as part of a double A- sided single with "Penny Lane". The former remains another cutting edge track. The single peaked at #2.

*38

ROXANNE

The Police

In 1978, The Police issued "Roxanne", the trio's breakthrough single from debut album 'Outlandos d'Amour'. The song deals with a man who has fallen for a sex worker. It continues to be a rock staple to this day.

*37

APACHE

The Shadows

Countless aspiring young Brits picked up the guitar to imitate Hank Marvin's guitar work on The Shadows' hit singles. "Apache" remains the highlight. The instrumental reached #1 in 1960.

 

*36

CREEP

Radiohead

The significance of Radiohead on rock music will become more obvious in the future. "Creep" was the group's debut single, reaching #7 in 1992. The band has changed its musical direction since, but continues to inspire other musicians with each new release.

*35

WORKING CLASS HERO

John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band

In 1970, John Lennon was free from the restraints of The Beatles when he recorded "Working Class Hero" for his first solo album. He packed even more vitriol than he had ever infused into the Fab Four's canon. Channelling his inner Bob Dylan, Lennon attacks parents, school, religion and other aspects of society.

*34

THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT

The Jam

Paul Weller's compositions are commentaries on the state of politics and society. "That's Entertainment" was first heard on The Jam's 1980 album 'Sound Affects'.

*33

ZIGGY STARDUST

David Bowie

Of all of David Bowie's personas, Ziggy Stardust is the best remembered. The title track from his 1972 concept album 'The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars', it is still one of his signature songs.

 

*32

I AM THE WALRUS

The Beatles

Arguably the quirkiest track The Beatles cut is "I Am The Walrus". Composed by John Lennon, the British psychedelia song was included on the group's 1967 'Magical Mystery Tour' album.

*31

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS

Queen

Queen's 1977 album 'News Of The World' contained one of the most enduring anthems of British rock. Composed by Freddie Mercury, the single climbed to #2.

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

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