Our last Song List went out on Wednesday 1st July , and it happened to fall on a grim anniversary: 110 years since the first day of the Battle of the Somme . The campaign dragged on until 18 November 1916 , leaving a combined British, German and French casualty figure of well over one million, with 300,000 deaths . The Tyneside Irish and Tyneside Scottish battalions of the Northumberland Fusiliers were hit hardest — around 8,000 casualties on day one .
Numbers like that are obscene. They should echo whenever a politician starts rattling sabres and urging the UK to back another round of US military intervention somewhere in the world .
With the anti‑war homily out of the way, we bring you music .
Louis Armstrong – What A Wonderful World
We begin with Satchmo — born 1901 in New Orleans — a man who didn’t just play jazz, he re‑shaped it. Armstrong’s trumpet style, forged in the clubs of Storyville, helped drag jazz from ensemble playing into the era of the virtuoso soloist. By the time he recorded What A Wonderful World in August 1967 , he was already a global icon. The song itself was written as a counterpoint to the turbulence of the late 60s — Vietnam, civil rights struggles, assassinations. It topped the UK charts in April 1968 , offering a moment of calm in a year that had very little of it. You like it for the voice — gravelly, warm, unmistakable — and for its unhurried optimism .
Benedict Cork – Have A Good Life (See You Never)
Our first reader recommendation. Cork, from Hertfordshire , is one of those artists who seems to have arrived fully formed: sharp songwriting, clean production, and a knack for melodies that stick. The track is a bittersweet pop gem — upbeat on the surface, quietly bruised underneath. You noted that if there’s any justice, he’ll become a household name . Hard to disagree.
The Offspring – Blitzkrieg Bop (Ramones cover)
This came from a reader answering the question raised in issue 153. You’d featured Agnostic Front’s cover of the Ramones classic and asked who’d done the most memorable version. The Offspring’s take is fast, faithful, and full of energy — a US rock band covering a US punk anthem, keeping the spirit intact . The original Blitzkrieg Bop (1976) was the Ramones’ opening salvo: two minutes of pure down‑stroke guitar, shouted vocals, and the birth of American punk. The Offspring lean into that heritage rather than modernising it, which is precisely why the cover works.
Johann Sebastian Bach – Prelude No. 1 in C Major
A palate cleanser. Bach wrote the Prelude as part of The Well‑Tempered Clavier (1722), a collection designed to show that music could be written in all 24 major and minor keys — revolutionary at the time. The piece is deceptively simple: arpeggios rising and falling like breath. You joked that if you’re not calm after listening, you may need urgent medical help . It’s the kind of music that resets the room.
The Interrupters – Take Back The Power
Our third reader recommendation. The Interrupters emerged from the Los Angeles ska‑punk revival, carrying the torch lit by bands like Rancid and Operation Ivy. Take Back The Power is built for movement: brass stabs, driving rhythm, and Aimee Interrupter’s unmistakable voice — the thing you singled out as especially powerful . It’s political without preaching, catchy without pandering, and exactly the kind of track that earns repeat plays.
Anonymous Ulster – Brothers From Across The Water
A nod to your fascination with obscure artists and genres . This track sits in the tradition of Ulster folk storytelling — rough‑edged, earnest, and rooted in cross‑border identity. It’s the kind of song that feels like it belongs to a place rather than a market.
Fugees – Killing Me Softly
Lauryn Hill’s vocal on this track remains one of the defining performances of the 1990s. The song itself began life in 1973 with Roberta Flack, but the Fugees’ version turned it into something else entirely — hip‑hop soul with a heartbeat. It’s a reminder of how reinterpretation can eclipse the original without erasing it.
Orange Juice – Rip It Up
Post‑punk meets pop in one of Scotland’s most infectious tracks. Released in 1983, Rip It Up was a pivot point: Edwyn Collins blending punk’s angularity with Chic‑style funk guitar. It’s a song that sounds like a band discovering colour after years of monochrome.
Morrissey – The More You Ignore Me The Closer I Get
Mid‑90s Morrissey: melodic, sardonic, and steeped in irony. Released in 1994, the track was one of his biggest solo hits, built around obsession, humour, and a hook that burrows in. It’s Morrissey doing what he does best — unsettling charm.
Slade – Mama Weer All Crazee Now
A glam‑rock riot from 1972. Slade specialised in songs that sounded like Friday night in a Midlands pub — loud, loose, and designed for maximum chaos. This track is pure energy: stomping drums, shouted vocals, and a chorus built for crowds.
Slipknot – The Devil In I
Modern metal with theatrical flair. Released in 2014, the song marked a shift in Slipknot’s sound — still aggressive, but more melodic, more controlled. It’s a track about identity, masks, and the parts of ourselves we’d rather not meet.
Will.i.am – Heart Breaker
A glossy, beat‑driven pop track from the late 2000s. Will.i.am’s production style — sharp edges smoothed into radio‑friendly shine — is all over this one. It’s sleek, synthetic, and built for dancefloors.
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