British Guitar Fakebook, 1975-today

January 22, 2013 11:26 AM

I love playing guitar, and I love British rock/pop/punk (esp. 90s Britpop era). If you were compiling a list of awesome UK music to play on guitar from, say, 1975 to today, what specific songs would you include?

It doesn't need to be virtuosic--I'd certainly include "Should I Stay or Should I Go" by the Clash, or "Connection" by Elastica (or Wire...)--but more complicated stuff (e.g., "Natwest Barclays Midlands Lloyds" by the Manics, or "I Am the Resurrection" by the Stone Roses, or "There's No Other Way" by Blur," or "This Charming Man" by the Smiths) is also very welcome. Looking for the songs you might want to play on a lazy afternoon, or coming back from a drunken night out.

Old or new, it's all good.

posted by Admiral Haddock to Media & Arts (11 answers total)

Paul Weller, Hung Up (bonus: at 1:52, you can hear where Noel Gallagher got about five years worth of ideas in the space of ten seconds).
posted by scody at 11:43 AM on January 22, 2013

Men's Needs by the Cribs. I'd link to the video, but I'm pretty sure it's hardcore NSFW.
posted by General Malaise at 11:56 AM on January 22, 2013

Every 1's a Winner by Hot Chocolate
Rock and Roll Fantasy by Bad Company
Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits
posted by Oriole Adams at 12:33 PM on January 22, 2013

Cruel to be Kind by Nick Lowe
posted by 1367 at 12:44 PM on January 22, 2013 [2 favorites]

Pink Floyd Comfortably Numb
posted by a humble nudibranch at 1:15 PM on January 22, 2013

Random selection, just going down my last.fm charts picking out British artists and going for one of the more obvious songs (leaving out artists you've already mentioned).

Bowie: Fame (I'd say Ziggy Stardust, but it's slightly too early)
Oasis: Whatever
Echo and the Bunnymen: The Killing Moon
The Pogues: A Pair of Brown Eyes
Super Furry Animals: Fire in my Heart
The Cure: Just Like Heaven / Boys Don't Cry
Alabama 3: Woke Up This Morning
Billy Bragg: A New England
Stiff Little Fingers: Alternative Ulster
Allo Darlin': Tallulah
New Order: Ceremony
Suede: The Drowner
Elvis Costello: Oliver's Army
posted by Infinite Jest at 1:40 PM on January 22, 2013

If it were me:

Rabbit Fighter - Marc Bolan & T-Rex
Animal Nitrate - Suede
Mersey Paradise - Stone Roses
The Game - Echo & The Bunnymen
Out of Control - U2
Crank - Catherine Wheel
Leave Them All Behind - Ride
Double Dare - Bauhaus (Their version of Ziggy Stardust kills!)
Someone Got Murdered - The Clash
Another Song About Chocolate & Girls - The Undertones
Another Girl Another Planet - The Only Ones
Neat Neat Neat - The Damned
Press Darlings - Adam & The Ants
Walking with Jesus - Spacemen 3
Trampoline - Julian Cope
Driving - The Comsat Angels
No Language In Our Lungs - XTC
Touch Sensitive - The Fall
posted by black8 at 1:54 PM on January 22, 2013 [1 favorite]

Aside from the obvious Clash, Bowie, etc, some newer stuff:


I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor - Arctic Monkeys
Graffiti - Maximo Park
I Wanna Destroy You - Soft Boys
Misery - Gallows
High Five, Swan Dive - Pulled Apart By Horses
A Town Called Malice - The Jam
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 3:04 PM on January 22, 2013 [1 favorite]

Ocean Colour Scene - Riverboat Song

I think you'll enjoy this britpop classic, it has a fun riff and reminds me of TFI Friday.

Currently I'm learning to play a bit of Cat Stevens, Father and Son is my favourite track of his and seems like fun to play.
posted by davbo at 3:14 PM on January 22, 2013

100 great guitar riffs, synced to tab
posted by stenseng at 4:30 PM on January 22, 2013

The Kinks - Better Things
The Jam - Going Underground
posted by jbickers at 7:05 AM on January 24, 2013