Time Out has teamed up with emusic to offer our readers 40 free music downloads and a free audiobook
50 best London songs
-
By Time Out editors
Posted: Mon Sep 25 2006 
36 Babyshambles 36 Albion Babyshambles [download]
Elegy for an England falling into disrepair
Pete Doherty’s adherence to a vision of an idealised England has underpinned his songwriting from his very first efforts in The Libertines. Creatives from William Blake to Enid Blyton and Michael Bracewell have all explored the idea of a lost Arcadian wonderland, but in ‘Albion’, Doherty dreams not of some bucolic idyll, but of grabbing his gal (‘I’ll be waiting in the photo booth at the underground station’) and escaping to places as oddly unglamorous as Deptford and Catford. The final destination is irrelevant, it seems; it’s the getting away (‘anywhere in Albion’) that matters.
Available on ‘Down In Albion’ album (2005)
37 Knocked ‘Em In The Old Kent Road Harry Champion [download]
A gem from the glory days of music hall
At the dawn of the twentieth century, London contained more than 300 music halls. Harry Champion’s ‘Knocked ’Em In The Old Kent Road’ was a genre classic. Thankfully many of music hall’s most beautiful venues are still open for business. The Hackney Empire has now returned to theatrical use. The Stratford Rex is a fully functional music venue once again. Perhaps most remarkable is Wilton’s Music Hall in Stepney.With its mirrored ballroom and vast chandelier, Wilton’s was known as ‘the handsomest room in town’. It’s rumoured to have been the scene of the first ever can-can and was the headquarters for the East Enders who gathered to fight Oswald Mosley’s fascists in 1936. Now, theatre has returned and, as befits its radical heritage, a number of ‘pay what you can’ seats are reserved for most shows.
Available on ‘A Little Bit Of What You Fancy’ compilation (2000) Feature continuesAdvertisement
38 A Rainy Night In Soho The Pogues [download]
Big-hearted, boozy ballad
Soho can be a difficult place to negotiate when you’re sober. But when you’re drunk, it’s even worse. The whole area turns into an emotional minefield, with every neon shopfront, clip joint, or twat on a rickshaw suddenly taking on a profound metaphorical significance. If you ever want to wallow in boozy heartbreak, Soho’s the place for you. Which is probably why this waltzing lament makes so much sense to so many people.
Available on ‘Rum Sodomy And The Lash’ reissue, bonus track (2005)
39 London The Smiths [download]
‘Billy Liar’ esqe relocation melodrama
‘Smoke lingers round your fingers/Train, heave on to Euston/Do you think you’ve made the right decision this time?’ Anyone who has ever relocated to The Smoke will recognise (albeit possibly in a less romanticised form) the excitement and anxiety implicit in the opening lines of this song.
Available on ‘Louder Than Bombs’ album (1987)
40 14 Hour Technicolour Dream The Syn [download]
Song performed at an all-nighter at Alexandra Palace starring Pink Floyd, as remembered by Time Out’s art editor
‘The bands were up on a platform in the middle of the room, so there wasn’t a separate stage area and audience area, it was all mixed up. I have in my mind a lot of noise, like the whirring of a projector. There was a lot of flickering light which was quite visually confusing. I can hardly remember the band – I just remember this atmosphere of confusion. Also everybody was pretty stoned, so that made it even more confusing.
In the main area people were hanging about but not dancing – I don’t remember any dancing at all, which was strange. It was a much more freaky, slightly alienated sort of atmosphere. In the side areas I remember a lot of people sitting around on the floor; it became a kind happening, and it just seemed to go on and on and on. I remember thinking: This is really weird, but I’m obviously in the right place.’ Sarah Kent
Available on ‘Original Syn’ (1967)- Add your comment to this feature
|
|
More ways to enjoy Time Out
-
Weekly London newsletter
The best of London in your inbox
-
Time Out Widgets
|
|
83 comments
I think "Leave the Capital" by the Fall should be in it. But I'm obsessed with the Fall
Hey what about "i like london in the rain" By Variety lab ?
(remix of blossom dearie)
What about " London Rain " by Heather Nova ?
Why are the prog-rockers always overlooked? How about "Mother Goose" by Jethro Tull or "The Battle of Epping Forest" by Geneis. One of my personal favourites is "Down to London" by Joe Jackson.
err, they didn't you plank. Its on there at Number 20!
Hey you lot leave Lily alone. She's done more records about London than anyone writing to this listings magazine interweb thingy, I bet. And I fancy her.
I really wrote to say, considering the proximity of the location to Time Out's very own office, I'm sorry they left out Donovan's sublime ditty entitled 'Sunny Goodge Street'. It's lovely with a capital L, like Lily.
the whole 'london calling' thing takes the piss a little... and the fact that there's no mention of 'guns of brixton' either?
and isn't born slippy by a guy from essex who's shouting 'going back to romford' by the end of the song?
'Towers of London' by XTC doesn''t seem to appear on the list, unless another one of their pseudonyms is Tommy Steele and 'Towers of London' has been horribly misspelt.
A top 50 wihout london calling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
God Save The Queen is about London? Er, OK...
I think where they put Londons Burning (No. 19) by the Clash they mean Londons Calling.
If not, then I don't know whats going on.
what about "It's a London Thing" by Scott Garcia?
Seems pretty obvious to me...
The Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger?
The Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict a Riot. The best video clip!
By not including London Calling, by "you should really know who", it discredits this list. There are always going to be songs missed out...but I'm feeling in an unforgiveable mood today!!
London Calling by the Clash?
Parklife by Blur?