Time Out has teamed up with emusic to offer our readers 40 free music downloads and a free audiobook
50 best London songs
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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
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83 comments
Ummm...what about Warren Zevon's "Werewolves Of London"!!!
Disappointed no place for "Mornington Crescent" by Belle and Sebastian
Disappointed no place for "Mornington Crescent" by Bell and Sebastian
Even though they're from Australia, the Waifs' "London Still" is one of my favourite London songs of all time!
Oh yes indeed. Though I agree with the comments by the previous posters to some extent, I have to declare that the obvious choice would be 'London Bridge' by Fergie. A nice looking lady, and judging by the way she often does wee-wee in her pants when on stage, she is probably quite dirty in bed. No, not that sort of dirty.
It has to be 'Endoplasmic reticulum' by The Housemartins. No band more perfectly embody the spirit of London than these chaps. Did I say London? I meant Hull.
'Birmingham Jail' by a fat bloke in some film I saw ages ago. Maybe it had Gene Wilder in it dressed as a chicken or something. Possibly Richard Prior too, on a rodeo donkey. The song perfectly encapsulates the spirit of London, except for the fact that it is about Birmingham. But you can't have it all. Come to think of it, the song is probably talking (singing) about Birmingham Alabama. In America. So it is probably spelt 'Gaol' too. And probably goes on about Fawcetts, trunks, and fanny-packs.
"Saturday Night Beneath the Plastic Palm Trees" was in my collection before coming to live in London in the 1980s. I think this captures a side of London that you only get to understand if you live here - what goes on in the deep dark suburbs, especially on lost weekend nights. I just googled the title to remind me of the lyrics and found that Parliament have already debated London anthems in 2004! Check out http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmhan srd/vo040421/debtext/40421-31.htm - Karen Buck MP reminds us that Time Out did something similar in 2004. "London Calling" got props then but Ralph McTell was conspicuous by its absence.
Has London's calling really been left off this list? That's mad, wherever you go in the world there are Brit/London obsessed clubs playing that as their anthem. Agree with below post about The Tacticians too, was a top song but very low key release so suppose the so called music experts haven't heard of it, infact, everytime I hear Lily Allen's LDN "sun is in the sky.." I can't help wondering if she based it on "London's alright".
London Calling surely! Voted by rolling stone mag as the greatest record of the 80s - surely thats a better song than any of the others...its pure London!
Despite their Woking routes, the Jam's fascination with London was apparent in all of their songs, and Strange Town sums up this place.
"I bought an A to Z guide book
Trying to find the clubs and YMCAs
When you ask in a strange town
They say don't know, don't care
And I've got to go, mate!!"
Guns of Brixton surely, plus anything by Madness. Suggs is Mr London surely? One Better Day indeed - they document London better than anyone since Ray Davies stopped.
"London's alright" by The Tacticians. One of the best singles of the last 12 months and by far the coolest song about in London in ages. Full of charm and wit !!!
Tom McRae - 'Draw Down the Stars'. London as the mistress you can't help returning to. It perfectly captures that melancholy, addictive beauty the city has. And it has some great lines - "in a city that kills by constriction / Throw your streets around me and squeeze", "This flourescent night will divide us / And dissolve to a flickering screen". I know it's an album track but it is just exquisite and HAS to appear in the top 50!
London by The smiths...do you think yuo've made the right decision this time?Yes yes..that sums it up.