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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Tom Scotson

Some of the best songs from Merseyside

Liverpool has produced some of the most influential bands and artists of all time.

Over the past sixty years iconic artists to come out of the city include The Beatles, Elvis Costello, Lighning Seeds, The La's, Echo & the Bunnymen, The Farm, Circa Waves, Dead or Alive and many more.

The ECHO put together some of people's favourite tunes from the city and we would like to hear your views on our choices in the comments below.

READ MORE: Liverpool nightclub that 'rose from the ashes' to be burned again

Enola Gay - Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark

The Wirral band’s lively smash hit is about a nuclear holocaust in the WWII. Enola Gay was the name of the aircraft used by the United States to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Released in 1980, the anthem remains the group’s most popular song with more than 109m downloads on Spotify. Singer-songwriter Andy McCluskey told the Guardian he never tired of playing the song live, with the band still choosing to close each gig with it.

I Ran - A Flock of Seagulls

Released in 1982, the fast-paced indie anthem was the band’s third single from its self-titled debut album A Flock of Seagulls. It went to Number One in Australia as well as making its way into the Top Ten in America and New Zealand. However, the quartet hated playing the song live, with one member telling reporters he was “sick” of performing it. Nonetheless fans are still crazy about the tune's catchy riff, warped vocals, fast-paced drumming and distorted guitar.

Let’s Dance to Joy Division - The Wombats

The three friends met at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts and formed in the city in 2003. Seven years later the trio released their smash hit Let’s Dance to Joy Division which propelled them into the alternative and indie gig scene. Ever since then the Liverpool band have played festivals such as Leeds and Reading, Glastonbury, The Isle of Wight Festival, Y-Not Festival and many more. The popular Wombats tune is also a staple on indie rock nights and even won NME's Best Dancefloor Filler in 2008.

The Killing Moon - Echo and the Bunnymen

Regarded the band’s best song, the 1984 single reached #9 in the UK charts and has more than 100m downloads on Spotify. The Killing Moon was featured in the cult classic Donny Darko and is regarded by Ian McCulloch, the band’s lead singer, as "the best song of all time". The tune has been played 764 times by the Bunnymen over the years, according to Setlist.fm, only to be bettered by Rescue (795) and The Cutter (791).

Hey Jude - The Beatles

Hey Jude was written by Paul McCartney, the 80-year-old Beatle who headlined Glastonbury for a second time in June. The epic and iconic anthem was released in 1968 and, according to a number of sources, was originally titled ‘Hey Jules’ after John Lennon’s son. When it was released the famous Liverpool number went to number #1 in 12 countries and sold more than 10m copies in the United States.

Marvellous - Lightning Seeds

Lightning Seeds were formed in 1989 by frontman Ian Broudie. Five years later the band sold a million copies of the album Jollification, which had many great songs on it including Marvellous. Although it was probably one of their lesser known hits, its long psychedelic introduction and catchy chorus made it popular with fans. Marvellous is about focusing on what's in front of you, ditching mindless thoughts and “living for the day”.

There She Goes - The La’s

Written by lead singer Lee Mavers, There She Goes is a popular sing-a-long love song. NME even ranked it #45 out of the 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever. The tune was off The La’s debut self-titled album, which is critically acclaimed by journalists, musicians and fans alike.

The Coral - Dreaming Of You

NME were also a fan of Liverpool’s The Coral, putting Dreaming Of You at number 85 on its list of "150 tracks of the past 15 years" in 2011. The band’s top hit will mark its 20th birthday this year with an eye watering 123m Spotify downloads. The song was also featured on Scrubs, a popular American medical comedy-drama television series.

Miles Kane - Inhaler

The Scouser's top song is primarily about his asthma, with the chorus becoming "abit of a joke", according to Kane. Still, the record is popular with rock DJ's at nightclubs and the Liverpudlian continues to play it on his UK tours.

All Together Now - The Farm

The Farm's biggest hit, released in 1990, was most famously used for the 2006 World Cup. However, although the song has a warm feel and is associated with football, the tune was originally about the horrors of the WWI. Lead singer Peter Hooton told the BBC: "It's about the working classes being sent to war. People across a divide who probably had more in common with each other than the people who had sent them to war in the first place."

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