British Ambassador Kim Darroch’s Favourite Songs from Both Sides of the Pond

As David Bowie once said, “When I heard Little Richard, I mean, it just set my world on fire.” The US and the UK share many ties — but music transcends. It’s no wonder that 6 of the top 10 most-streamed songs on Spotify this week were by British or American artists. Here, our Ambassador shares a few of his classic picks from either side of the pond.

American Songs

1. “Life’s Been Good”: Joe Walsh. The best lyrics ever, and a great guy, who I met recently in LA.

2. “The Pretender”: Jackson Browne. Wonderful lyrics about middle age disillusionment; saw Jackson Browne in concert a couple of months back at the Wolf Trap. A privilege.

3. “Shelter from the Storm”: Bob Dylan. So hard to choose just one Dylan song, but this is my (current) favourite.

4. “Across the River”: Blitzen Trapper. A brilliant, Dylan-esque song by a criminally underrated band.

5. “Speed Trap Town”: Jason Isbell. Conjures up small town America.

6. “Atlantic City”: Bruce Springsteen. If there’s only space for one song by The Boss, it has to be this one from his best album, Nebraska.

7. “Me and Bobby McGee”: Janis Joplin. Once you get hooked on Janis’ voice, it’s with you for life.

8. “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road”: Lucinda Williams. A wonderfully atmospheric song, which paints a vision of life in the American South.

9. “Hotel California”: The Eagles. Bought this on vinyl the week it came out and have played a zillion times since.

10. “20 Million Things”: Lowell George. A tragic musical genius; hard to choose just one song, given how much he did solo, with Little Feat, and others, but this has to be it.

British Songs

1. “Meet on the Ledge”: Fairport Convention. A great song by the UK’s greatest ever folk-rock band.

2. “Gimme Shelter”: Rolling Stones. Hard to choose, but my favourite Stones’ song.

3. “Wishing Well”: Free. Saw them in Durham in 1974; one of our great rock bands, but a sadly short recording career. Paul Rodgers one of the best ever vocalists.

4. “Strong”: London Grammar. Something from this decade! What a voice she has.

5. “Kashmir”: Led Zeppelin. Saw them in Oxford in 1971; will stay with me forever.

6. “Shine so Bright”: Teddy Thompson. Britain’s best singer songwriter, in my view; but better known over here than in the UK.

7. “Baba O’Riley”: The Who. Total classic — saw The Who a few weeks back in California at Desert Trip — as good as ever.

8. “Learning to Fly”: Pink Floyd. A lesser known song, but my favourite.

9. “Can’t Find my Way Home”: Blind Faith. A short-lived “supergroup” from the 70s. Only did one album; amazing Stevie Winwood vocals.

10. “In the Court of the Crimson King”: King Crimson. Classic English prog-rock from my youth.