The spirit of London is still with us, even in a national lockdown. You might be missing browsing in your favourite boutiques, meeting friends and colleagues for a coffee and catch up, visiting a gallery or dining out with loved ones, as we are too. But don’t despair – the heart of this city still beats strongly, and we look forward to the day that we can celebrate everything that is great about London once again.
Meanwhile with our doors closed, we wanted to share a few songs that remind us of this great capital city. Join us in celebrating all that makes London so special from wherever you may find yourself right now – with songs through the decades that pay tribute (mostly!) to London town.
If we’ve missed a classic, be sure to share more ideas with us on social media @StJamesLondon & @RegentStreetW1.
Pre 60s
Maybe It’s Because I’m a Londoner, Hubert Gregg (1947)
The Underground Train, Lord Kitchener (1950)
I Was There (At The Coronation), Young Tiger (1953)
A Foggy Day (In London Town), Ella Fitzgerald (1956)
60s
Blessed, Simon & Garfunkel (1965)
Soho, Bert Jansch & John Renbourn (1966)
Waterloo Sunset, The Kinks (1967)
The Fool on the Hill, The Beatles (1967)
London Bye Ta-Ta, David Bowie (1968)
70s
Hampstead Way, Lina Lewis (1971)
London Boys, T Rex (1976)
Down in the Tube Station at Midnight, The Jam (1978)
London Calling, The Clash (1979)
Chelsea Girl, Simple Minds (1979)
Gertcha!, Chas & Dave (1979)
80s
London Town, Light Of The World (1980)
London, Barry Manilow (1980)
Piccadilly, Squeeze (1981)
Electric Avenue, Eddie Grant (1982)
Hey Young London, Bananarama (1983)
West End Girls, Pet Shop Boys (1984)
A Rainy Night In Soho, The Pogues (1985)
London, The Smiths (1986)
90s
London Belongs To Me, Saint Etienne (1991)
Soho Square, Kirsty MacColl (1993)
22 Acacia Avenue, by Iron Maiden (1995)
Mile End, Pulp (1996)
Brompton Oratory, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds (1997)
Primrose Hill, Loudon Wainwright III (1997)
Lights of London, David Gray (1998)
00s
Has It Come to This?, The Streets (2001)
Mornington Crescent, Belle & Sebastian (2006)
LDN, Lily Allen (2006)
London Bridge, Fergie (2006)
Hometown Glory, Adele (2007)
Bow E3, Wiley (2007)
Warwick Avenue, Duffy (2008)
London Town, Laura Marling (2008)
American Boy, Estelle feat. Kanye West (2008)
Upper Clapton Dance, Professor Green (2009)
I Love London, Crystal Fighters (2009)
2010s
Brixton Briefcase’ – Chase And Status feat. Cee Lo Green (2011)
Ill Manners, Plan B (2012)
Take Me Back to London, Ed Sheeran feat. Stormzy (2019)
If you’re a local Londoner, why not add these to your playlist and listen through your headphones as take your daily exercise in the city. We hope to see you soon.
