“The public gets what the public wants”: the 10 greatest songs by The Jam
History books rarely focus on the lives of ordinary people or the ramifications dealt to the working class by those in power. The same is true of modern history and accounts of the politically tumultuous period of the late 1970s. Rolling blackouts, industrial action, and the UK’s steady descent into the era of neoliberalism and Margaret Thatcher, it was a difficult period for ordinary people across the nation. Throughout it all, no band came as close to capturing the spirit of that era quite like Paul Weller and The Jam.
Formed in 1972 as young Beatles devotees in Woking, Surrey, it was not until The Jam immersed themselves within dirty punk clubs like Covent Garden’s The Roxy that Weller and the gang started to gain mainstream attention. The songwriter’s attitude was just as furious and politically charged as the most searing punk outfit out there, but their image and sound were much more closely associated with the retro mod subculture of the 1960s. As a result, The Jam established an expansive, original sound that set them apart from the rest of the punk scene and afforded them a much wider audience.
For young people growing up in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Paul Weller was their spokesman. His work often focused on the lives of ordinary people, evoking a kitchen sink-esque sense of social realism and class consciousness. At the same time, he drew upon a vast range of musical styles, from the driving groove of northern soul to acoustic folk offerings reflecting his appreciation of figures like Nick Drake. Along the way, his profound writing was backed by an incredible rhythm section in the form of Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler, who were essential to the band’s sound.
Although The Jam only lasted six years between the release of their debut single and their soul-soaked farewell track ‘Beat Surrender’, they packed a lot into that short space of time. With six groundbreaking albums, four number-one singles, and legions of dedicated fans all across the world, The Jam was a once-in-a-generation band. As such, cutting down their discography to the ten greatest efforts was an almost impossibly difficult task. Nevertheless, we ask you to join us as we revisit ten golden slices of mod revival for your listening pleasure.
The 10 best songs by The Jam:
‘Down In The Tube Station At Midnight’ (1978)
Capturing the gritty reality of urban decay and violence within England’s major cities, The Jam’s 1978 single is among their most beloved efforts. Within the track, Weller narrates the tale of an innocent man who is beaten within an inch of his life while attempting to catch the London Underground home to his loving wife. The contrast between pristine home living and the unavoidable violence of London during the late 1970s is tackled with characteristic ease and coolness by Paul Weller, although his bandmates and production team had to convince him to include the track on All Mods Cons.
Social realism has always been a recurring theme for Weller’s songwriting, both within The Jam and in later years, and ‘Down In The Tube The Station At Midnight’ is certainly among his most relatable and compelling. Nevertheless, the songwriter lost faith in the track during its development and didn’t want it included on the band’s 1978 album. However, when the song was released as a single that year, it reached number 15 in the UK singles chart, cementing its place on the final record.
‘Start!’ (1980)
Weller might have found his feet as a songwriter within the defiance of the punk scene, but his repertoire was always more expansive than that abrasive sound. As the 1980s dawned, the songwriter began to experiment further with influences of soul, R&B, and the style of 1960s rock that punk sought to subvert. ‘Start!’ was an absolute triumph for The Jam upon its release in 1980, becoming their second number-one single after ‘Going Underground’ – more on that track to come later in this list.
For the song, Weller based a guitar riff around George Harrison’s classic Beatles track ‘Taxman’, which was then developed into a catchy soul-influenced love song. The Beatles have always been a tremendous love of Weller’s, and this 1980 single features the most prominent influence of the Fab Four, with results befitting of their colossal pop power. Weller and The Jam were most often renowned for their politically charged anthems and tales of adolescent rebellion, but it is songs like ‘Start!’ that exemplify Weller’s intense proficiency for writing love songs that have pop potential without sacrificing artistic integrity.
‘In The City’ (1977)
Going right back to where it all began, ‘In The City’ was The Jam’s debut single, and it launched them into the mainstream of British music. Co-opting the aggressive sounds of the punk movement, the single bears the marks of the band’s early shows at The Roxy Club in Covent Garden, but it also hints at a more expansive sound for the band. The vast majority of punk groups stuck to the inherent sound and basic composition that kicked off the scene, but from their very beginning, The Jam were incorporating influences of R&B and 1960s mod rock, too.
‘In The City’ only reached number 40 in the UK singles chart upon its release, but that was enough to alert listeners across the nation to this exciting mod revival occurring on the streets of London. At its forefront, The Jam were combining an anarchic punk spirit with profound and inventive songwriting skills. From their very first release, it was clear that Weller’s band were unparalleled by any other punk group of the era, and it didn’t take long for the band to shake off that label entirely.
‘English Rose’ (1978)
Paul Weller’s modern solo career has often been noted for its vulnerable acoustic offerings, but that style of his songwriting arguably stretches back to The Jam’s 1978 offering, ‘English Rose’. Sandwiched in between a cover of The Kinks’ ‘David Watts’ and Weller’s anthemic ‘The In Crowd’, this gentle, moving love song was included on the album All Mod Cons. However, Weller dictated that copies of the album should not bear the title of the track’s lyrics, arguing that the words meant nothing without the music backing them.
It might not have the same power as ‘In The City’ or the infectious groove of ‘Absolute Beginners’, but ‘English Rose’ offered an entirely new side to Paul Weller’s songwriting, evoking his appreciation for folk stars like Nick Drake. Well deserving of a place among the band’s ultimate highlights, the song is arguably one of the greatest love songs of the 1970s. Its poetic lyricism and mellow acoustic backing, coupled with the sounds of ocean waves coming into shore, make the song a truly unique and emotionally compelling listening experience, particularly within the discography of The Jam.
‘Beat Surrender’ (1983)
Weller has never been a songwriter content with staying in one place for too long. After several years of performing, touring, recording, and writing for The Jam, he grew sick of the expectations put upon his group. Moreover, the songwriter was immersing himself deeper in the influences of funk and soul. So, at the peak of their fame, Weller made the decision to disband The Jam, much to the annoyance of Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler. The band’s euphoric farewell came in 1983 with the number-one single ‘Beat Surrender’.
Not included on any of the band’s albums, the song provided The Jam with a fitting ending. Weller’s songwriting and performance are on top form, and it provided an insight into the kind of work he would go on to create with The Style Council. Heavily influenced by the world of soul, some versions of the single were backed with covers of classic tracks like Curtis Mayfield’s ‘Move On Up’ and Edwin Starr’s ‘War’, reflecting Weller’s extensive range of influences and introducing an entirely new audience to the legendary soul stars.
‘Pretty Green’ (1980)
Kicking off The Jam’s groundbreaking 1980 album Sound Affects, ‘Pretty Green’ opens with a fittingly heavy bassline from Bruce Foxton before launching into an exploration of economic inequality and finding solace in pop music. Its infectious rhythm and relatable lyrics about the power and importance of music for young people in an age of economic depravity make the Sound Affects opener one of Paul Weller’s defining moments.
It is also worth noting, however, that The Jam’s rhythm section is in particularly good form on ‘Pretty Green’, highlighting the importance of both Foxton and Buckler in the sound and history of the group. Although never officially issued as a single, a limited number of promo singles were pressed featuring ‘Pretty Green’, and those singles have become highly sought after by Jam obsessives, regularly fetching as much as £400 on the second-hand market, showing the widespread adoration of the song among fans of the group.
‘Town Called Malice’ (1982)
Evoking the commanding groove of northern soul blended with the attitude of punk, ‘Town Called Malice’ is like a 1960s kitchen sink drama contained within an effortlessly catchy pop song. Debuting at number-one in the UK singles chart in 1982, the song quickly became one of The Jam’s ultimate anthems, thanks both to its relatable lyrics, catchiness, and ease of singing along. Not only did the song become one of The Jam’s biggest hits, but it also featured some of their most groundbreaking lyricism.
Written about Weller’s origins in Woking, growing up in a working-class environment and dreaming of escaping to more exciting surroundings, ‘Town Called Malice’ is another stunning example of his dedication to social realism within his writing. As opposed to other odes to working-class life during the 1970s and 1980s, ‘Town Called Malice’ offers a sense of hope and optimism, of joy in the face of oppression. That spirit – likely inspired by Weller’s interest in American soul and R&B – is evocative of The Jam’s approach to songwriting in general and contrasts the often pessimistic output of the punk movement which first launched the band.
‘The Eton Rifles’ (1979)
A rallying anthem for the working class, ‘The Eton Rifles’ was written by Weller at a pivotal time in British politics. Reportedly, the songwriter wrote the song after seeing footage of a ‘Right To Work’ march going past the prestigious Eton College, which saw the students jeering the protestors. Released shortly into the premiership of Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative Party, the song captured the ‘us versus them’ attitude created by the widening class divide and the rise of neoliberal economic policy.
Even if you remove the political context of the song, it remains an absolute triumph both in terms of songwriting and musical composition. The track features some of Weller’s greatest lyrics, including the timeless reality of “What chance have you got against a tie and a crest?” and the chorus is reminiscent of the chants of football terraces. In the many years since the song was released, it has never lost its appeal; it is easy to see why the song earned Weller and the band their very first top-ten single.
‘Going Underground’ (1980)
Punk rock often targeted the political establishment of the UK, but even the most searing of punk attacks on the state could not compare with the visionary genius of ‘Going Underground’. Seeing Weller attack the leadership of Thatcher and the public complacency that allowed her to be elected to office in the first place, there is a genuine frustration and anger at the heart of his performance on this track, which gives ‘Going Underground’ an unparalleled power within the discography of The Jam.
“The public gets what the public wants, but I want nothing this society’s got” resonated with young audiences across the nation upon its release, and it has only increased in relevancy since. Meanwhile, “You’ll see kidney machines replaced by rockets and guns” is a beautifully composed lyric, succinctly capturing the dangers of the military-industrial complex that Britain was headed for at the time and the government’s plans to take focus away from supporting its citizens on a basic level.
Clearly, the song’s politically charged lyricism resonated with audiences, as the single became The Jam’s first number-one and earned Weller the moniker of being ‘the voice of a generation’, even if he wasn’t keen on that description.
‘That’s Entertainment’ (1980)
A minimalist, almost entirely acoustic offering, ‘That’s Entertainment’ is something of a rarity within The Jam’s repertoire, but that only serves to make the offering all the more special. With lyrics that virtually every ordinary person in Britain can relate to, “Pissing down with rain on a boring Wednesday, Watching the news and not eating your tea, A freezing cold flat and damp on the walls,” the stream-of-consciousness lyrics give the song an organic feeling. Reportedly, Weller wrote the groundbreaking song in only ten minutes. “I’d had a few, but some songs just write themselves. It was easy to write; I drew on everything around me,” he once told Absolute Radio.
There is also a strong sense of romanticism in the proceedings on ‘That’s Entertainment’, as Weller talks about “Two lovers kissing amongst the scream of midnight.” As such, the track blends multiple core elements of The Jam’s appeal: Weller’s knack for social realism, catchy hooks, and effortlessly romantic imagery are all on full display here. In that sense, it could (and should) be argued that ‘That’s Entertainment’ is The Jam’s defining work.
Closing out side one of Sound Affects, the song formed a major highlight of the record and helped to cement the album’s position among The Jam’s greatest work. Speaking to the universal appeal of the song, ‘That’s Entertainment’ was initially not issued as a single in the UK. However, it still charted in the UK as an import single, reaching number 21 in 1980.
