Top 10: Festival Songs

Top 10: Festival Songs

The last sunset has definitely now descended behind the Pyramid Stage at
this year's Glastonbury but don't fret: there is a whole summer full of tent mastery, 3am falafel vans and suncream/wellies (delete as meteorologically appropriate) left to enjoy. You could go to a festival every weekend if you feel the urge. Q have compiled a list of the Top 10 festival songs ever in this month's issue to help you en route to summer survival.

It's the best we can do without intravenously providing you with some of Bear Grylls' own blood. But if you think we could do better then please let us know by leaving your comments on favourite arm-waving/fist-punching moments below.

10. Been Caught Stealing - Jane's Addiction
Frustrated at the lack of a truly alternative rock festival in the US, Jane's Addiction front-man Perry Farrell decided to invent his own. Lollapalooza came alive during Jane's Addiction's headline sets, most notably in 1997.

9. The Robots - Kraftwerk

Tribal Gathering 1997. Headliners at a dance event don't come any bigger than the Dusseldorf quartet, whose appearance at the Luton Hoo extravaganza marked their first at a major festival. The Godfathers of electronica didn't disappoint.

8. Shahbaz Qalandar - Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

When Peter Gabriel invited Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan to perform at WOMAD he was little known outside of his native Pakistan. playing in a tent with intimates and family members, he gave an ululating rendition of mystical islamic songs. Unfortunately there's no video for this one...

7. I Want To Take You Higher - Sly & The Family Stone

The brilliance of Sly's funk-rock fusion never shone brighter than during this Woodstock performance.

6. Tender - Blur

This was a triumphant return to Somerset for the reunited Britpop quarter, who had previously headlined the festival in 1998. The crowd sung each word of the chorus back at Albarn and contined to do so after both encores.

5. We Are The Champions - Queen

In a purpose-built complex near Rio de Janero more than 250,000 saw Freddie Mercury rise to the occasion. We Are The Champions was the song which was aired as fireworks exploded above the stadium.

4.Gold Digger - Kanye West

Rap acts have often struggled at rock festivals - witness 50 Cent's humiliation at Reading in 2004 but Kanye West's Coachella crowd pleaser was a masterclass in pop entertainment. the below is a performance of parallel proportions at the 2006 Grammy's.

3. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue - Bob Dylan

Following the shock public unveiling of Dylan's new electric sound and facing a hostile crowd, Dylan stormed off only to be persuaded to return later with only an acoustic guitar. He ended his set with a blistering rendition of his kiss-off anthem, almost sneering at those who bood him minutes earlier.

2. Radiohead - Paranoid Android

This song was the centerpiece of their now legendary Saturday live set. This raised the bar for all future headline acts.

1. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana

Powered by a riff of unstoppable urgency, Kurt Cobain's Generation X anthem may have been born with rock festivals in mind. while he deliberately/ fumbled the song's opening, there was nothing anti climatic about his delivery.

Give us a taste of your favorite festival moments using the comments box below.

6:04 AM | 02/05/2010

More Photos Of:

Festivals 2010 , Glastonbury 2010

User Comments

Latest Features

Column - Robin's Reign: the remarkable career of the Bee Gees' Robin Gibb

Following the Bee Gee's death last night, Dorian Lynskey looks back at the singer and songwriter's multifaceted work
Column - How Donna Summer helped change dance music forever

Following her death yesterday (17 May), Paul McGee looks at the Queen Of Disco's creative legacy
Guest Column - The death of the guitar band... By Will Daunt from 'guitar' band Zulu Winter

Having released a debut album this week, the singer ponders his band's - and his instrument's - future
Playlist - Niki And The Dove's favourite films feat. The Fog, Lost Highway, Husband & Wives, Cobra & more

There's no Niki, no dove and this Playlist has got no songs, curious...
The Q Festival Blog - A chat with the boss: T In The Park's Geoff Ellis

He booked The Stone Roses for Middlesex Poly once, now he explains why he's booked them for this year's festival
Q&a Gaz Coombes - on going solo, his own 'basement tapes', Supergrass, the influence of Duncan Jones' Moon & more

With album Gaz Coombes Presents... Here Comes The Bombs out on Monday (21 May) we spoke to Gaz Coombes Presents... the person

QTheMusic.com

Features