TOP 10 SCOTS SONGS OF THE DECADE
After another incredible year for Scottish music, here are the Scots songs of the past decade
2010 Biffy Clyro – Bubbles
The decade was seen in by Scotland’s biggest and best rock band. From their fifth album Only Revolutions, the melodic roar of Bubbles has spent more weeks in the top 100 than any other tune. Perfect to bring in the bells for any decade.
2011
Calvin Harris – We Found Love
Technically Rihanna’s song but written and produced by the former shelf stacker from Dumfries. This was the tune that turned Calvin into a worldwide superstar. The biggest act of 2011 has dominated the decade here and in the US, with songs like Summer, Feels and One Kiss.
2012 Emeli Sande – Next To Me
The year belonged to the Aberdonian – singing at the opening and closing ceremonies of the London Olympics. Next to Me was the song that offered a different modern Scots sound. A catchy soulful rocker, it’s racked up more than 80million YouTube views.
2013 Chvrches – Lies
Annie Lennox got there first as a synthpop pioneer but the Chvrches trio and singer Lauren Mayberry offered the same emotional heart and icy synth sounds. From debut album The Bones of What You Believe, Lies feels like political prophecy: “I
2015
can sell you lies, You can’t get enough, Make a true believer of anyone, anyone, anyone.”
2014 Paolo Nutini – Iron Sky
The Paisley heartthrob arrived in 2006 as a pin-up singer/ songwriter but soon took his own path. Third album Caustic Love in 2014 was a different beast to the reggae warmth of Sunny Side Up. Iron Sky added political savvy, turning Paolo into Curtis Mayfield.
The LaFontaines – King
Scots rap has had a difficult time. The early pioneers were dismissed by London and largely ignored here. But Motherwell’s Fonts have bucked the trend, mixing rap with catchy rock melodies – King being their high watermark. They also have in rapper Kerr Okan one of Scotland’s best frontmen.
2016 Frightened Rabbit – Woke Up Hurting
I still have singer Scott Hutchison’s hand-drawn cover for the songs that would become debut album Sing the Greys. His death in 2018 is Scottish music’s biggest loss of the decade. Thankfully, songs like Woke Up Hurting from their last album burst with his incredible gift to blend hopelessness with hope. And the chance of a good jig. RIP Scott.
2017 Young Fathers – Only God Knows
The Edinburgh hip-hop trio had won the Mercury Prize in 2014 for Dead but in 2017 they showed just how important they are to Scots music when Danny Boyle chose six of their tracks for T2 Trainspotting. The original soundtrack had been the pick of the bands from the Britpop era. The soundtrack to the sequel was all about Young Fathers. Only God Knows is a gospel-infused, pulsating fun-filled song showcasing the new multi-cultural Scotland.
2018 Gerry Cinnamon – Sometimes
The epitome of DIY, Gerry is loved by his fans for doing it his way – not signed to a major label or using mainstream media for promo. He spread the word through gigging his tunes – a blend of modern folk with lyrics that spoke of his life growing up in Glasgow’s Castlemilk. His gigs are wild. His fans know every word. Sometimes is an early Gerry classic. It will be incredible to hear it next year
2019 Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved
Seven weeks at No1 in the UK and three in the US, Lewis’s Someone You Loved is one of the biggest songs of this year. He is at the spearhead of a golden age of Scottish music from bands such as The Dunts and the Snuts to singersongwriters like Tom Walker and Nina Nesbitt. Here’s to the next decade.