It’s official: the US and UK have very different musical tastes. In celebration of their tenth birthday, Virgin Radio polled its listeners for their favorite songs during the station’s existence. Topping the list was “Wonderwall” by Oasis, who also landed on the charts two other times, with “Don’t Look Back In Anger” at four and “Whatever” at 14. Also featured on the list are Travis, Radiohead, U2, The Strokes, and two songs each by Blur, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Coldplay. Radio listeners tend to have short memories, evidently, as the majority of the songs were released in the past four years, with Radiohead’s “Creep” being the oldest song on the chart. Although all of the aforementioned acts made a stir in the States as well, there were three entries by bands who have huge followings in the UK, yet hardly made a dent in the US. Stereophonics, Manic Street Preachers, and Ocean Colour Scene all cracked the Top 20, although they couldn’t get arrested on this side of the pond. I take that back. Ocean Colour Scene did manage to get in trouble with the law on one trip over here. My mistake.
The Virgin Radio (UK) listeners’ favorite 20 singles of past 10 years:
1. Oasis – “Wonderwall”
2. The Verve – “Bitter Sweet Symphony”
3. REM – “Everybody Hurts”
4. Oasis – “Don’t Look Back in Anger”
5. Travis – “Why Does it Always Rain on Me?”
6. Radiohead – “Creep”
7. Red Hot Chili Peppers – “By the Way”
8. Blur – “Parklife”
9. Stereophonics – “The Bartender And The Thief”
10. Coldplay – “Trouble”
11. Coldplay – “In My Place”
12. Manic Street Preachers – “A Design for Life”
13. Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Californication”
14. Oasis – “Whatever”
15. Ocean Colour Scene – “The Day We Caught the Train”
16. The Strokes – “Last Nite”
17. Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Give It Away”
18. Blur – “Song 2″
19. U2 – “Beautiful Day”
20. Pulp – “Common People”
