For its size, Scotland's contribution to the world of pop, if not exactly immense, has at least been respectable. For every generation of teenager since the 1950s, the country has produced a succession of acts which have risen - mercifully briefly in some cases - to the heights of pop stardom.

 

From the 60’s there was

 

Cream (Jack Bruce), Donovan, Lulu, Marmalade

 

From the 70’s

 

The following acts were wholly Scottish or had a significant Scottish element.

AC/DC, Average White Band, Bay City Rollers, John Martyn, Middle of The Road, Frankie Miller, Nazareth, Pilot, Gerry Rafferty, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Rod Stewart (a Scot by inclination, if not birth!), The Skids, Stone the Crows (Maggie Bell)

 

From the 80’s

 

Altered Images, The Associates, Aztec Camera, Big Country, Bluebells, Bronski Beat/ Communards (Jimmy Sommerville), Cocteau Twins, Lloyd Cole & The Commotions, Danny Wilson, Deacon Blue, Del Amitri, Jim Diamond, Sheena Easton, The Eurythmics (Annie Lennox), Fairground Attraction (Eddie Reader),Goodbye Mr MacKenzie, Hue and Cry, Jesus and Mary Chain, Marillion (Fish), Orange Juice, Primal Scream, The Proclaimers, Simple Minds, Talking Heads (David Byrne), Ultravox (Midge Ure), Wet Wet Wet

 

From the 90’s & the 00’s

 

Belle & Sebastian, Edwyn Collins, Texas ,Idlewild, Garbage(Shirley Manson), Travis, The View, Amy McDonald, Franz Ferdinand, KT Tunstell, Biffo Clyro and the Fratellis.

 

 

I have chosen my favourite tracks from the 80’s :

 

A small chart invasion by Scottish Artists after the vacuum from the 70’s.

 

1. Associates - Party Fears Two. Billy MacKenzie and his unusual singing style, but just love this song.

 

2. Altered Images - I could be happy. With petit Clare Grogan fronting the band they brought a happy fun time to early 80’s.

 

3. Aztec Camera - Somewhere in my heart. They had great melodies to their songs.

 

4. Big Country - Look Away. Formed after the break up of the Skids, they were an underated band in the 80’s. Stuart Adamson sadly committed suicide a few years back.

 

5. Bluebells - Young at heart. Their album was produced by Elvis Costello, and had a few catchy songs.

 

6. Deacon Blue - Real Gone Kid. A good pop band from the late 80’s.

 

7. Danny Wilson - Mary’s Prayer. Great melodic band who had a few hits.

 

8. Del Amitri - Nothing ever happens. Great infectious song with a catchy chorus.

 

9. Hue & Cry - Labour of love. Another melodic pop outfit.

 

10. Texas - I don’t want a lover. Originally more blues sounding here, but would turn more pop in the 90’s.

 

11. Orange Juice - Rip it up. One of my favourite tracks of the 80’s, Edwyn Collins a brilliant songwriter of the time.

 

12. Simple Minds - Promised you a miracle. The biggest band from Scotland in the 80’s, with worldwide success. Loads I could have chosen.

 

13. Lloyd Cole & Commotions - Perfect skin. They were a bit intellectual and a bit pretentious.

 

14. Fiction Factory - Feels like heaven. One big hit and not much else, but what a song.

 

^ Brian,

 

That is a near perfect selection, that it seems pointless to even attempt an alternative list of selections.

 

Although I would have suggested these alternative songs for these artists:

 

 

2. Altered Images - Don't Talk To Me About Love. Their last Top10 hit but my favourite by Clare Grogan & co.

 

6. Deacon Blue - Dignity. So good they released it as a single 3 times.

 

9. Hue & Cry - Looking For Linda: lyrically shows the song is about domestic violence in Scotland.

 

12. Simple Minds - Belfast Child: It highlights their Celtic roots best with its use of a traditional Scottish folk tune.

 

13. Lloyd Cole & Commotions - Forest Fire: far more atmospheric & emotional.

 

But to leave out this song produced by fellow Scot Gerry Rafferty is just plain criminal:

 

Proclaimers - Letters From America

 

at the risk of sounding lazy, i too agree that brians list is pretty comprehensive. i too though would substitute 'i could be happy' for the superb 'dont talk to me about love', its wistfullness and mood really appeal to me.

 

also id have 'club country' instead of 'party fears 2' . it was one of my fav tracks from '82.

 

id probably have put the skids 'into the valley' in there as i love that track.

Sorry but Danny Wilson and Deacon Blue ... :puke:

 

Here's my list

 

Velocity Girl - Primal Scream Seminal track from that defined not only C86 but also British Indie for a decade.

 

Upside Down - Jesus and Mary Chain Noise terrorism from Bobby Gillespie's other band.

 

Up On The Catwalk - Simple Minds Although it was the beginning of the end I loved it when Simple Minds went totally bombastic.

 

Happy Birthday - Altered Images Brings back so many good memories from 1981

 

Sugar Hiccup - The Cocteau Twins Could have beeen anything they did from the 80s

 

Hang Ten! - The Soup Dragons Before they went baggy!

 

Oblivious - Aztec Camera Top tune - much better than the sickly Somewhere in my Heart

 

Fields of Fire - Big Country Bagpipe guitars ahoy!

 

The Whole of the Moon - The Waterboys Maybe the biggest Scottish song from the 80s

 

Since Yesterday - Strawberry Switchblade Brilliant off-kilter pop

 

The Day Before Tomorrow - BMX Bandits Everybody in Scottish indie played with the Bandits!

 

The Honeythief - Hipsway Ex- Altered Images deliver funky pop marvel

 

Candybar Express - Love and Money This deserved to be huge

 

Molly's Lips - The Vaselines Unheard of at the time only came to prominence because of Nirvana.

Edited March 29, 200817 yr by grebo69

oh strawberry switchblade 'since yesterday' what a great pop song that was! i agree about 'oblivious' too :)

It was a good start to the album, but got pretty awful as it went on.

 

Into the Valley came out in 1979 I think, so it's ineligible.

 

Much prefer Grebo69's choice - especially bonus points for the correct choice of Mary Chain song!

 

For its size, Scotland's contribution to the world of pop, if not exactly immense, has at least been respectable. For every generation of teenager since the 1950s, the country has produced a succession of acts which have risen - mercifully briefly in some cases - to the heights of pop stardom.

From the 80’s

 

Altered Images, The Associates, Aztec Camera, Big Country, Bluebells, Bronski Beat/ Communards (Jimmy Sommerville), Cocteau Twins, Lloyd Cole & The Commotions, Danny Wilson, Deacon Blue, Del Amitri, Jim Diamond, Sheena Easton, The Eurythmics (Annie Lennox), Fairground Attraction (Eddie Reader),Goodbye Mr MacKenzie, Hue and Cry, Jesus and Mary Chain, Marillion (Fish), Orange Juice, Primal Scream, The Proclaimers, Simple Minds, Talking Heads (David Byrne), Ultravox (Midge Ure), Wet Wet Wet

 

From the 90’s & the 00’s

 

Belle & Sebastian, Edwyn Collins, Texas ,Idlewild, Garbage(Shirley Manson), Travis, The View, Amy McDonald, Franz Ferdinand, KT Tunstell, Biffo Clyro and the Fratellis.

I have chosen my favourite tracks from the 80’s :

^ Brian,

 

That is a near perfect selection, that it seems pointless to even attempt an alternative list of selections.

 

 

But to leave out this song produced by fellow Scot Gerry Rafferty is just plain criminal:

 

Proclaimers - Letters From America

 

 

 

but from the 80s, 90s and 00s you seemed to have missed out the guy who is normal known in critical arenas as one of scotlands best ever songwriters and singers:

 

Paul Buchanan of the Blue Nile

 

http://mog.com/pictures/wikipedia/1051886/TheBlueNile.jpg

 

 

 

and also while on the subject of great pauls from scotland - what about Paul Haig

 

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1226/1185082404_f96b251872_m.jpg

 

 

Paul Haig - Reason (ok its from last year but still great - tho something good is from the late 1980s)

 

 

also The Fire Engines, Necterine #9, Win etc etc and wake the president!!

 

It was a good start to the album, but got pretty awful as it went on.

 

Into the Valley came out in 1979 I think, so it's ineligible.

 

Much prefer Grebo69's choice - especially bonus points for the correct choice of Mary Chain song!

 

actually even with the bands/song i dont know i think i would go with that selection - actually picked up a radio 1 album for a house of love record and it had love&money song on - quite lush and not so steely dan-ish that it was a sophicated-jazz-funk misery.

 

also you have forgoten Jesse Rae - cant be more Scottish if you tried :lol: not even sean connery!!!!

 

http://www.themusicindex.com/commerce/pages/html/jesse_rae1.jpg

 

 

 

 

Odyssey - billie ray martin - Inside Out