Oh, Kasabian – how we love you.
The Leicester legends have become one of the biggest bands of the past 20 years with their expert blend of rock and electronica – and the East Midlands is proud of you!
Their energetic live performances have captivated audiences from tiny club shows to the world’s biggest festivals and also never forget their humble beginnings with huge homecoming shows, choosing Leicester over London – unlike other indie superstars, and yes Pulp, we are looking at you!
The SitM team recently took a joint listen thorough their back catalogue and finally agreed on what we believe are their ten best songs.
Feel free to disagree!
10. Bless This Acid House
Strangely, back in 2017, the band boldly called this choon “the best song they’ve ever written”. I doubt many agree – but it’s certainly one of their most joyous and slightly bonkers on the criminally underrated ‘For Crying Out Loud’ long player.
9. Bumblebee
The album that spawned this single has its haters (not me, I love it!) but we all really enjoyed ’48:13’ for being a proper laugh and this highlight captures its style. It’s all about that chorus, which sounds like the Beatles’ ‘Helter Skelter’ being bellowed out by imperial Leicester warriors.
8. Switchblade Smiles
The best bits of latter-day Kasabian have been their most absurdly and meandering experiments that pack just enough pop punch to keep them on the straight and narrow. ‘Switchblade Smiles’ is a fine example of this, pumped with so many breath-snatching beats and bass-heavy drops it’s practically EDM.
7. Shoot the Runner
Military drums, chant-along verses and a no-bullshit chorus that sounds like aliens landing – what more could you want! It’s just a shame about the mediocre lyrics – “Get your knees on the floor/ Absinthe makes you my whore”
6. L.S.F.
It was ‘L.S.F.’ (aka Lost Souls Forever) that really brought Kasabian to the UK’s attention. It’s a wonderful hypnotic piece of indie rock with a gigantic chorus – and quintessential Kasabian.
5. Days Are Forgotten
This is their fourth album Velociraptor’s highpoint in my humble opinion. A memorable guitar riff that gives way to a superb swaggering chorus that always leads to pints being thrown in the air when I’ve seen them perform it live.
4. Where Did All the Love Go?
The second ‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’ single was a lot softer than predecessor ‘Fire’, but its relaxed vibes still hit the spot. This is a slick piece of indie rock with a smoothness to it. Hats off.
3. Processed Beats
Less lauded than other early singles, ‘Processed Beats’ is a hidden gem among the explosive debut record’s rubble. Mixing sparse hip-hop vibes with eerie samples – faintly reminiscent of Gorillaz’ debut a few years earlier – the song hinges on Tom, who plays a blinder, rap-singing verses like a street-prowling poet idiot savant.
2. Club Foot
The opening track from the band’s debut album and Kasabian’s first hit single – and what a way to kick off your career. Still a staple of live sets, the song stampedes forth like a sonic juggernaut, and what a chorus! To this day it still makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand to attention whether it be at a Kasabian show or when played as your favourite football team takes to the pitch using it for inspiration.
1. Fire
‘Fire’ is Kasabian dialled up to 11. The perfect stadium rocker with a chorus every songwriter dreams of writing. It’s their highest-charting single, making Number 3 in June 2009 and remaining on the charts for 34 weeks. So the public also agree.
