THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

435-The Undertones-Teenage Kicks.

1978-Number 31 single.

Best Bit-At 0.30. The late great DJ John Peel’s favourite ever song, enough said.

The Undertones were formed in Derry, Northern Island, in 1974, by John O’Neill, (rhythm guitar) Feargal Sharkey, (vocals) Michael Bradley, (bass) Billy Doherty, (drums) and Vincent O’Neill, (guitar) Vincent left the group in 1976, and was replaced by his younger brother Damian O’Neill (lead guitar.) This quintet remained active until 1983, when lead singer Feagal Sharkey who unhappy about the musical direction the band had taken, left the group to pursue a solo career. In 1999 The Undertones reformed without Sharkey who declined their invitation, so fellow Derry born Paul McLoon was drafted in as the new lead singer, and at the time of writing they remain active. It was their drummer Billy Doherty who proposed the name for the group ‘The Undertones,’ which he had discovered in his school history book. The Undertones early musical influences included ‘Punk Rock, and ‘New Wave,’ and then they also incorporated elements of ‘Rock, ‘Glam Rock,’ and ‘Post-Punk’ into material released after 1979, before citing ‘Soul’ and ‘Motown’ as the influence for the material released upon their final album before Feargal Sharkey’s departure. Feargal Sharkey has said, ‘Certainly The Undertones were a completely different band by the time we made Positive Touch (third studio Album) and the last album, The Sin of Pride, which was an even bigger departure. We thought we were doing all these good things, taking up all these challenges and, we felt, meeting them, and nobody was saying a damn thing about it. Everybody wanted us to be these 16-year-old kids covered in acne and playing ‘Teenage Kicks.’

The discography of The Undertones includes six studio Albums released between 1979-2007, and 20 singles released between 1978-2013, there are also three extended plays, (EP’s) 14 official compilation Albums, and two box sets available. In the UK, seven of their singles have reached the top 40, with ‘My Perfect Cousin’ peaking the highest at Number 9 in 1980. The groups only other top 40 chart entries have been on the Irish Singles Chart in the Republic of Ireland, where four of their songs have made the top 40, with ‘My Perfect Cousin’ proving to be their greatest commercial success when also peaking at Number 9.

‘Teenage Kicks’ was written by John O’Neill in 1977, with the production credited to The Undertones, and Davy Shannon, who worked with the group on their debut extended play ‘Teenage Kicks’ in September 1978. When The Undertones signed to ‘Sire Records’ in October 1978, ‘Teenage Kicks’ was released as a single, but did not appear on their self titled debut studio Album from May 1979, but when that Album was re-issued in October 1979, it appeared as track 5 on side one. John O’Neill has said, ‘In 1978 we didn’t think ‘Teenage Kicks’ was the best song. True Confessions was the one we thought people would go for, and we only named the EP after it because we were teenagers and it seemed appropriate. When John Peel played it twice on his show we were in shock. I came-up with the title. I was an MC5 (see also best songs 155) fan and they had a song called Teenage Lust and we used to cover Route 66, so with the licks in the chorus I just made the connection. I was actually shocked that there wasn’t already a song called Teenage Kicks because it’s an obvious cliché. To be honest, I still don’t think the songs that good, it’s the band’s performance on record that gives it the special quality. We were just the right age at the right time. It’s the strength of the voice, and the urgency of the drums and guitars, it seemed to capture the moment.’

‘Teenage Kicks’ is famous for being the all time favourite song of the influential ‘BBC Radio 1’ DJ John Peel, (1939-2004) (see also best songs 728-659-409 and 336) it is said that on first hearing the song in September 1978 Peel burst in to tears. In a 2001 interview Peel stated that apart from his name, the only words he wished to be engraved on his gravestone were the opening lyrics to Teenage Kicks (‘Teenage dreams so hard to beat.’) Peel’s wife Sheila said, ‘We have put the words on the stone that he would have wanted, I wouldn’t dare do anything else.’

I’m gonna call her on the telephone, have her over ’cause I’m all alone. I need excitement, oh I need it bad and it’s the best I’ve ever had.’