[2025] A roundup of classic UK rock songs: from the latest tracks to timeless staples!

Dire StraitsDire Straits

Dire Straits – Money For Nothing (Official Music Video)

It’s included on the 1985 album “Brothers in Arms.” It’s a rock band formed in London in 1976, centered around the Knopfler brothers.

Their edgy guitar sound and cynical vocals are captivating.

The WolfMumford & Sons

Mumford & Sons – The Wolf (Live)

It grabs you from the intro.

There’s a richness to the sound, real energy, and the heat of a band.

I used to think of them as an acoustic band, but in recent years it seems they’ve been actively incorporating things like distorted tones from electric guitars.

Don’t Look Back In AngerOasis

Oasis – Don’t Look Back In Anger (Official Video)

Oasis, the Manchester-born band that made their name resound across the globe as a standard-bearer of Britpop, released a classic song in February 1996 that delivers an uplifting message of hope and resonates deeply with the heart.

This track, the first to feature Noel Gallagher as lead vocalist, sings about letting go of past anger and hate and moving forward toward a brighter future.

Beginning with a beautiful piano intro heavily influenced by the Beatles and building into a majestic chorus, the song’s structure is breathtaking.

It debuted at number one in the UK and later became a symbol of solidarity and hope in the midst of sorrow when it was sung at a memorial gathering after the 2017 Manchester Arena terrorist attack.

This Isn’t Everything You AreSnow Patrol

Snow Patrol – This Isn’t Everything You Are (Official Video)

When I picture UK rock, I associate it with a sense of coldness, yet at the same time I feel a certain heat.

It’s similar to the experience of touching something cold and feeling it as hot.

This song evokes that sensation perfectly.

YellowColdplay

Coldplay – Yellow (Official Video)

It was included on the 2000 album Parachutes.

They are a four-piece formed in London in 1997.

Their debut album Parachutes and this single achieved explosive worldwide sales, leading them to global popularity and making them one of the representative rock bands of the 21st century.

Stairway to HeavenLed Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin – Stairway To Heaven (Official Audio)

I think it’s an undeniably legendary song.

Jimmy Page’s electric guitar solo is so cool that anyone would want to try copying it at least once, and Robert Plant’s vocals are high and outstanding.

It’s a relatively long track, but the fact that you never get bored listening to it is another part of its charm.

Bitter Sweet SymphonyThe Verve

The Verve – Bitter Sweet Symphony

This is a song that’s guaranteed to send your excitement through the roof the moment you hear that famous intro.

The vocalist, Richard Ashcroft, has also pursued a solo career, and a comment he made in NME was highly insightful.

It made me feel he’s a person of strong conviction.