The 100 Greatest Bands of all time - #87 The Jam

The Jam was formed during the 1^st wave of British punk, but they were a little different from their contemporaries. Unlike the Pistols and Clash who declared year zero and attempted to discard the 60s bands that had come before, The Jam emulated the Mod style of the Who and the very British themes of the Kinks. Paul Weller wrote songs that were so very British that they had a hard time breaking through in America, which is a shame as they were some of the best songs of the era. Bruce Foxton was also an integral part of the sound of The Jam due to his heavily featured bass lines. Songs like “Down in the Tube Station at Midnight”, “That’s Entertainment”, and “Town Called Malice” should have been huge hits on these shores, especially when British New Wave began to dominate the American charts. Alas, it was not to be, but they definitely deserve their spot on this list.




The Jam hit big in the UK with their first single, In the City.





This song should have been a hit here. Paul Weller tells a frightening story of being attacked in the subway and Bruce Foxton proves himself one of rock's great bass players.





Eton Rifles.





This is Going Underground.





One of the best things Paul Weller ever wrote. This is a thing of beauty.





Absolute Beginners.





and we finish our look at The Jam with Town Called Malice, another song that should have been a massive, huge hit.