Maggie’s Jukebox

20 Years ago today the Tories turned on Margaret Thatcher as she had become a massive electoral legacy, much as Blair did 17 years later.  While few shed a tear – we thought it was a good moment to reflect on the music of the day (1979- 1990). As the new Thatcherism kicks in – and some suggest we should move away from a viceral anti-Toryism we think it’s a good point to look back (in anger). It’s a (non-chronological) and inevitably flawed mix – with some choice cuts from the kitchen of protest pop and others that are just iconic toons of the time (tell us who we’ve missed?!) Special thanks to Steve, MG, Digby in the Fjiords and big Angus for input. We kick off with a song dedicated to the future King Billy and his bride to be and end with something for the present cabinet. Here’s our Top 20 of Maggie’s Jukebox…

Cash Money – Prince Charles & the City Beat

Fascist Groove Thang –  H 17

Ghost Town – The Specials

Stand Down Margaret – The Beat

Shipbuilding – Robert Wyatt

Labour of Love – Hue and Cry

Kill the Poor – Dead Kennedys

Know Your Rights – The Clash

Maggie’s Farm (feat. Rico with The Ice Rink String Sounds)– Specials

Sinful – Pete Wyllie

Margaret on the Guillotine-  Morrissey

Good Morning Britain – Aztec Camera

Steeltown – Big Country

Signing Off – UB40

It Says Here – Billy Bragg

The Lunatics Have Taken Over the Asylum – Fun Boy Three

Letter from America – The Proclaimers

It Doesnt Have to Be this Way – Blow Monkeys

Mind and Movement Control – Tackhead

Eton Rifles – The Jam

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  1. Tocasaid says:

    Ho-ho… good stuff. Has anyone told Gerry Hassan? He seems to be blowing a Tory trumpet on regular basis in the radical pages of the Hootsmon now.

    Good selection of blasts from the past. Big Country get my X-Factor vote here. You could maybe add an Exploited song? I’m sure they had a few colourful anti-Maggie anthems – not sophisticated Gerry Hassan stuff sure, but for 15 year old punks, it was more relevant!

    Here’s Oi Polloi though, with one of their own. I believe the sample at the end of the song comes from Martin Wright, ex-Class War stalwart who fought the NF on the streets of London in the 70s and later appeared on the News at Six, haranguing Tony Blair as he visited a hospital.

  2. petrichoric says:

    Thanks for posting that. I was only twelve at the time (although I can remember watching the news and seeing Maggie on it twenty years ago today), so it was good to hear what people were listening to then.

    http://petrichoric.wordpress.com

  3. Darren says:

    Hue & Cry’s only decent song, and Pat Kane’s still an arse after all these years.

    1. bellacaledonia says:

      Too harsh on both counts…

      1. Vronsky says:

        …but not very much so.

  4. It certainly doesn’t feel like 20 years!
    Thanks for a wonderful walk down memory lane. It’s possible we are of a similar vintage…

  5. EUNSA says:

    Legacy? Liability, surely.

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