Guest post by Nathan Arizona
Iconic British DJ John Peel called it his favorite song ever. He cried when he first heard it. He had lyrics from it carved on his tombstone.
One music site pronounced it the second-best indie song ever. Another named it the sixth-best power pop song of all time, allowing that is was at least as much punk as pop. One critic said it was his “most cherished song.”
The song was “Teenage Kicks” by the youthful Northern Ireland band the Undertones. It was better known in Britain than here (an old story).
The Undertones cut their teeth on the Ramones and had clearly heard the Buzzcocks. Their energetic, joyful sound had all kinds of punk energy but also a knack for melody. They were fans of catchy U.S. pop hits from the Brill Building.
Lead singer Feargal Sharkey had a distinctive quaver in his voice. He mostly sang about getting laid. They were unpretentious — the clothes they wore on stage “were what your Mom bought you,” said one member.
The band was ready to call it quits in 1978 after a year or so playing around Derry and recording an EP. Then Peel heard “Teenage Kicks” from the EP and played the hell out of it. He hooked them up with Sire records, which re-released “Teenage Kicks “ as a single and then put it on an album with that title. The Undertones were off and running.
The song never got higher than No. 31, maybe not quite pop enough for that. Other moderate hits followed, but the Undertones broke up in 1983 after going for something a little less teenage.
Here’s John Peel’s favorite song.
