The 1975 have put out some pretty amazing songs over the past few years. With 4 EP’s, 2 albums, and a multitude of remixes and live performances, the British indie-rock band has a lot to choose from. So, here’s a list of my top ten songs from The 1975.
1. This Must Be My Dream
On top of the list is one from their sophomore release. This song is an explanation of a relationship that starts off so well but ends up going sour. Again, the band keeps the positive energy throughout the song even when talking about everything that’s wrong. It’s a song that shows how love can cloud your vision and how a relationship can feel like a dream instead of reality. A true masterpiece, it has become my favorite out of all of them.
2. Settle Down (Young Ruffian Remix)
Next is one of the only remixes I thoroughly enjoy listening to. The original is already one of my favorites off their debut release but the remix is something else. The track itself is about the love we all chase and desire in life. The original has more of a cheerful tone while the remix is more moody and mellow. The remix is blended flawlessly and I find myself always going back to it.
3. Menswear
Off their debut album, this song is a mix between instrumentals and vocals. The first minute and a half is mostly instrumentals with synth vocals while the rest of the song adds in the vocals. A song that sums up a day at a wedding, there’s no real meaning behind it. It’s got a catchy beat, is well put together, and never fails to put me in a good mood which puts it in my top three.
4. Loving Someone
Again, from their recent release, this track is about how the media conditions the public. Celebrities feel as though they are superior beings, and even though they insist that they’re as ‘normal’ as the rest of us, they lose touch with their humanity. Another point made is the fact that relationships sell. If by being in a relationship means your fame grows then maybe that’s the way you have to take. A more upbeat tempo, this track is mostly harmonizing and witty lines.
5. Woman
From their Facedown EP, this song is probably the most melancholic out of all. The song details the emotional connection felt with someone that you wouldn’t expect. Speaking about the younger years and finding a woman, this shows the emotional struggle of finding someone who doesn’t care as much for your feelings as you do. More of a slowed down medley, it’s both haunting and mesmerizing.
6. If I Believe You
Another from their recent album, this track seems to reference Healy’s feelings towards religion and his own mental state. Singing of the problems in his head, he seems to ask if he were to believe in something would that take the pain away. A more melancholic tune, the emotion and depth in the lyrics really shine throughout the progression of the track.
7. Girls (Acoustic @ Bing Lounge)
Next on the list is the acoustic version of one of their most popular songs to date. In my opinion, I would take this version over the studio version any day. The song is about falling in love with a girl who’s younger and even though it’s wrong, continuing a relationship with her. A slower tempo takes precedent and Healy’s vocals are on the mainstage in this acoustic performance.
8. She's American
From their recent studio album, I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it, comes this track highlighting the shallowness of some girls in America. Lines like “If she likes it cause we just don’t eat / And we’re socially relevant, she’s American” and “If she says I’ve got to fix my teeth / Then she’s American” show how some girls are so obsessed with looks and their social status rather than more important factors in life. With a catchy beat, the band doesn’t make this feel like a jab to fame-hungry women.
9. Antichrist
Next on the list is another from their debut EP, Facedown. This song seems to draw on the fact that the world is not perfect but from the point of view of Healy, he doesn’t need something perfect to be in love with the world he lives in. Some might argue that this would be a jab at God, but either way the song is still just as good. Progressively, the song picks up tempo and Healy’s vocal range is again on full display.
10. Fallingforyou
Ending this list is a track that was originally released on their IV EP in 2013 before their debut album was released. A slower vibe, it’s all about unrequited love and the hesitation of having a first crush in your younger years. Throughout the track, Healy sings of his feelings towards a girl who seems to be indifferent to his feelings towards her. Filled with a steady beat and Healy’s mellow vocals, it really makes you feel the emotion behind it.
