For the second entry in our new Best Songs Ever series, I’ll head back to 1999 and visit Britrock group Blur‘s famous tune “Tender.” If you live in Britain, this choice probably won’t come as a surprise to you — “Tender” is possibly the group’s best-known and best-liked song. It charted at #2 in the U.K. and made an impact throughout the world, from Germany to Australia to Sweden. But it never even saw the light of day in the U.S., a testament to this country’s occasionally horrific music taste (we were rocking out to “…Baby One More Time” right around then).
For those unfamiliar with Blur and/or with “Tender” itself, you’re about to hear a song that truly ranks among the best rock music can offer. “Tender” takes its title from an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, which it quotes — “tender is the night.” The epic tune features a choir, one of the most memorable guitar riffs ever written, and a mantra that pretty much sums up human existence in one line: “Come on, come on, come on/ Love’s the greatest thing.” That’s why it’s one of the best songs ever.
-Jordy Kasko
Stream: Blur – “Tender”
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