More about: McFly

McFly were practically children when Room on the 3rd Floor was released in 2004. It didn't stop them from beating the record set by The Beatles though - in that year, with that record they became the youngest band to ever have their album debut at number one in the UK.

And how far they’ve come since then! Sixteen years later and they're still producing album after album of unpredictable work. It’s clear their talent doesn’t just stop with McFly. During their recent hiatus, Dougie wrote a series of children's books about pooing dinosaurs (they were a hit, obviously), Harry won the ninth series of Strictly Come Dancing, and Danny wrote and produced music for the likes of Rihanna and One Direction.

But now the boys are back with a bang. They recently signed their first record deal since 2009, and with their new album Young Dumb Thrills freshly out in the world, we thought we'd take a look at their most underrated songs… 

'Broccoli'

There doesn’t even need to be a review of this song. The fact it opens with the below is all the information you need: “Everything was going just the way I planned/ the broccoli was done/she doesn't know that I'm a virgin in the kitchen/ 'cause it's normally my mum”

'Too Close for Comfort'

One of the greatest teen break-up ballads of all time? Gives you flashbacks to being a spotty teen, when the only real problems were getting our fringes perfectly straight, not revising for a French spelling test and trying to get Tom in the year above to take notice, doesn't it?

'The Last Song'

We truly believe this song was written as a show finisher. You know that last song to get a crowd really hyped up and demand an encore? It starts, and you think 'oh it’s just another ballad, slow, nothing special'. but suddenly it builds and turns into a genuinely feel-good anthem that's great to belt out in the shower. 

'Red'

Ok, so this one hasn’t been out THAT long but, my God! Often branded as pop, this track shows McFly's range. Plus, it's an absolute banger, and such an amazing experience live. 

'That Girl'

Room on the 3rd Floor will always hold a special place in our hearts, and a lot of the songs on the album are what we consider to be classic McFly. The album is surf rock heavy, especially this song which was quite clearly inspired by their love of the The Beach Boys. A light hearted Got The Girl, Lost The Girl track. 

'I’ve Got You'

The Wonderland days of McFly bring a more mature and ambitious side exploring different styles and techniques - which this song does in tenfold. If their first album was inspired by The Beach Boys, this album was inspired by West End Musicals. 

'No Worries'

This cut is a bit more stripped back, and, we always think, more suited to Tom’s vocals than Danny’s; just goes to show how great both of their voices are. We could see someone like One Direction singing it, which makes sense as Tom has written music for them in the past. With softer lyrics - a bit more what a young teen girl pines for in a teen boy – are you telling me you can't see a young Harry Styles singing this?

'Smile'

There’s a feeling they had a genuinely good time making this song – perhaps because this was the first album McFly released independently. It’s repetitive in an infectious way, and everyone loves a trumpet solo. 

'Silence is a Scary Sound'

When we first saw this song performed live - way back to the Wonderland tour in 2005 - was when we fell in love with Dougie’s voice. Absolutely not as trained or practiced as Danny’s and Tom’s, but perfect for a song he wrote when he was 14. It's good they decided to not record and produce this track: it only features as a live recording on their Motion In The Ocean album. As a raw song filled with teen angst, it doesn’t need any fancy fine tuning.

'Home is Where the Heart Is'

A great balance of both Tom and Danny’s vocals with a perfect riff in the middle. Rumoured to have been written as an anthem for Wembley Arena, this is a song from the heart: McFly believe they belong on the big stage in front of their fans and knocking out hit after hit forever – and we agree. 

'Ignorance'

It's great whenever Dougie’s vocals get a more prominent feature than just backing: his pop punk edge is perfect for this song. With lyrics hinting at being left, feeling like an idiot for ever ‘falling in love’ and generally being an angry, sensitive soul, it has the potential to be a emo anthem. 

Young Dumb Thrills is out now on BMG.

More about: McFly