More about: The 1975

As Matty Healy once said; “All these kids are living out their lives soundtracked to The 1975”. The soundtrack of 2013 and beyond, It is pointless to deny the impact The 1975 by The 1975 has had on a whole generation. A new wave of indie sleaze was born and the band have been riding high on the success, getting bigger with every new release.

And now, coming to the rescue for a Reading & Leeds drop out for the second year in a row, the band are honouring their debut for its tenth birthday. Announcing that they’ll be playing the album from start to finish, fans naturally went crazy.

“To me, [Self-titled] remains relevant because it effortlessly soundtracks the chaotic years of growing out of your teens and into your 20s, and the love, heartache, friends, parties, and memories that come along with it,” Charlotte Simpson, a fan from Australia, told us. But on that soundtrack, some songs simply stap harder than others.

Ranked in order of worst to best, taking the deluxe tracks into consideration to, here is a biased list…

29. ‘HNSCC’

The last track on this ranking is also probably one of the most heartbreaking ones on this debut album. Standing for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma, a type of cancer, the band recalls and pays tribute to Healy’s Nana who passed away. However, as just an instrumental, there’s not much to stick in your mind.

28. ‘12’

I know, I know… it looks like I have something against instrumentals. But I don’t, I swear! As the 12th track on The 1975’s self-titled album, ‘12’ is a pretty yet fickle transition track.

27. ‘An Encounter’

What a classic… During live shows, this is the song that precedes ‘Robbers’ and it is yet another instrumental. Bold of them to put this many lyric-less songs on their debut.

26. ‘Chocolate’

The soundtrack to most of the band’s fans’ teenage years is probably ‘Chocolate’. A song so catchy it had radios by the throat, destined to overplay it until we all, inevitable, got sickened off it. And while you have to respect it as a 2010s indie relic and a vital piece of the band’s history – we can all admit it’s overrated.

25. ‘Talk!’

From now onwards, we are officially entering controversial territory. One of the strongest vocal moments on the album also occupies one of the lowest positions. To be honest, the ultimate reason for it is the repetitiveness of the track. 

The lyrics, on the other hand, are one of the most poignant ones on the entire record. “I’d be an anchor but I’m scared you’d drown”, and “I’ve been thinking lots about your mouth…” filled every Tumblr page out there, definitely marking their territory in the indie-core community.

24. ‘The City’

If you reached this entry without wanting to beat me up, congratulations!

Being overplayed back in the day has so much to answer for here. Similarly, to ‘Chocolate’, ‘The City’ carries a chaotic personality, with pounding drums in the background and slurred lyrics. The grungy colouring of the melody definitely enthrals the listener. It’s a good track, an interesting track, but I can’t listen to it without shivering as a go back to my teenhood…

23. ‘Girls’

Every time I hear a can pop, my mind goes straight to the iconic guitar riff which characterises ‘Girls’. “Where’s the fun in doing what you’re told?” Healy dares to ask while talking about a prohibited relationship and teenage romantic disappointments. 

When listening to this song, you can hear The 1975 at their more indie-guitar-y selves, putting their foot in the door as the anti-pop personas they created for themselves. “We are not a pop band,” Healy explains at the start of  the ‘Girls’ music video, but get ‘Girls’ is most definitely their poppiest track.

Another reason why it takes up the 23rd position is that it directly follows ‘Robbers’, a slower-tempo track which has nothing to do with the bubbly personality of ‘Girls’. Some might think it is a working match, but I find it quite disorienting. 

22. ‘The 1975’

Ah, this brings me back! The title track, also the first track, is at its rawest form in The 1975’s debut album. The iconic “Go down, soft sound, midnight, car lights…” starts and shivers run down my spine. 

There are not many other opening tracks that are as effective as this one, in my opinion. And the fact that for their next four records, the band decided to showcase an evolution of the same track completely signals that the plans were already in motion to be a band with a clear sense of self. The cloudy backing track and Healy’s autotuned vocals make it so memorable but when we’re comparing it with other tracks, it gets a low ranking by default really.

21. ‘Is There Somebody Who Can Watch You’

‘Is There Somebody Who Can Watch You’ is the first truly heart-shattering song on this list. Talking about his parents divorce and the responsibility he feels for his younger brother, we can all remember those infamous videos of Matty weeping his way through the track on tour. It’s raw and vulnerable and the start of the band’s now long legacy of gut-wrenching ballads, but newer cuts have made this one a little forgettable.

20. ‘Woman’

Where to begin with this track… First appearing on The 1975’s Facedown EP, ‘Woman’ stole thousands of people’s hearts in a sweeping motion. Full of amazing lyrics but you can’t help but get ready for whatever is next on the record. 

19. ‘She Way Out’

The 13th track on the album is ‘She Way Out’ and, personally it is one of my favourite tracks. Some of the best lyrics appear on it too, when Healy sings “It’s not about your body it’s just social implications are brought upon by this party that we’re sitting in”. Truly the start of his insufferable wordy side.

I have no real excuse for why it’s middle of the rank - If The 1975 was a shorter album, this song would probably be in a higher position.

18. ‘Sex’

Okay, hear me out… Still one of the most well-known ‘75 tracks in history, ‘Sex’ will never cease being a classic. With Healy’s strong vocals and Adam Hann’s mesmerising guitars, it is hard to forget the melody.

However, more than eleven years after its official release, this track has had its time to shine. During live shows, I can’t deny it, it is a blast. From ‘Here we fucking go’ chants in the crowd to mosh pits opening in the crowd, its job today is to hold on to that 2010s nostalgia we so struggle to let go of. As much as it is not a bad thing, other songs deserve the spotlight today.

“And this is how it starts” will always have a special role in The 1975’s history, being reprised in 2017’s ‘A Change of Heart’ and becoming a real motto for the Mancunian band. 

17. ‘So Far (It’s Alright)’

The 1975 take on slam poetry (not really) on ‘So Far (It’s Alright)’, sampling Laura Nyro’s 1968 ‘Once It Was Alright Now (Farmer Joe)’ iconic piano and vocals throughout the whole track while narrating about the ups and downs of life when you have a famous mother and a (now recovered) drug addiction.

During their first tours, Healy declared more than once that ‘So Far’ is his favourite song to play live, since “I don’t have to play guitar. I’m freed up. I like that. It means I can move around, I can take the mic off the stand.” However, for everyone else, it’s just a little wanky…

16. ‘M.O.N.E.Y’

The serious guns are about to come out now. ‘M.O.N.E.Y’ is by far one of the most noteworthy songs on The 1975.

Catchy, chaotic and a little funkier than anything else on the album – it’s rarely skipped but not as memorable as tracks still to come…

15. ‘Heart Out’

The more I listen to this album the more I am reminded how much I enjoy it. ‘Heart Out’ is one of the prime examples of why. When Matty bursts into the bridge, I want to scream along with every word with my arms in the air and a beer in my hand - “You got something to say? Why don’t you speak it out loud instead of living it in your head?”

It’s getting harder and harder to judge this album, but this is a great way to kickstart my top-15.  

14. ‘Facedown’

When I think of The 1975 by The 1975, oddly, this is the first song that springs to mind. It perfectly encapsulates and summarises the band’s signature sounds and personality, showing off their more experimental side as well as their slow-motioned one-liners also present in the title track.

Featuring one of their most cherished lines, “And you said I’ve lost my head, can you see it?”, as a precursor to ‘Lostmyhead’ out of the album I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It.  ‘Facedown’ is a beautiful testament to what The 1975 have been, from their previous eras as Talkheads and Drive Like I Do to where they would go.

13. ‘Settle Down’

Another very strong vocal moment for the frontman Healy appears on ‘Settle Down’. Cashing in on all the things that would become their trademarks from the signature drums and big choruses – ‘Settle Down’ is just a good old fashioned banger.

12. ‘Pressure’

“You’ve seen so many faces that I’ve never seen before, I left an unrewarded message telling you to c'mon,” Healy sings in the first line of ‘Pressure’. By far, it is one of the most compelling hooks on the record, capturing the listener within the first 30 seconds and making it hard for them to let go.

I can’t believe this track is at number 12, but god, this album has no low moments.

11. ‘Anobrain’

‘Anobrain’ is one of the most intimate songs on the album, even if barely two minutes long. Like ‘Facedown’, it recalls The 1975’s reverberated, tormented, haunted personalities. They wanted to cause shivers down the listener’s spine or slight tears to form at the corner of their eyes and, with ‘Anobrain’ they did just that.

10. ‘Menswear’

Drum roll, please… Top 10! 

This incredibly long deluxe album has gems all over it, but one just shines brighter. ‘Menswear’ is such a good track. I vividly remember hearing it for the first time and waiting for the lyrics to finally start. Once they do, they take the listener on a journey which describes a wedding Healy really does not want to be at, with all the humour and snark you expect from the band.

9. ‘Head.Cars.Bending’

The song comes in full force in between two of the slowest tracks of the record, ‘HNSCC’ and ‘Me’, making sure to remind the listener that the party is indeed not over.

Another track that dominated 2010s Tumblr, it’s a classic.

8. ‘Fallingforyou’

And here is another classic. Since the band decided to re-introduce this song in their latest tour At Their Very Best, ‘Fallingforyou’ has proven timeless. No one will ever get tired of screaming “I don’t wanna be your friend, I wanna kiss your neck!”

7. ‘Intro / Set3’

I vividly remember thinking I was having a stroke while listening to this song. In a good way. The best way I can describe it is absolute euphoria. Proving once again that The 1975 is an electronic band deep down, Healy and drummer George Daniels’ production explode in a sensory overload during the chorus when what sounds like a siren echoes through the speakers.

The glitchy 3-minute track definitely leaves a mark on the listener and I, personally, cannot get enough.

6. ‘Antichrist’

With all the praises the previous tracks on this list have gotten, as we are nearing the top-5, words feel like they are not enough anymore. There is an inner joke between the band and their fans about the track ‘Antichrist’, since they have always refused to play it live. And maybe this only adds to my obsession with the track and its haunting vocals.

One of Matty’s finest lyrical moments as he contemplated religion, a regular topic in their discography, ‘Antichrist’ is desperate, beautiful and brilliant.

5. ‘Me’

Speaking of hauntingly beautiful, ‘Me’ is another jewel. Maybe the darkest we’ve ever seen the band as they dive from desperate to outright devastation – ‘Me’ is stunning in all its sadness.

4. ‘Undo’

Ah, ‘Undo’. What a breath of fresh air. The mellow personality of the song itself, mixed with Ross MacDonald’s bassline running in the background, it’s a breath of fresh air on the erratic album.

You may say it’s a bit of a filler track, but a damn good one if you ask me.

3. ‘Robbers’

The top-3 is officially broken into by one of the most iconic 2013 British indie hymns of love and freedom, ‘Robbers’. Between the song itself and the music video, history was made. The 1975 was able to make themselves so recognisable that, even today, 10 years on, this is the first song many think of when talking about the band.

Healy’s thick accent constellates the song, alongside one of the best vocal performances of his whole career. “Now everybody’s dead,” he rasps with so much emotion you can almost hear the tears dropping from his eyes and the sweat running down his forehead.

The guitar riff will keep feeling like you are 13 and carefree again, and maybe that was the whole point from the start.

2. ‘You’ / 'Milk'

The 1975’s ‘You’, when clicked on, appears to be a nearly-10-minute-long track, which can result a bit overwhelming. However, it hides a few surprises. First of all, when the guitar starts you are immediately transported in another world, one where being young is not heavy on your shoulders and liking guitar music is not a cliche yet.

Hann’s guitar riff bursts in a great energy during every chorus, while Healy sings “It takes a bit more than you…”, signalling that this is yet another lovestruck song. The originality of the song, however, sticks out thanks to the explosive ending, which embodies Healy’s frustration at his current unhappy one-year relationship. 

The second surprise presents itself only to those who wait since it starts at the 2:14 mark from the end. ‘Milk’ starts playing, a hidden track in The 1975 debut album. Like ‘Chocolate’, ‘Milk’ is a euphemism for drugs, in particular cocaine. The buzzing and enthralling guitar constellating the whole track accompanies the references to a girl who has fallen victim to addiction, leaving a bittersweet yet euphoric aftertaste in the listener’s mouth. 

1. ‘Haunt // Bed’

Feel free to call me controversial, but hear me out. ‘Haunt // Bed’ is one of The 1975’s best tracks, ever. Even though the lyrics assume a teenage-like vision, with Healy singing about a friend who is going through a tough time and therefore wants to console her with his body, the instrumental is a whole other story.

“I can’t exist within my own head, so I insist on haunting your bed,” the frontman sings with a pounding electronic yet mellow instrumental in the background. The atmosphere this song creates is not to take for granted, carrying the most amount of torment and nostalgia in the whole record. 

I know putting it in the first position might be a shock to many, but The 1975 has never been anything but a surprise. We should all welcome it and life might just get easier.

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More about: The 1975