Paul Weller’s Favorite Songs by the Decade

In 2021, Paul Weller joined Absolute Radio’s Danielle Perry to discuss his favorite songs through the decades.

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The 66-year-old musician emerged in the late 1970s with The Jam and was central to the mod revival of the time. He became a primary influence on Britpop, and having created the blueprint for stadium bands like Oasis, the interview with Perry highlights the music that influenced the legendary Modfather.

1960s: “Tomorrow Never Knows” by The Beatles from Revolver (1966)

The 1960s shaped Weller more than any other. You don’t get to “The Modfather” without the fashion and culture of the 1960s. He said he watched The Beatles perform on television in 1963 and immediately decided that’s what he wanted to do with his life. “Tomorrow Never Knows,” to Weller, remains the most “forward-looking track” of the decade. He said it sounded “beamed in from another dimension.”

1970s: “She Does It Right” by Dr. Feelgood from Down by the Jetty (1975)

In the following decade, Weller listened to the glam rock of David Bowie and T. Rex but also soul and reggae music. However, he avoided the era’s stadium rock bands and, by the mid-’70s, discovered the English rock group Dr. Feelgood and their guitarist Wilko Johnson. Johnson played sharp proto-punk guitar riffs, which Weller said was the perfect attitude for his teenage years.

1980s: “Ain’t Nobody” by Rufus and Chaka Khan from Stompin’ at the Savoy (1983)

Though the 1980s wasn’t his favorite decade for music, Weller remembers “Ain’t Nobody” being everywhere in the clubs. He said the song represents fond memories of those days, and he wasn’t the only one moved by this R&B classic. The funk group won a Grammy for the track, and it remains one of Chaka Khan’s defining songs.

1990s: “Luck of Lucien” by A Tribe Called Quest from People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (1990)

Comparing ’90s hip-hop to The Beatles in the ’60s, Weller thought the production and sampling sounded “futuristic.” Weller said he searched for the origins of the samples he heard in hip-hop. It became a way to discover new music from previous generations he’d missed. Groups like A Tribe Called Quest brought disparate audiences together at a time when music fans were often tribalistic in their listening habits.

2000s: “Last Nite” by The Strokes from Is This It (2001)

The Strokes helped revive rock music from its early 2000s stagnation. For Weller, with bands like The Strokes and The Libertines, guitar-based rock music became exciting again. The twin guitars of Albert Hammond Jr. and Nick Valensi are tightly woven into catchy hooks and Julian Casablancas’ slacker-dude delivery. Weller didn’t say this, but as a rock star with one of the best mops in history, there aren’t many bands with better hairdos (or names) than The Strokes.

2010s: “I Saw the Dead” by Villagers from Becoming a Jackal (2010)

Dublin-based singer Conor O’Brien records under the name Villagers, and his debut album Becoming a Jackal was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize in 2010. Weller called O’Brien a genius and chose “I Saw the Dead” as his song for the 2010s. He sees O’Brien “pushing boundaries,” which is a constant in how Weller connects with music.

2020s: “In Better Times” by Paul Weller from Fat Pop (2021)

For the 2020s, Weller chose a song of his own. For “In Better Times,” Weller said he hoped the song put “a smile on their faces.” He worked remotely with his band to record Fat Pop during the COVID lockdown, then finished the album in person at Black Barn studio in England. His 16th solo album reached No. 1 in the UK and showcases the lifetime of pop music that has shaped him.

Photo by Lorne Thomson/Redferns