In case you’re unfamiliar with the ranking, every year, rock radio station Radio X refreshes its list of the top 100 best British songs of all time, and puts the vote out to its listeners nationwide so they can have their say in helping create its annual ‘Best of British’ round-up.
And now, for what is the second year running, the iconic Manchester band’s 1994 hit, ‘Live Forever’, has taken the number one spot.
The hugely critically-acclaimed song – which was released as the band’s third single from their debut album, Definitely Maybe, and was the first Oasis single to enter the top 10 charts in the UK – topped the radio station’s 2024 list in the countdown announced yesterday (1 April), which is nearly three decades following its release.
ADVERTISEMENT
Written by Noel Gallagher in 1991, even before he joined Oasis, and declared Liam Gallagher’s favourite Oasis song, as well as apparently being the best British song of all time, ‘Live Forever’ is known for featuring a basic song structure and lyrics with an optimistic outlook.
The song was said to be one to contrast with the attitude of the songs released by the several grunge bands who were popular at the time.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Thirty years after its release, it’s fitting to see ‘Live Forever’ retain top spot in this year’s list of the best tunes Britain has to offer,” commented Matt Deverson, who is the Managing Editor of Radio X.
The hit is one of four Oasis tracks making up the top 10 of Radio X’s 2024 ‘Best of British’ list too, alongside ‘Slide Away,’ ‘Champagne Supernova,’ and ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’, while elsewhere, the band appears to have dominated the top 100 just in general.
The Gallagher brothers and co have 14 songs featured on the list in total this year.
Not only that, but as a city famed for its musical heritage, Manchester was the most represented city on the 2024 list too, with 35 songs from 11 different bands – including tracks from other iconic bands and artists like New Order, Blossoms, The Stone Roses, Elbow, and The Smiths.
Green Island returns for 2026 with ‘best lineup’ yet, featuring A Guy Called Gerald, DJ Paulette and more
Danny Jones
Green Island Fest, a.k.a. one of our favourite live music events on the entire planet, is back for 2026 with its biggest and what is, arguably, on course to its best lineup to date.
And this is just the first wave…
The annual series of outdoor parties is about as literal as grassroots celebrations come, with the performances taking place at none other than Hulme Community Garden Centre.
After an incredible debut a few years ago, its popularity and overall reputation have only grown taller like the trees the punters will be in amongst when Green Island ’26 kicks off its first edition this summer.
In addition to continually platforming rising artists across multiple genres and other up-and-coming projects within the industry, they’re now attracting some serious real music legends, too.
As well as Moss Side and original Manc music tastermaker A Guy Called Gerald topping the bill, festivalgoers are set to be treated to a dedicated 808 State DJ set too, though it remains to be seen if others from the iconic collective will be joining Gerald on stage.
Fellow house and dance veteran turned radio host, DJ Paulette, will also be rolling through the sea of plants and ravers for the first time ever.
Split over three ‘chapters’ as always – June, July and the closer in September – this is perhaps one of the most electronic-driven lineups to date as they look to celebrate the city’s rich heritage within the genre, but as always, there’s so much more going on at Green Island.
With street food traders setting up next to the bushes and barrels of beer, the stages spilling out onto backstreets once again, and afterparties each month, festival season simply can’t come soon enough.
This year, not only are the organisers committed to making this an ‘anti-algorithm programming’ initiative, ensuring that they have full control over their acts, selectors and beyond, but they’re also looking to cater for all ages and better than ever.
With a brand-new family area and dedicated daytime programme curated by Z-arts, a nearby arts centre for children and families, ‘The Imaginarium’ is inviting families to “make, move, and explore together through nature-inspired creative activities.”
Promising a “relaxed, joyful space for curious minds and shared moments of creative play, expect drop-in art workshops, nature-inspired storytelling and magical nature adventures”, it’ll serve as a tangible reminder of how both music and the wider Community Garden Centre fit into the arts world.
It’s grassroots pioneers like these guys that make us truly proud of the Greater Manchester live entertainment sector and overall cultural scene, and we promise that if you’ve never been to Green Island Fest before, you WILL NOT be disappointed.
For those who fancy going on either 6 June, 25 July or 5 September, you can grab your tickets HERE.
Bad Bunny: What you need to know about the Super Bowl LX headliner before his big halftime show
Thomas Melia
Global superstar Bad Bunny is headlining the Super Bowl LX halftime show, and we’re giving you the rundown about the current reigning reggaeton artist.
Despite being world famous and hugely popular in Latin America as well as other Hispanic countries, not everyone had heard his name before now.
And since there seem to be more places showing the Super Bowl than ever in Manchester this year, we thought we’d give you a little explainer of his story so far and why you should care when he takes one of the world’s biggest stages.
So, if you’ve been wondering, “who is Bad Bunny?” – well, this is who…
Who is Super Bowl halftime show headliner, Bad Bunny?
Born in Puerto Rico, Benito Antonio – now more widely recognised by his artistic moniker Bad Bunny – is a fast-rising Spanish-speaking act who has transported modern-day reggaeton from Latin America to all new heights.
The Puerto Rican powerhouse has only ever visited the UK once, performing at O2 Forum Kentish Town in London seven years ago as part of his first-ever run of global shows entitled ‘La Nueva Religión’ (The New Religion) tour.
Since then, ‘El Benito’ has dropped seven full-length studio albums and nine musical projects overall, which have all helped establish him as a major force to be reckoned with in the music industry.
Bad Bunny is headlining the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show on 8 February / Credit: Press Shot via Apple Music(Supplied) / Unsplash via Naveen Venkatesan
Alongside his musical career, Bad Bunny has seen himself at the forefront of various pop culture moments thanks to his innovative fashion sense and notable charm.
Iconic moments Bad Bunny is known for
With his first album X 100Pre (an abbreviation meaning Forever) dropping back in 2018, Bad Bunny has spent almost eight years in the limelight, so it will come as no surprise that there are plenty of iconic moments you might remember.
Bad Bunny as a drag queen – To coincide with the release of his single ‘Yo Perreo Sola’ (I Twerk Alone), Benito stepped into unchartered territory, debuting three different Drag personas to combat toxic masculinity in the reggaeton music scene.
WWE – Benito is a huge fan of wrestling. He first appeared for a performance at the Royal Rumble in 2021, before returning later that year and teaming up with Damian Priest to take down The Miz and John Morrison.
VMA performance – The Latin multi-hyphenate made headlines in 2022 after kissing a male dancer on-stage. Both fans and media outlets stated the performance harked back to Madonna’s similar showcase two decades prior; you can watch Bad Bunny’s kiss HERE (skip to 2:50).
Met Gala – Well-recognised for its glamorous and glitzy outfits, the Met Gala brings together A-Listers for a showcase of all things fashion. Bad Bunny was styled by fashion house Jacquemus and wore a backless suit with a 26-foot train.
The Super Bowl is a huge accomplishment for all artists; now Bad Bunny joins the headlining roster / Credit: Jorge Rojas via Unsplash (Supplied)
SNL – The LATAM star has appeared on American comedy sketch-show SNL numerous times, both as an artist and as a part-time comedian. In 2023, Bad Bunny and Pedro Pascal became an overprotective aunty and mum duo and had crowds laughing uncontrollably.
Carpool Karaoke – James Corden’s nighttime show segment was welcomed into the reggaeton world courtesy of Bad Bunny. However, it’s his cover of ‘Break Free’ by Ariana Grande where he discusses it’s the first English-spoken song he ever learnt that had people falling in love with him.
Coachella – This desert-based music festival is known for its large-scale productions, and in the early summer of 2023, Bad Bunny became the first Spanish-speaking artist to headline this mega music celebration.
No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí – Translating to ‘I don’t want to leave here’, this was the title of his Puerto Rico residency. As well as creating lifelong memories for fans, this 31-date experience also boosted the economy of his home country.
What songs will Bad Bunny perform at his Super Bowl halftime show?
With 28 songs over one billion streams, Bad Bunny is going to have a tricky time deciphering which of his hits to include in his upcoming Super Bowl halftime show performance.
His most recognisable album is the beach-inspired Un Verano Sin Ti (A Summer Without You), which features six tracks with over one billion streams, so it’s safe to say this LP is guaranteed some love.
The latest addition to El Benito’s discography, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (I Should’ve Taken More Photos) might also steal the spotlight due to its focus on exploring traditional Puerto Rican sounds.
ADVERTISEMENT
And, after reconciling late last year, Bad Bunny might take his friendship with J Balvin to Super Bowl status, performing songs from their collaborative album OASIS as well as their Cardi B link-up ‘I Like It’.
Audio North‘s Bad Bunny Super Bowl setlist prediction:
NUEVAYoL
Tití Me Preguntó/ Me Porto Bonito/ Moscow Mule (Medley)
Dákiti
I Like It (With Cardi B and J Balvin)
La Canción (With J Balvin)
Callaíta (With Tainy)
Un x100to (With Grupo Frontera)
Baile Inolvidable
Super Bowl halftime show performances normally contain around 10 songs, and the setlist is being kept very tight-lipped as per usual; however, it’s always fun to throw out a prediction or two before the event on Sunday, 8 February.
Which special guests will join Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show line-up?
Bad Bunny has worked with a multitude of artists from reggaeton sidekicks to pop supremes like Jennifer Lopez, Dua Lipa and Drake.
Although it’s highly unlikely these big names will all be free at the same time, when it comes to ‘The Bowl’, anything is possible.
The ‘Tití Me Preguntó’ songwriter is heading to the UK for the second time ever in his career, for his Debí Tirar Más FotosWorld Tour, and he’s chosen Tottenham Hotspur as the location for this huge cultural moment.
ADVERTISEMENT
If you’re wondering where to get tickets, you have two chances to watch this superstar in his element as he’s performing on June 27 and 28; you can grab your tickets for either date HERE and HERE, respectively.
Hopefully, now you’ve discovered more about who this Latin American sensation is, so you’re not left completely clueless when the Seahawks and Patriots take a quick 15-minutebreak mid-game.
Emily Sergeant -
2nd April 2024 
