6 April 2026, 18:52 | Updated: 6 April 2026, 19:07
Liam and Noel Gallagher have triumphed in Radio X’s biggest ever poll.
Picture:
Simon Emmett/Press
Radio X celebrates its biggest Best Of British countdown ever by publishing the top 500 British songs of all time – as voted for by our listeners!
This Easter Monday (6th April), Radio X listeners have for the first time ever named the 500 best British songs of all time, with Oasis and their seminal 1994 hit Live Forever taking the top spot following the band’s huge comeback tour last summer.
For the past 10 years, Radio X has asked listeners to vote for their favourite British songs of all time in its annual Best Of British poll.
Oasis – Live Forever (Official HD Remastered Video)
Shaking things up this year, the station expanded the poll from its traditional Top 100 to an enormous Top 500 for the first time ever, drawing from tracks played across Radio X and its sister stations – Radio X Classic Rock, Radio X 00s, Radio X 90s and Radio X Chilled. The complete Radio X Best Of British 500 with B&Q was played across the bank holiday weekend, with the number one track being crowned at 7:00pm on Easter Monday.
Still riding high off the back of last year’s hugely successful “Live ’25” reunion tour, Radio X listeners have crowned Live Forever as the greatest British song of all time for the fourth year running.
Listen to the Radio X Best Of British 500 with B&Q playlist here.
Picture:
Radio X
Queen take second place for the third consecutive year with their 1975 epic Bohemian Rhapsody, closely followed by The Stone Roses and I Am The Resurrection moving up one place in third – a fitting tribute to bass player Mani, who died in November. Oasis complete the top five with Slide Away and Champagne Supernova in fourth and fifth.
Fleetwood Mac break into the top 10 for the first time following the chart’s expansion to include Radio X Classic Rock, with the 1977 classic The Chain coming ninth in the poll.
Rounding out the Radio X Best Of British 500 with B&Q Top 3: Queen and The Stone Roses.
Picture:
Alamy/Getty Images
Radio X Best Of British 500 with B&Q – the Top 100:Oasis – Live ForeverQueen – Bohemian RhapsodyThe Stone Roses – I Am The ResurrectionOasis – Slide AwayOasis – Champagne SupernovaThe Rolling Stones – Gimme ShelterThe Verve – Bitter Sweet SymphonyArctic Monkeys – 505Fleetwood Mac – The ChainCourteeners – Not Nineteen ForeverPulp – Common PeopleSam Fender – Seventeen Going UnderDavid Bowie – HeroesOasis – AcquiesceJoy Division – Love Will Tear Us ApartStereophonics – DakotaOasis – Don’t Look Back In AngerAmy Winehouse – Back To BlackThe Smiths – There Is A Light That Never Goes OutThe Stone Roses – I Wanna Be AdoredWolf Alice – The SofaDavid Bowie – Life On Mars?The Who – Baba O’RileyOasis – The MasterplanThe Rolling Stones – Sympathy For The DevilLed Zeppelin – Stairway To HeavenRadiohead – CreepArctic Monkeys – A Certain RomanceQueen and David Bowie – Under Pressure (Queen and David Bowie)The Smiths – How Soon Is Now?Muse – Knights Of CydoniaDavid Bowie – Modern LoveSam Fender – People WatchingNew Order – Blue MondayThe Beatles – Hey JudeArctic Monkeys – I Bet You Look Good On The DancefloorFlorence And The Machine – Dog Days Are OverThe Verve – Lucky ManOasis – SupersonicThe Rolling Stones – Paint It, BlackThe Stone Roses – Fool’s GoldPink Floyd – Wish You Were HereStereophonics – Local Boy In The PhotographRadiohead – Fake Plastic TreesOasis – Cigarettes And AlcoholThe Stone Roses – Sally CinnamonShed Seven – Chasing RainbowsBiffy Clyro – BubblesSnow Patrol – Chasing CarsSam Fender – Hypersonic MissilesThe Verve – The Drugs Don’t WorkBiffy Clyro – Many Of Horror (When We Collide)The Stone Roses – She Bangs The DrumsNothing But Thieves – OvercomeOasis – Morning GloryMuse – Plug In BabyStereophonics – A Thousand TreesArctic Monkeys – Mardy BumPulp – BabiesOasis – Half The World AwayOasis – WhateverJames – Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)Led Zeppelin – KashmirThe Beatles – Let It BeArctic Monkeys – Do I Wanna Know?Oasis – WonderwallRadiohead – Street Spirit (Fade Out)Elbow – One Day Like ThisBlack Sabbath – ParanoidWolf Alice – The Last Man On EarthManic Street Preachers – Motorcycle EmptinessQueen – Don’t Stop Me NowKasabian – Club FootPaolo Nutini – Iron SkyThe Smiths – This Charming ManOasis – Little By LittleOasis – Rock ‘N’ Roll StarLed Zeppelin – Immigrant SongThe Beatles – Come TogetherRadiohead – Karma PoliceStereophonics – The Bartender And The ThiefKate Bush – Running Up That HillThe Verve – SonnetOasis – ColumbiaMuse – HysteriaFaithless – InsomniaManic Street Preachers – A Design For LifeThe Libertines – Don’t Look Back Into The SunThe Beatles – While My Guitar Gently WeepsJames – LaidThe Clash – London CallingBlossoms – CharlemagneThe Jam – Town Called MaliceWolf Alice – Don’t Delete The KissesThe Beatles – Here Comes The SunColdplay – YellowThe La’s – There She GoesThe Stone Roses – Made Of StoneDavid Bowie – StarmanNew Order – True Faith
The late Ozzy Osbourne’s legacy was also reflected in the vote, with two of his most iconic solo tracks making the list – Crazy Train at 231 and Mama I’m Coming Home at 409 – alongside Black Sabbath’s Paranoid at 69, which makes the top 100 for the first time following the legendary singer’s death last July.
Fresh off the back of being named Radio X’s Record of the Year 2025 winners and Group of the Year at the BRIT Awards, Wolf’s Alice’s The Sofa debuts in the Best of British 500 at number 21 as the highest-placed new release in the list, while The Last Man On Earth places at 70, followed closely behind by Don’t Delete The Kisses at 94.
Notable entries in 2026 from Ozzy Osbourne and Wolf Alice.
Picture:
Alamy/Press
As one of the world’s cultural capitals, London was the most represented city on the Best of British 500 list, with a whopping 148 songs coming from 39 different artists from the English capital, including David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, Florence + The Machine and more making up over 29% of the vote. A city synonymous with guitar-based music, Manchester was the second most represented city with 91 songs from 14 different artists on the list.
As illustrated by the 500 tracks that made the list, ’90s nostalgia remains supreme, as over 26% of the songs included were released in the decade that brought us “Cool Britannia”, Euro 1996, and Britpop. Spurred on by artists like Oasis, The Stone Roses and Blur, more than one in four songs on the list were released in the 1990s.
Other notes on this year’s poll include:
THIS YEAR’S HIGHEST CLIMBER: Led Zeppelin – Stairway To Heaven; up 51 places to No 26THIS YEAR’S HIGHEST FALLER: The Clash – London Calling; down 41 places to No 91NEWEST SONG is Opening Night by Arctic Monkeys, released on 22nd January 2026OLDEST SONG is The Beatles – A Hard Day’s Night, released on 10th July 1964MOST POPULAR ARTISTS: Oasis have 33 entries in the Top 500; Arctic Monkeys have 27.
London artists were triumphant in Radio X Best Of British 500 with B&Q this year: Bowie, Florence, Kinks and the Stones were all included!
Picture:
Alamy/Getty/Press
Matt Deverson, Managing Editor of Radio X, said: “Radio X Best of British has always been a brilliant snapshot of what our listeners love most, but this year feels extra special. For the first time, they’ve ranked their 500 favourite British songs in order of greatness, and the result is a landmark countdown that celebrates the depth, quality and lasting influence of British music.
“It’s no surprise to see Live Forever take the crown again after such a huge year for Oasis, showing just how deeply that song still connects with people. Let’s cross our fingers and see what Liam, Noel and the band have in store next…”
Download Global Player for free!
Picture:
Global
Radio X is available on 104.9 FM in London, 97.7 FM in Manchester, across the UK on DAB digital radio and on Global Player on your smart speaker (“play Radio X”), iOS or Android device and at radiox.co.uk