It was only a matter of time before I sat down to rank the best Blossoms songs. As a band, I’ve seen live more than any other; they have been the cornerstone of my record collection for nearly a decade. From their humble beginnings in Stockport to headlining massive shows at Wythenshawe Park and Edgeley Park, the "Stockport five-piece" has soundtracked the most pivotal moments of my life.
Now five albums in, culminating in their latest chart-topping release, 'Gary' frontman Tom Ogden, Charlie Salt, Joshua Dewhurst, Joe Donnovan and Myles Kellock have built a discography that blends 80s synth-pop with a raw, Northern Indie soul. Picking just ten tracks from such a stellar Blossoms setlist was nearly impossible, but these are the definitive anthems that define their journey so far.
The third single from the band's fifth album, 'Gary', 'Perfect Me' was written after a jam session in the rehearsal room. That ramshackle nature can really be felt, in the best possible way. When listening to it, this song sounds like the five members of the band having fun.
The band revealed in an interview that the song nearly didn’t make the record.
Speaking about the driving, anthemic number on BBC Radio 1, drummer Joe Donovan explained: “It nearly didn’t make the album, and now full circle, it’s a single.”Frontman Tom Ogden added, “You do that sometimes – you write a lot of songs for a record, and you kind of put some on the back burner; you come back with [a] fresh perspective. And this one rose to the top like bubbles.”
'Perfect Me' felt like a culmination of the Blossoms' sound. It could fit on any of the previous four albums. The drums feel like the first album, that acoustic guitar feels like it could fit on ‘Ribbon Around the Bomb’, the lyrics are straight from the ‘Foolish Loving Spaces’ notebook, and the synth backing of ‘Cool Like You’ is still there in the band's sound.
When sharing the song on social media, Blossoms explained how ‘Perfect Me’ is “a subconscious nod to ABBA, Springsteen and The Killers. I wanted the lyrics to reflect a pursuit of perfection, which doesn’t exist. It's a banger, and it had to make the list.
This song felt different from the previous single, 'Gary', which had more of a direct theme, and was written after Tom heard a news story about an 8-foot fibreglass gorilla named Gary being stolen from a garden centre in Carluke, Scotland. This news story would help Blossoms write arguably their biggest song since 'Charlemagne' and give them the name for their fifth album.
With ‘Foolish Loving Spaces’, Blossoms fully embraced a broad and confident palette of influences, weaving together shades of ABBA, disco, U2, and Talking Heads into a record that feels both playful and ambitious. It’s an album that thrives on contrast, retro without feeling nostalgic, modern without losing warmth and one that positions the band as far more than just Northern Indie kids. Some say it's their best record, and you'd be hard-pressed to argue it.
The NME summed up the band that made this record by saying, “a band defying time.” As they put it: “The Stockport five-piece’s current look is straight from the ’70s, with daring flares, silky shoulder-length hair and the odd porn-star ’tache. They utilise the same party vibes as ’80s bands like Talking Heads. And their playful, often self-deprecating hijinks recreate the mischief of ’90s Britpop and grunge.” It’s a description that captures not just the band’s aesthetic, but the spirit of the record itself.
That sense of range is particularly evident on ‘Falling For Someone’. An acoustic-led track, it nods unmistakably to the band’s Manchester roots, pairing Oasis-sized choruses with a softer, more reflective core. While the vocal melodies swell with that familiar Britpop grandeur, the instrumentation feels lighter and more ethereal, recalling a modernised take on Crowded House’s ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’. Gentle guitar lines and spacious production give the song a dreamlike quality that contrasts beautifully with its emotional directness.
Lyrically, it’s one of the album’s most tender moments, built around wide-eyed romanticism and emotional vulnerability. Lines like “You’re one of a kind / Here I lay lost in a moment, when will I wake up?” capture the hazy intensity of falling in love, that feeling of being suspended between reality and fantasy. In the wider context of ‘Foolish Loving Spaces’, the track provides a moment of calm reflection, showing that beneath the record’s glittering surfaces and dancefloor instincts lies a band just as comfortable with intimacy and restraint as they are with big, euphoric statements.
What truly elevates 'Falling For Someone' is its organic warmth. In an era where indie-pop can often feel over-processed, this track breathes. The choice to lead with the acoustic guitar allows the "space" in the production to become its own instrument, heightening the sense of a private confession being shared. It showcases a band that has mastered the art of subtraction, knowing exactly when to pull back the layers to let a sincere melody carry the weight.
Within the tracklist, 'Falling For Someone' acts as a vital emotional anchor. It proves that the 'Foolish Loving' theme of the album isn't just about the dizzying highs of the disco-inflected tracks, but also about the quiet surrender of truly connecting with another person. It reinforces the idea that Blossoms are at their best when they are at their most human.
The final song on the brilliant ‘Foolish Loving Spaces’ sees Blossoms embrace a Strokes-style electro-rock sound. It’s a direction they hadn’t explored before and, intriguingly, one they haven’t really returned to since. Given how confidently they pull it off here, it leaves you wondering why this particular avenue wasn’t pushed further in later releases.
Built around a huge, euphoric chorus, “We run around this town for days now, I’m in foolish loving spaces in my mind”, the track feels expansive and restless, perfectly suited to its role as the album’s closer. That sense of scale is matched by some of Tom Ogden’s most sincere and introspective writing on the record. Lines like “I’m healing, we are one, and it brings me to clarity / She is season, she is sun, and it calls to my sanity” carry a quiet emotional weight, balancing romantic optimism with self-reflection.
At nearly six minutes, the song gives the band room to stretch out, weaving in sparse, Madchester-esque breakdowns that add texture without ever tipping into excess. It’s an unexpected experiment, but one that never strays too far from the album’s core identity, reining itself in well before it risks self-indulgence. As a closer, it works beautifully: reflective, ambitious, and just different enough to signal that this is a band unwilling to stand still or coast on familiar ground.
In short, it’s not just a strong ending to the album; it’s a statement of intent. A really good song, and one that hints at paths Blossoms could have explored even further.
The final song on the band's brilliant debut album, 'Deep Grass', is a darker, more psychedelic song which really makes it stand out on that record. Featuring a plodding synth line throughout symbolising the lingering pain that litters the song's lyrical content. Much more experimental than the rest of the band's debut
Frontman Tom Ogden wrote much of the debut album, including 'Deep Grass,' following the end of a long-term relationship. He has described the song as coming from a "brutally honest" place. The lyrics focus on the raw reality of a failing relationship and the pain of loving in vain, specifically highlighting the frustration of one-sided communication with the line, "You don't ever see my side.
Critics have described the sound as "spacey psych" and "woozy," featuring swirling keyboard lines from Myles Kellock and "squalling" guitar solos. Bending genres and combining the band's early sound with a more polished indie pop song that they'd embrace later in their career.
It also ends the album on a more sombre, melancholic note, an album that began with 'Charlemagne' and its declaration of love.
This song has been a near-constant presence on the band’s setlists since its release, and it’s easy to see why. With ‘There’s A Reason Why’, Blossoms crafted the perfect arena-ready anthem.
It’s often cited as the track where the band truly cemented themselves as indie-pop heavyweights. Their self-titled debut, released two years earlier, had already marked them out as ones to watch, earning a BBC Sound Of 2016 shortlist and documenting their rapid rise from cramped toilet venues to academies and theatres. Those 12 shimmering, psych-tinged indie-pop songs propelled Blossoms to a No.1 album, gold certification, and a Mercury Prize nomination. ‘There’s A Reason Why’ feels like the moment all of that momentum crystallised into something bigger and bolder.
Blending heartbreak with a soaring, euphoric chorus that has soundtracked countless festivals, indie club nights, and encores, the song’s longevity lies in its high-gloss production and irresistibly infectious hooks. It’s immediate without being disposable, polished without losing emotional bite.
Drawing from 80s synth-pop and the guitar-led melodicism of The Smiths, the track is driven by punchy percussion, layered harmonies, and meticulously precise keyboards. There are clear nods to New Order, The Smiths, and even early-2000s indie. In the press release for ‘Cool Like You’, the album on which ‘There’s A Reason Why’ appears, the band described the record’s sound as “New Order covering Kylie Minogue”. This song embodies that idea perfectly, channelling the widescreen ambition of The Killers circa ‘Hot Fuss’, delivered with an Alex Turner-esque vocal drawl.
While the music feels celebratory, the lyrics tell a far more awkward and painfully familiar story: the quiet sting of post-breakup ghosting. Tom Ogden’s ability to turn something as mundane as an unanswered phone call into a chant-along chorus is a testament to his songwriting. It reframes a moment of social anxiety as a shared experience, one that thousands of fans can scream back in unison.
Since its debut on 2018’s ‘Cool Like You’, the track has acted as a pivotal gear-shift in Blossoms’ live shows. Bridging the band’s psychedelic beginnings with their pop ambitions, it often marks the point where a gig transforms into a full-blown party.
When ‘Cool Like You’ arrived in 2018, the prevailing critical consensus was that Blossoms had delivered an album overflowing with potential hits. NME captured the mood succinctly, writing: “Blossoms’ second album is crammed full of singles. Like an early greatest hits, ‘Cool Like You’ is overflowing with singles.” It was a comment that spoke to both the record’s immediacy and the band’s growing confidence as songwriters, unafraid to lean into pop ambition.
The Guardian struck a similarly wry tone, suggesting: “What if The Killers hadn’t grown beards after ‘Hot Fuss’, and had instead set about writing 11 new versions of ‘Mr Brightside’? Mancunian pop-rockers Blossoms’ second album is your answer.” Backhanded as it may have been, the comparison underlined just how hook-heavy and arena-ready the album sounded, positioning Blossoms as a band capable of marrying indie credibility with widescreen pop appeal.
Released as the album’s third single, ‘How Long Will This Last’ emerged as one of the record’s most quietly powerful moments. Lyrically, it’s among the band’s strongest efforts to date, with Tom Ogden distilling emotional uncertainty into deceptively simple lines. “I’m on sleepless nights, in and out of love with you” remains one of his finest lyrics, conversational, intimate, and heavy with doubt.
The song perfectly encapsulates the emotional tug-of-war of a relationship on the brink, where affection and anxiety coexist in uneasy balance. Musically, it adopts a weightier, more atmospheric tone than many of Blossoms’ more immediate floor-fillers. A driving bassline and swirling, restless synths mirror the cyclical nature of the lyrics, creating a sense of motion without resolution.
As a third single, ‘How Long Will This Last’ proved that Blossoms could sustain the momentum of an album already bursting with hooks by offering something with greater thematic depth. It acts as a bridge between their indie-pop instincts and a more mature, introspective style of songwriting that they would continue to refine on later releases. Even among an album full of singles, it stands out not by shouting the loudest, but by lingering the longest. A testament to Ogden’s ability to turn personal doubt into a soaring, cinematic anthem.
This could quite possibly be the first Blossoms song I truly fell in love with. I’d heard ‘Charlemagne’ on the radio, but after doing a little digging, I quickly stumbled across ‘Blown Rose’, and I was instantly hooked. A beautiful, melancholic affair that wears its Smiths influence proudly on its sleeve, it features some of the very best lyrics from the band’s early days.
Where ‘Charlemagne’ introduced the world to Blossoms’ synth-heavy, neon-lit side, ‘Blown Rose’ revealed something deeper: the band’s literary, romantic soul. Anchored by a shimmering, Johnny Marr–esque guitar riff that feels both timeless and fresh, the track sits squarely within a great British indie tradition, pairing bright, jangly melodies with an undercurrent of yearning and emotional restraint.
The lyrics display a maturity far beyond the band’s years at the time. Lines such as “the stately homes of England, how beautiful they stand” use distinctly British imagery as a metaphor for the protagonist’s profound and almost reverential love. It’s a simple phrase, but one loaded with atmosphere, nostalgia, and quiet devotion.
In interviews, Tom Ogden has spoken about finding that now-iconic line in a book of quotations. Flicking through its pages, he noticed how many familiar lyrics appeared, many of them from The Smiths and decided to repurpose the phrase in his own way. It’s a knowing nod to their influences rather than outright imitation, proof that a little bit of borrowing, when done with care, can feel like homage rather than theft.
In hindsight, ‘Blown Rose’ feels like an early mission statement for Blossoms: thoughtful, emotionally literate, and deeply rooted in British indie heritage. It may not be their most immediate or bombastic track, but it remains one of their most quietly affecting, the kind of song that find it's way into the setlist and then sticks
This acoustic gem is a highlight not only of the band’s debut record, but also of a Blossoms live show. A song that has gone through several distinct iterations over the years, it has proven remarkably adaptable. Shifting from a solo, acoustic-led moment often paired with an audience dedication, to a full-band, campfire-style singalong, and even, for a brief period, morphing into something closer to an Arctic Monkeys ‘Body Paint’-style widescreen love song.
‘My Favourite Room’ has been with Blossoms every step of the way, evolving alongside the band themselves. Its endurance lies in the strength of its songwriting: intimate, heartfelt, and built around a melody that invites connection rather than spectacle. No matter how it’s arranged, the song retains a sense of closeness—the feeling of being let in on something personal.
Lyrically, it captures the quiet comfort of love in its most domestic form, turning everyday spaces into emotional sanctuaries. That intimacy translates effortlessly to the stage, where the track often becomes a pause in the set a moment of collective calm before the momentum builds again. In a catalogue full of big choruses and festival-ready highs, ‘My Favourite Room’ stands as a reminder that some of Blossoms’ most powerful moments come when they strip everything back and let the song speak for itself.
The song's legendary status within the fan base is cemented by its role in the live set. For years, Tom Ogden has used 'My Favourite Room' as a bridge between the performer and the crowd. In the early days, he'd dedicate it to a member of the audience who'd been through a breakup. This turned the song into a communal ritual, transforming a personal ballad into a shared piece of performance art. It highlights the band's unique ability to be incredibly approachable and down-to-earth.
The brilliance of 'My Favourite Room' is its timelessness. It doesn't rely on the synthesisers of the 80s or the psych-rock echoes of the 60s; instead, it leans on the timeless nature of a breakup, wrapped around a familiar yet unique three chord driven folk like ryhthm.
This is Blossoms at their pop best. Widely regarded as one of the brightest jewels on the band’s self-titled debut, ‘Honey Sweet’ feels like one of the most important Blossoms tracks. It strikes a perfect, delicate balance between 80s synth-pop nostalgia and modern indie-rock sensibility, acting as the ultimate showcase for the band’s long-standing “pop with an edge” philosophy.
Much of that confidence can be traced back to producer James Skelly — frontman of The Coral — who helped push the band toward embracing their melodic strengths rather than downplaying them. Speaking to NME, Tom Ogden recalled his initial hesitation: “I thought it might be too far down that road. But James had said, ‘You need a tune that sounds like Taylor Swift could sing it’, so we showed him [‘Honey Sweet’] and he went, ‘That’s boss.’ As soon as he heard us, he was like, ‘You aren’t an underground little psych-y band – you should be all over the radio.’ And we were like, ‘Yeah!’” That moment of validation feels baked into the song’s DNA.
Built around an unmistakable 80s-leaning synth riff and Ogden’s delicate, conversational vocal, ‘Honey Sweet’ stands as one of the finest indie-pop songs of recent memory. Myles Kellock’s synth work is masterful, layering shimmering textures that feel both futuristic and warmly retro. It’s the kind of melody that embeds itself instantly, driving the track forward with a sugary, unstoppable momentum.
Beneath the glitter lies a tight, funk-inspired bassline and a crisp, precise drum beat that gives the song its effortless swagger. This is a clear step away from the hazy psych-rock of their early EPs, replacing it with a polished, radio-ready precision that would soon turn Blossoms into chart-toppers. Yet, crucially, it never feels hollow or overproduced; the warmth and charm remain intact.
Since its release, ‘Honey Sweet’ has become an indispensable part of the Blossoms' live experience. It’s the moment in the set where smiles spread across the room, where the band’s pop ambitions and emotional sincerity meet in perfect harmony. More than just a standout track, it’s a statement of intent, proof that Blossoms could write songs built for mass appeal without ever sacrificing their identity.
Released as the band's debut single, all the way back in 2014. 'Blow' was the moment that the world was introduced to Blossoms. Produced by James Skelly of The Coral, it immediately set the band apart from the sea of emerging indie acts, leaning into a darker, more hypnotic edge.
While later hits leaned into shimmering disco-pop and radio-ready choruses, 'Blow' is a moodier, bass-driven affair, showcasing a heavier psych-rock influence that hinted at the band’s roots in more underground sounds. Myles Kellock’s swirling, carnival-esque organ work gives the song a vintage 60s feel, eerie, hypnotic, and irresistibly infectious. It immediately places the listener in a slightly hallucinatory, nocturnal world.
A punchy, relentless beat underpins the track, highlighting the chemistry of Blossoms as a tight-knit unit of friends playing together in a rehearsal room, feeding off each other’s energy. Josh Dewhurst’s lead lines are sharper and more biting here than on any of their later recordings, cutting through the atmospheric synths with gritty precision, adding to the song’s psych-rock weight.
Tom Ogden’s lyrics on 'Blow' are some of his most raw and biting. The song explores the frustrations of one-sided infatuation and the dawning realisation that the object of desire may not be worthy of the pedestal on which they’ve been placed.
Lines like “This girl never cried for her love” and “I don’t know if it’s love that you want” capture romantic disillusionment with a stark, almost confrontational honesty. Ogden’s vocal delivery, raw, snarling, and emotionally charged, reinforces this bitterness, standing in contrast to the polished, confident vocals of later albums.
For many long-term fans, 'Blow' remains the definitive Blossoms track because it captures their original, underground spirit. It’s the song that proved the band could be mysterious, heavy, and hypnotic while still maintaining a melodic sensibility that was impossible to ignore. Before the arena anthems, disco-tinged singles, and pastel stage suits, Blossoms were five lads from Stockport crafting moody, psychedelic music in a scaffolding yard and 'Blow' is the track that first announced their arrival.
It serves as a reminder that beneath the glitter and gloss of their later work lies a band capable of raw, dark, and intoxicating music, a band unafraid to marry darker elements and pop, to create something that only sounds like Blossoms.
Hearing 'Charlemagne' for the first time sparked something in me. That opening riff with its bright, circular melody immediately pulls you into Blossom's signature psychedelic-pop world. It’s a track that feels both nostalgic and modern, anchored by a huge chorus that demands to be sung back at full volume.
Beyond the infectious melody, I was gripped by the witty lyrics. Using a legendary historical figure as a metaphor for a towering, perhaps slightly overwhelming romantic partner is a stroke of songwriting brilliance. It elevates the song from a standard indie-pop tune into something more sophisticated and literary.
I first heard the song on the radio, not long after its release in 2015, and I remember being struck by Tom Ogden’s distinctive, velvety vocals. There’s a specific "northern cool" in the delivery that gives the track its swagger. From the driving bassline to the shimmering synth layers, it wasn't just a song; it was an introduction to a band that understood how to balance a catchy hook with genuine emotional depth. It gripped me unlike any other band has done before or since.
Despite the change in sound and the ever-increasing size of venues, 'Charlemagne' still serves as the definitive closing chapter of every setlist. It has become more than just a hit; it’s a ritual. Having been to the three biggest shows the band has performed, the homecoming at Edgeley Park in 2019, the triumphant post-lockdown return to the Manchester Arena in 2021, and the massive outdoor celebration at Wythenshawe Park in 2024. I’ve witnessed firsthand how this song has the power to turn a crowd of thousands into a single, pulsing choir.
At Edgeley Park, hearing the riff echo through the home of Stockport County felt like a victory lap for the town itself. By the time they reached Wythenshawe in 2024, the song had transformed into a cinematic finale, a piece of music that feels big enough to fill any horizon.
The way the song is delivered has evolved just as much as the venues. In the early days, Tom Ogden would just play guitar and sing, anchored to the microphone by his instrument. In more recent years, however, it has become a much more commanding, theatrical affair. Now, he often sheds the guitar for the finale, stalking the front of the stage with Morrissey-like intent and a Jarvis Cocker-esque swagger. He has mastered the art of the frontman, using sharp, rhythmic gestures to command the crowd, leaning into the front row, and orchestrating the chaos with a cool, detached confidence.
From the shimmering synth layers to the driving bassline, 'Charlemagne' isn't just a song; it is a statement of intent. Ten years ago, it was just another single; ten years on, it's Blossoms' defining moment.
If this list has you reaching for your headphones, the good news is you can hear these anthems live very soon. Blossoms are set to dominate 2026, starting with their February European Tour, including shows at Paradiso (Amsterdam) and Élysée Montmartre (Paris)before a massive headline slot at Neighbourhood Weekender 2026 in May alongside DMA's, The Royston Club, Razorlight, Kaiser Chiefs, The K's and Richard Ashcroft.
Blossoms are keeping very busy, after a year which saw them rumoured to support Oasis on the Live 25 tour, and take to the stage with Stereophonics on the Stadium Anthems tour. It's a really good time to be a Blossoms fan.
Thank you for reading
Jack