Virgin Radio reveals top 20 songs to mark the 75th anniversary of the Windrush first arriving in Bri

A MUSIC expert has compiled a Top 20 playlist marking the 75th Anniversary of the Windrush first arriving in Britain.

A special two-hour show on Virgin Radio features music from artists including Massive Attack, Stormzy, Craig David, Beverley Knight and UB40 to give an insight into the impact the Windrush migrants and subsequent generations have had on the British charts. 

The playlist was curated by Mykaell Riley, director of the Black Music Research Unit at the University of Westminster and founding member of British 70s reggae band, Steel Pulse.

He said: “It’s a collection of memories and experiences that is very much the windrush journey from lots of different perspectives. 

“The list is more about what’s not on the list strangely. Its a conversation starter. If you remember any of those songs, you will remember songs either side of that that are your favourites. 

“Each song triggers a memory of a space, a place, the sounds, the smell, the food. Its a complex collection of memories. Spanning 75 years and only having 20 songs was always going to be difficult. 

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“But the idea is for you to start a conversation based on the songs. If the list has done that, then 75 years of Caribbean presence in the UK has been worth it.”

The list begins with Lord Kitchener who performed a specially-written song live on a report for Pathé News as he stepped off the HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks in 1948 and concludes with Little Simz’s 2021 hit Woman.

Liz Mitchell, original lead singer of Boney M, who have sold more than 100million records, said: “It’s a thrill to feature in such a fabulous playlist of music and memories.  Boney M was a three-quarters black British group yet that was never fully recognised at the time, even when we were getting to No.1 and performing on Top of the Pops every week.”

The HMT Empire Windrush first arrived at Tilbury Docks in Essex on 22 June 1948, bringing around 1,000 passengers from the Caribbean. Celebrations are being marked across the country on Thursday’s anniversary.

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The Windrush 75 Network Top 20:

1.        Lord Kitchener: London Is the Place For Me (1948)

2.       Winifred Atwell: Let's Have Another Party (1954)

3.       The Southlanders: The Mole in a Hole (1958)

4.       Millie Small: My Boy Lollipop (1964)

5.       The Equals: Baby Come Back (1968)

6.       Cymande: Brothers on the Slide (1974)

7. Billy Ocean: Love Really Hurts Without You (1976)

8.       Boney M: Sunny (1976)

9.  Janet Kay: Silly Games (1979)

10.    The Selecter: Three Minute Hero (1980)

11.    UB40: One in Ten (1981)

12. Loose Ends: Hangin' on a String (Contemplating) (1985)

13. Soul II Soul: Keep on Movin’ (1989)

14.     Massive Attack: Unfinished Sympathy (1991)

15.     Goldie: Inner City Life (1994)

16.     Craig David: Rewind (1999)

17.     Beverley Knight: Shoulda Woulda Coulda (2002)

18.     Wretch 32: Don’t Go (2011)

19.     Stormzy: Blinded By Your Grace, Pt.2 (2017)

20.     Little Simz: Woman (2021)

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