Playlists

Football and music have always gone hand in hand. The roar of the crowd, the chants on the terraces, the songs on the coach home — it’s all part of the experience. Here at A Cultured Left Foot, we believe a cultured left foot appreciates more than just a perfectly weighted through ball. It appreciates a perfectly weighted playlist too.

Below you’ll find our curated collections for various footballing moods and moments. Stick them on, turn them up, and let the music carry you to kick-off.

North London Forever

The matchday playlist. Indie rock, singalongs, and the sort of tunes that sound best belted out on the Piccadilly Line heading to Arsenal station. This is for the walk up Avenell Road in your mind — the butterflies, the anticipation, the feeling that today might just be the day.

  1. The Libertines — “Can’t Stand Me Now”
  2. Oasis — “Cigarettes & Alcohol”
  3. The Clash — “London Calling”
  4. Arctic Monkeys — “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor”
  5. Blur — “Parklife”
  6. The Stone Roses — “She Bangs the Drums”
  7. Kasabian — “Fire”
  8. The Jam — “Going Underground”
  9. Madness — “One Step Beyond”
  10. Ian Dury & The Blockheads — “Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick”

European Nights

Floodlights. A crisp autumn evening. The Champions League anthem echoing around the stadium. European nights at Arsenal have always had a certain magic to them — Thierry against Inter, the night in Madrid, that improbable run to the final in Paris. This playlist captures the drama, the romance, and the slight sense of the surreal that comes with continental football.

  1. Massive Attack — “Teardrop”
  2. Portishead — “Glory Box”
  3. LCD Soundsystem — “All My Friends”
  4. New Order — “Blue Monday”
  5. Radiohead — “Everything in Its Right Place”
  6. MGMT — “Electric Feel”
  7. Depeche Mode — “Enjoy the Silence”
  8. Primal Scream — “Movin’ On Up”
  9. M83 — “Midnight City”

The George Graham Years

1986 to 1995. Flat back four. One-nil to the Arsenal. Tuesday Night Football on ITV. Perms, moustaches, and the most miserly defence English football has ever seen. George Graham turned Arsenal into winners through sheer bloody-mindedness, and this playlist reflects the era — synthesisers, swagger, and just a touch of menace.

  1. New Order — “World in Motion”
  2. The Smiths — “This Charming Man”
  3. Dexy’s Midnight Runners — “Come On Eileen”
  4. The Cure — “Friday I’m in Love”
  5. The Happy Mondays — “Step On”
  6. Pet Shop Boys — “West End Girls”
  7. Tears for Fears — “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”
  8. Echo & The Bunnymen — “The Killing Moon”
  9. Inspiral Carpets — “This Is How It Feels”

Sunday Morning Football

Not every football moment is ninety minutes of high drama. Sometimes it’s a quiet Sunday morning, a cup of tea going cold beside you, and the football pages spread across the kitchen table. This is the playlist for those moments — gentle, reflective, and just a little bit wistful for seasons gone by.

  1. Nick Drake — “Pink Moon”
  2. Bon Iver — “Skinny Love”
  3. Fleet Foxes — “White Winter Hymnal”
  4. Iron & Wine — “Flightless Bird, American Mouth”
  5. Laura Marling — “Rambling Man”
  6. Jose Gonzalez — “Heartbeats”
  7. The Tallest Man on Earth — “The Wild Hunt”
  8. Ben Howard — “Old Pine”

Know a song that should be on one of these lists? Drop us a line. We’re always after a good recommendation.