100 Great Scottish Songs: Scotland's Best Loved Songs

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The 11th Scottish Album of the Year paid tribute to the Cocteau Twins’ Heaven or Las Vegas which won the second-ever Modern Scottish Classic Award. With over 562 million streams, it holds the title of the most-streamed song in the UK. It also topped the UK Singles Chart for seven consecutive weeks and was the best-selling single of 2019 in the country. Scotland is indeed a beautiful country and has produced some of the most beautiful songs. These are a reminder of the rich heritage and cultural significance of Scotland.

Flower of Scotland” is a celebration of Scotland’s history and the resilience of its people. It expresses a deep love for everything Scottish, from its landscapes to its inhabitants. It’s a reminder of the identity and unity of Scots, evoking a strong sense of pride and patriotism. Summing Up Our List Of Scottish Songs If the winter of 1985 heralded a musical epiphany of sorts - ground zero even - then the seeds were sown twelve months earlier. Almost to the day in fact. As debut singles go, nothing could have prepared the synthetic pop landscape of the 1980s for the three minutes of visceral noise that was 'Upside Down'. Borne out of frustration from living in a deadend smalltown (East Kilbride), records like this only come around once in a blue moon. Guitar music would never be the same again. Meaning “beyond the clouds”, this is a precious avant garde folk Edinburgh-based Romanian singer-songwriter's immigrant journey, having moved to Scotland at age 18 to study. It is simply heavenly cut from her enigmatic fifth album While I Sit And Watch This Tree Volume 2. An enchantingly spacey leftfield electro-glitch pop gem from the Edinburgh duo Fern Morris and Brian Pokora's debut album Closer For Comforting. "The Soft typifies our sound quite a bit, though it’s the more poppy end," said Morris.The glittering first single on major label EMI for the songwriter from the town of Cromarty in the Scottish Highlands who first appeared on this list five years ago. This list will not be complete without including “Flower of Scotland.” Folk singer Roy Williamson of the folk group the Corries penned the song in the mid-1960s. Don't worry though, the classics such as Deacon Blue, Runrig and of course, the Proclaimers are all represented. He was born and raised in England, that's the problem. You only have to listen to his speaking voice to know Sir Rod's technically a Londoner. But at the same time, he's one of the most famously and proudly 'Scottish' people around, so it is a bit of a conundrum...

I’d initially written an in-depth, wordy essay on how Orange Juice pretty well invented that most beloved genre of ours, indie-pop. How the introduction of Nile Rogers-esque guitars and bubbling synths sounds so exciting in 2014 that it’s impossible to imagine just how fresh they were 31 years ago. What an uplifting experience it was to see, at Green Man last year, a bunch of 15 year old kids, a dad with his family, several hipsters and two DiS writers dancing jubilantly as Edwyn Collins performed it with a big grin on his face in spite of his illness. Then Rob told me I was limited to 100 words, so I had to… The Edinburgh-based MC, who hit top five of this list two years ago, teams up with UK hip-hop producer Forest DLG on this politically charged wordplay underscored with a a neat drum and bass and Asian flavour That rare moment when you’re in love and life is great, played on loop for three and a half minutes. I want to listen to it until infinity.Wellerman” captures the essence of traditional Scottish folk music. The lyrics depict the sailors’ experiences on a whaling ship while they wait for the “Wellerman.” This is a supply vessel bringing them provisions. Like this list? Take a look at: Every Australian Number 1 ever, Every Welsh act to score a UK chart topper, ALL the Canadians to hit the Official Singles Chart top spot Related artists

A soaring version of the song about suicide by the superstar Scots singer-songwriter which topped the UK Singles chart in January. He says it was "by far the most personal tune" he had ever written and he drew on feelings surrounding his aunt who took her own life when he was younger. The singer-songwriter is adept at spouting her stark warped Tori Amos songs of 'abusive c*nts; through the most minimal of instrumentation. This transcendent highlight from her SAY Award-nominated album For You Who Are The Wronged hits through with a killer hook.

While Midge Ure never scored a chart-topper with his most famous group Ultravox, his first band Slik did hit the top spot in 1976 with Forever and Ever. Nine years later, Midge returned to the top as a soloist with If I Was. TV talent show contestants The Edinburgh shoegze outfit with a dream pop meets shoegaze tune marrying a killer pop hook with dark edges from their promising debut EP Making Sense Of It All.

Calvin Harris is by far the most successful Scot in the history of the Official Chart when it comes to Number 1s. 10+ years worth of Number 1 hits is not something everyone can achieve, and its made even more impressive when you see Calvin scored the most UK Number 1s of the 2010s, with eight. Scottish postman-turned-singer Nathan Evans has taken the internet by storm with his rendition of the sea shanty “Wellerman.” It went viral on social media, especially TikTok, and catapulted him to stardom.Singer Alice Johnson said: "Kill you is about being in love and wanting to spend the rest of your life with someone... It’s about the confidence you feel when you are in a good relationship and you feel comfortable enough to show your true self. I didn’t want it to be your stereotypical love song, which is why I chose the title ‘Kill You’, it’s funny feeling vulnerable whilst writing a song about vulnerability.” An irresistible ballad telling the true story of a young man who took his own life from the gothic voiced Scottish Music Award Breakthrough 2020 nominee who describes his subject as a "life of the party" character with so much to live for. Arguably the most easily recognizable Scottish song is “Auld Lang Syne.” The song was written by Scottish poet Robert Burns in 1788 and has become synonymous with Scottish culture and heritage.