Music
The 11 best Texas songs
Why have a Top 10 when you can have 11? With news of a busy summer for the Scottish alt. rockers, here are the the best Texas songs, ranked
Any band who get to celebrate their 35th anniversary is in rarified company indeed. But getting to celebrate it with a giant arena tour and a whole new generation of fans in front of them? That is the rarest of things.
With all that said, it seems silly to call Scottish collective Texas underrated, but they’ve been so popular for so long that it feels like they don’t get their dues compared to many of their peers.
First formed in 1986 out of the ashes of alt-rockers Altered Images by guitarists Johnny McElhone and Ally McErlaine as well as singer Sharleen Spiteri, and, by 1989, they’d already released their debut album, Southside, which was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic. However, following that, their next two albums, Mothers Heaven and Ricks Road, failed to make a dent and the band were almost given the boot by their label, Mercury. Then, in 1997, when it must have felt like they were circling the drain, the band returned with their fourth LP, White on Blonde, and they went into the stratosphere. They have remained somewhere near that ever since.
Musically, Texas are a very difficult band to pin down. Are they a rock band? Are they something closer to a pop band? Truth is they’ve drifted very fluidly and very comfortably from genre to genre, collaborating with everyone from The Blue Nile’s Paul Buchanan to hip-hop eccentric collective Wu-Tang Clan along the way.
Commercially, they hit their peak in 1997 with their White on Blond album, which yielded five Top 10 singles and sold handsomely. That was the album that took them from curiosity to arena-filler and at the very top of festival bills. Since then, they’ve
The band, who are celebrating 35 years in the business, have just wrapped a hugely successful arena run, and are filling up their 2025 calendar with shows across the UK. With that in mind, it seems like an ideal time to look back at their finest moments to date. These are the best 11 Texas songs, according to us anyway…
11. In Demand
(The Greatest Hits, 2000)
Singles written to bolster the tracklisting for a Greatest Hits collection seldom turn out to be keepers, but Texas bucked that trend with ‘In Demand’ in 2000.
A delicate piece of pop-rock which is half lovelorn and half defiant riposte, it has echoes of classic Pretenders, along with a total earworm of a chorus.
As well as being great songwriters, Texas were also masters of creating memorable music videos to go alongside them. This one features the legendary and much-missed actor Alan Rickman slow dancing with Spiteri in a petrol station. It’s quite something.
10. Everyday Now
(Southside, 1989)
First released in 1989 on an early EP and then featured on their debut LP, Southside, ‘Everyday Now’ is a groove-filled stomper, powered by shimmering guitars and a widescreen feel to the production. It immediately told listeners of Spiteri’s powerful vocals and the band’s total command of songwriting.
9. Mr Haze
(Hi, 2001)
Taken from the band’s 2021 LP, Hi, ‘Mr Haze’ is a sun-drenched stomper. Built around a sample from Donna Summer’s ‘Love’s Unkind’ is the band’s ode to classic Motown. It’s a joyful, carefree thing.
8. Dry Your Eyes
(The Conversation, 2013)
An underrated gem from 2013’s The Conversation, this is Texas paying homage to many of the bluesy and countryfied pieces of their influence. Co-written with Richard Hawley, this is a warm and tender track with the guarantee of a wry smile at the end of it.
7. I Don’t Want A Lover
(Southside, 1989)
Now we’re into the big hits. This was the band’s first-ever single, and what a way to announce yourselves. From the dramatic twang of the intro, it builds and builds. There are big U2 guitars, layered over brooding electronics, and Spiteri’s arresting vocals commanding it all. 35 years on, it still sounds brilliant.
6. Say What You Want
(White On Blonde, 1997)
‘Say What You Want’ has had two very successful lives. First released in the first weeks of 1997, it hit Number Three in the UK Singles Chart, making it the band’s biggest hit. Then, one year later, it got a surprise second life as ‘Say What You Want (All Day, Every Day)’, when a chance meeting with rap collective Wu-Tang Clan. It works just as well.
5. The Conversation
(The Conversation, 2013)
The title track from the band’s 2013 album is a slow-burning gem. A spiky foot stomper with a bluesy feel, it is raw and powerful, with Spiteri’s vocals taking on a bewitching quality.
4. Inner Smile
(The Greatest Hits, 2000)
From raw blues to the band at their most unapologetic poppiest. A shimmering blend of guitars and cascading electronics, all building to a true monster of a chorus. It was a Top 10 hit in the UK, and it’s easy to hear why it lit up radio playlists.
As well remembered as the song itself is the video, in which Spiteri dons the leather and quiff and becomes Elvis Presley.
3. Summer Son
(The Hush, 1999)
The lead-off single for 1999’s hugely successful LP, The Hush, ‘Summer Son’ is a dark banger. A pulse-racing, swaggering and spine-tingling track, it melds together a driving guitar section with a haunting keyboard refrain before pushing into a gigantic chorus.
2. Black Eyed Boy
(White On Blonde, 1997)
This is Texas at their rockiest and most anthemic. One of the defining moments of White on Blonde, it goes for the jugular from the first second with a skyscraper-sized melody so powerful it could underpin a classic James Bond theme. Brilliant.
1. Halo
(White On Blonde, 1997)
Choosing the song to sum up everything Texas do best is a real challenge. Over the course of their 35 years together, they’ve touched on so many genres and so many styles. The reason for choosing ‘Halo’ as their ultimate track is because it encompasses everything Texas do so well. It shimmers and shines in its production, it melds pop and rock together superbly, and it puts Spiteri’s vocals front and centre with an incredibly catchy chorus. A defining album that any band would be delighted to have define them.
