6. Life On Mars/Ashes To Ashes (Various)
Life On Mars and Ashes To Ashes aren't really included because of their scores, although the original music produced for the shows by Edmund Butt is certainly enjoyable. They're included because they provide an outstanding bricolage of some of the best music from the early 1970s and early 1980s. In fact, the music is so well selected that it's almost impossible to think of the show without remembering its use of some truly great rock and pop tracks. Alongside the title tracks of the shows, there's also Ballroom Blitz by Sweet, Live And Let Die by Wings, Whiskey In The Jar by Thin Lizzy, One Of The Boys by Mott The Hoople, Rat Race by The Specials, Girls On Film by Duran Duran, Vienna by Ultravox, Stand And Deliver by Adam And The Ants... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMsWRB05UnA OK, at times it feels a little bit like a jukebox playing the songs that everyone just "knows" represent their respective eras. But damn, it's an enjoyable jukebox. This is the list's "guilty pleasure" choice - a bunch of songs to sing along to while watching Gene Hunt in action.