The Jam

The Jam formed in Woking, Surrey in 1972, though they didn't find their footing until later in the decade. Their early sound drew from British rock acts like The Who and The Kinks, but they gradually sharpened it into something more urgent and of its moment.

Their 1978 album 'All Mod Cons' marked a turning point, with songs like 'In The City' and 'Down in the Tube Station at Midnight' capturing a specific urban restlessness. The records that followed, including 'Setting Sons' and 'Sound Affects', refined that voice further. Tracks like 'Town Called Malice' and 'That's Entertainment' became shorthand for a certain kind of British life, observed with a clear-eyed, sometimes wry precision.

Paul Weller's lyrics were a central feature, often sketching scenes of working-class frustration and small-town claustrophobia without resorting to sloganeering. The band called it quits in 1982 after releasing 'The Gift', a decision that felt abrupt to many fans at the time. They left behind a compact catalog that felt densely packed with ideas, and which has remained a touchstone for guitar bands ever since.