When it comes to recognisable people in music, Paul Weller is up there with some real British icons.
The singer, 66, is often referred to as the “Modfather”, as he inspired many Britpop bands such as Oasis. Weller shot to fame when he hit the scene as part of the rock band The Jam in the late 1970s.
When the group’s stint came to an end, he also formed a part of the Style Council from 1983 to 1989. Since then, he’s continued to produce music as a solo artist and has gone on to thrill fans all over the world.
In fact, in a recent thread on Reddit, people were discussing if he actually composed the “greatest rock song ever.” A user wrote: “Did Paul Weller write the greatest rock song ever?
“This has been on my mind a lot lately so I’m just going to come out and say it – The Jam’s ‘That’s Entertainment’ is the greatest rock song of all time.”
But, even though people have a lot of good things to say about Weller, it turns out the singer was actually inspired by a wide variety of artists. In fact, he claims seven key songs “shaped his career”.
He revealed what they were when speaking to Vernon Kay on BBC Radio 2’s Tracks of My Years in 2024, and some may take you by surprise.
“Heat Wave” – Martha Reeves and The Vandellas
Dating back to the ’60s, “Heat Wave” was written by the Holland–Dozier–Holland songwriting team. Initially, it was made popular by the Motown vocal group, Martha and the Vandellas.
It was such a hit that it bagged the number one spot on the Billboard Hot R&B chart, and it stayed there for four weeks. It also peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“Good Golly, Miss Molly” – Little Richard
It probably doesn’t get much more rock and roll than Little Richard. He really helped to shape this new kind of music back in the day, and has inspired many major artists.
Until he came on the scene, there wasn’t really anyone like him around, and he inspired stars from Bob Dylan to Prince. “Good Golly, Miss Molly” was first recorded in 1956.
“Dead End Street” – The Kinks
“Dead End Street” was first released back in 1966, and was written by main songwriter Ray Davies. Much like other tracks written by Davies, it was in some way inspired by British Music Hall.
At first, it was released as a non-album single, but it’s since been included as one of several bonus tracks on the Face to Face album. Like many songs by the group, it tackles topics such as poverty and misery found in the lower classes of English society.
“Strawberry Fields Forever” – The Beatles
Like many aspiring musicians growing up in the 1960s, Weller was inspired by The Beatles. Speaking to The Guardian in 1995, Weller talked about the song, saying: “My favourite Beatles record is ‘Strawberry Fields Forever / Penny Lane’, double A-side. I didn’t buy it. I was still too young to buy records. They were too expensive for me.”
The track was released as a single, and later featured on their Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club album. Looking back, the song marked the start of a new psychedelic age for the group which confused a lot of critics at the time.
“Strawberry Fields Forever” reached number two in the UK singles charts.
“Stoned Love” – The Supremes
“Stoned Love” was the group’s biggest hit in the UK without Diana Ross. The single managed to stay in the UK Top 10 for six weeks, and five weeks in the US Top 10.
The BBC also ranked “Stoned Love” at number 99 on The Top 100 Digital Motown Chart. This rates Motown releases based on their all time UK downloads and streams.
“Hangin” – Chic
Chic were huge when it came to influencing the disco scene. They are responsible for a number of major hits such as “I Want Your Love”, “Everybody Dance”, “C’est Chic” and “Hangin”, and they have influenced countless artists.
Nile Rodgers, who drove the group alongside bass player Bernie Edwards, also became an extremely popular producer. He went on to work with acts like Sister Sledge, Madonna and David Bowie during the ’80s.
“Dead to the World” – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
While it may surprise some, Weller also included “Dead to the World”, by Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, on the list of songs that shaped his life. It’s thought the track’s mix of acoustic guitars and strings inspired the development of Weller’s “My Best Friend’s Coat”, which featured on his 2024 album 66.
So, it turns out the “Modfather” himself was influenced by quite a wide variety of artists. From The Beatles to Noel Gallagher – the singer’s career has been shaped by all different sorts of music.