Come On, You Reds - The Retroist

reds

In the ‘90s, I used to listen to this syndicated radio show called Joel Denver’s Future Hits, a payola-leaning show that showcased “new music” that labels must have paid something to get on there. Sometimes the songs became hits, sometimes it was the last time you heard a song that was expected to be a hit (Boston’s almost-comeback single “I Need Your Love” sticks out). One clever aspect was a look at each week’s top 5 on the British chart, which has historically been a good bellwether for future American hits. One song was on that top 5 week after week, but there was no way it was ever going to hit big in America: “Come On, You Reds” the fight song of the Manchester United football squad. It was recorded by the band Status Quo, with backing chants by real soccer players from Man U, naming great moments in club history.