Like everyone else I know* I discovered Bob Marley when the live version of No Woman, No Cry became a huge hit in the summer of 1975. Then I dug deeper and discovered this tune from five years earlier.

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The Saints, who formed in Australia in 1973, were arguably the first punk band of all – but they always claimed not to be punks. Whatever they were, they were fantastic.

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French vocal trio Belle Epoque had their biggest (and possibly only) hit single in 1977 with disco classic Black Is Black.

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This is the song that gave The Rolling Stones their first big US hit and helped make Irma Thomas the Soul Queen of New Orleans.

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Sibling duo La Bionda were pioneers of the Italo-disco sound in the late Seventies. This was their biggest hit.

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Asian Dub Foundation team up with Iggy Pop on a new version of his  Stooges classic No Fun, recorded in Miami in 2007 and released on the ‘Punkara’ album the following year.

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Iggy Pop returns to what he does best with Strung Out Johnny, a powerful song about addiction, from his 2023 album Every Loser.

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World Domination Enterprises never managed to live up to their ambitious name, but have been posthumously recognised as postpunk pioneers.

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No prizes for guessing why this one popped into my mind this week as Los Angeles battles the terrible wildfires.

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RIP Sam Moore, sole survivor – and soul survivor – of Sam & Dave, the duo known for their two biggest hits Soul Man and Hold On, I’m A Comin’.

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