Song 2: S.5 Ep.11 - Tim Burgess, 31/10/2025

"With algorithms, people might not get to your best songs. I think albums are great - and our fans seemed to love them too. Listen to all of it" Tim Burgess of The Charlatans had already provided a great conversation for our full interview on RTL Play. Tim gained huge praised for his 'Listening Party' show. So I was not sure where this was going to go. Tim's writing a book called Closer - all about the final track, so it was not looking good for Song 2. Track 7 crops up again but we've got Tim onboard. And I'll put that on a t-short than you very much.

“It’s crucial that you draw people in when you’re making records. Putting a track listing together can be very complex” Joining us this time is legendary troubadour Billy Bragg. For over four decades, Billy has blended sharp political insight with heartfelt storytelling, from early anthems like Between the Wars to recent records that prove his voice is as vital as ever. Few artists understand the power of a perfectly sequenced album like Billy, and his catalogue is full of second tracks that land like mission statements, passionate, pointed, and unforgettable. There’s a great Joshua Tree Anecdote too.

"If I'm good through Song 2, then I'm probably going to listen to the whole thing (album)" There is a FULL interview with Brandon on LOUDER and NEW Noised (plus it's on-demand) via RTL Play. Atreyu will tear the Rockhal a new one in their upcoming show......

“I don’t think you can make rules like that (Song 2) about music. No track is more important than the other” Shortly after the release of latest LP ‘Futique’ James of Biffy Clyro gives us his thoughts on the merits of Song 2. As Ben has already done this, we just need Simon to get the memo and we can complete the set. Full interview on the way. (Image: Nostromo Management)

"Number 7 was always my favourite - I still believe in albums, they remain important, the order of songs matter to me" Today we’re testing that theory with someone who knows all about building an album’s tension and release: Jehnny Beth. Musician, actor, and former frontwoman of the electrifying band Savages, Jehnny has a gift for sequencing songs that feel like carefully staged dramas.

This week, what was potentially one of the songs of the year in 2024. An absolute, certified banger. We’ve had ABBA, the Spice Girls, the McRib, and of course, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior – supposedly rising from the dead. Welcome to our very own musical bible, where we follow the doctrine that the second song on an album is the best – or at least the most important.

"When we put this new one (listing) together, we were all really close in choice, I thought 'it could not be THAT easy'" Steps caught up with the effervescent Lauri from Finnish megagroup, The Rasmus, this is Lauri's take on the Song 2 theory.

Today we’re getting airborne, quite literally, with the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Aeroplane”, from the 1995 album One Hot Minute... ...a song that isn’t just track two, it’s bass heavy, unhinged and brilliant. One Hot Minute was the band’s first album after guitarist John Frusciante left the group, mid-tour, mid-breakdown, mid-lots-of-things. The Red Hot Chili Peppers were coming off a career-defining high. Their 1991 album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik, had sold over 13 million copies worldwide and turned them from cult funk-rockers into global stadium-fillers. Tracks like Give It Away and Under the Bridge had become massive MTV hits, and the band was now a household name.

"It's absolutely essential (tracklisting), it's your manifesto, you have to craft it, so you don't lose people" Welcome to Song 2, the podcast where we argue that the second track on any album is often the best, boldest, or most important, and we ask the artists themselves if they agree. Along the way, we dig into the craft of tracklisting and how sequencing can shape the entire listening experience. This week, our guest is Gavin Rossdale — frontman of Bush, one of the UK’s biggest alt-rock exports of the ’90s. With hits like Glycerine, Machinehead, and Swallowed, Bush sold millions worldwide and carved out their place alongside grunge’s heavyweights. Gavin joins us fresh off the release of his latest album I Beat Loneliness, a record that proves his songwriting is as sharp and urgent as ever. We’ll be talking about Bush’s legacy, the challenge of keeping albums cohesive in the streaming era, and of course, whether track two really is the sweet spot.

The opener kicks the door in. But track two? Track two defines the journey. This is episode one of season five and if it seems like we’ve been away for ages, it’s because we have. Not, you understand, due to the relentless beatdowns we’ve had when voicing our USP but due to a lot of other things, cush as Show Tunes, new radio programme launches, and a lot there besides. Today, we head into the sonic wilderness with none other than Iceland’s most fearless innovator: Björk. And her second track from 1995’s Post, the glacial, emotional masterpiece “Hyperballad” might just be the clearest proof of our theory yet.