Everything But the Girl's Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn have crafted a unique musical legacy, blending heartbreak with dancefloor energy. Thirty years after Walking Wounded, here are their 20 greatest songs, ranked.
20. Night and Day (1982)
Releasing a version of the Cole Porter standard as a debut single could have been hubris, but EBTG's version is fantastic, dolefully understated, relocating the song to a grim bedsit in early 80s Britain.
19. British Summertime (1991)
Worldwide might be EBTG's least-loved album, but the deluxe edition's demo of British Summertime, stripped of production gloss, is a simple piano ballad, both careworn and lovely.
18. 25th December (1994)
Unexpectedly resurrected during EBTG's recent Moth Club residency, this song features Ben Watt on vocals, melding sparkling guitars with doleful festive sentiment about a Christmas visit to parents.
17. Mine (1984)
Released four weeks after debut album Eden, Mine was a left turn, reflecting Thorn and Watt's fascination with the Smiths. It's a wonderful song filled with empathy for an impoverished unmarried mother.
16. Wrong (1996)
Wrong might seem like Missing Part 2, but it's too good to dismiss. The slight skip in its rhythm weirdly presages the rise of UK garage.
15. Oxford Street (1988)
A gently heartbreaking reflection on Thorn's youth, Oxford Street is a dry run in song for her memoir Bedsit Disco Queen.
14. The Future of the Future (1998)
A collaboration with Deep Dish, this track feels gently euphoric, a rare emotion for Thorn and Watt, but it works beautifully.
13. No One Knows We're Dancing (2023)
This song captures the peculiar atmosphere of Sunday clubbing, the intriguing characters it attracts, and the heady sense of doing something slightly illicit.
12. Before Today (1996)
The Walking Wounded album opener features a drum'n'bass rhythm that amps up the song's eager anticipation, showcasing EBTG's perfect pivot to electronic music.
11. I Must Confess (1984)
Here, jazz and bossa nova influences are naturally integrated into an entirely unique sound, proving EBTG knew what they were doing even as students.
10. Come on Home (1986)
Bolstered by timpani and crashing strings, this orchestrated ballad is faintly mad that it wasn't a huge hit.
9. Single (1996)
Influenced by Thorn's work with Massive Attack, Single has a moody atmosphere and a superb Photek remix that respects the original ambience.
8. This Love (Not for Sale) (1985)
A portrait of post-miners' strike Britain, this song captures weariness and defeat battling simmering fury.
7. Driving (1990)
From the unexpected pop-soul album The Language of Life, Driving is super-smooth pop perfection, a collaboration with US jazz-fusion musicians.
6. Cross My Heart (1986)
The crowning glory of Baby, the Stars Shine Bright, this song is soulful and luxurious, aiming for the sound of mid-60s Dusty Springfield and succeeding.
5. Run a Red Light (2023)
The comeback album Fuse shines with this track: extraordinarily beautiful, desperately sad, and subtly alive to modern sonic developments.
4. Walking Wounded (1996)
Watt's first venture into drum'n'bass was wildly impressive, a classic slice of heartbreak perfectly allied to Metalheadz-influenced beats.
3. Rollercoaster (1994)
From Amplified Heart, this track is musically restrained, lyrically fragile but resigned, and entirely wonderful.
2. Each and Every One (1984)
A gentle melody masks a lyric livid at patronising treatment of Thorn's former band. Being enchanting and pissed off simultaneously is quite a trick.
1. Missing (1994)
EBTG's most famous song is incredible in any version. The original is beautiful; Todd Terry's remix transformed it into a perfect confection of heartbreak and dancefloor power. Whichever version you pick, it can still stop you dead in your tracks.
