Radio X 'Best of British' playlist is overwhelmingly white and male
Playlist features three artists of colour and one woman out of 100 songs voted for by listeners
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Your support makes all the difference.Radio X has announced its "Best of British" Top 100 tracks, with the result emerging as overwhelmingly white and male.
Oasis were featured 15 times, with their 1994 song "Live Forever" beating Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" to the top spot, in the poll which was voted for by "thousands" of Radio X listeners.
Just seven out of the 100 songs were released this decade: one by Biffy Clyro, one by Stereophonics, two by Arctic Monkeys and three by Catfish and the Bottlemen.
Out of the entire list just one woman featured in any of the acts: Gillian Gilbert, from New Order. You could also include Candida Doyle, who is credited as a songwriter on Pulp's 1995 hit "Common People".
There was also just three artists of colour featured: Freddie Mercury from Queen, Pete Turner - who plays bass for Elbow - and Gary Powell, the drummer for The Libertines.
Several artists had multiple tracks on the playlist, including Stereophonics (5), Stone Roses (8), David Bowie (7), Arctic Monkeys (9) and Oasis (15).
Iconic female artists including Kate Bush, Amy Winehouse, Annie Lennox and PJ Harvey were all omitted from the list, as were more recent but still established acts such as Adele, Laura Marling, Goldfrapp and Florence & the Machine.
Listeners were apparently asked to share their three favourite songs by British artists, from which Radio X compiled its 100 most popular.
Matt Deverson, managing editor of Radio X, said of the playlist: "This year, we see Oasis take the number one spot in a Top 100 that features truly great British tunes from across the decades. The release of 'Live Forever' in 1994 heralded the arrival of an era-defining album from one of the country's greatest bands - it was a hugely exciting moment for British music. It's a very special song and within the past year we have seen it resonate with even more poignancy as a much-loved Manchester anthem."
The Independent has contacted Radio X/Global Radio for comment. You can see the full list here.
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