The Jam had plenty that it needed to achieve. Time was running out, and many ideas needed to get out. Led by Paul Weller, The Jam was one of Britain’s finest bands created in the wake of the original punk-rock explosion.

But Weller’s ambition as a songwriter extended far past songs of youthful rebellion. With the help of one of rock’s very best rhythm sections, Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler, Weller crafted some of the greatest albums of the period.

This is a love letter to a great band. And, these are the 10 best songs by The Jam.

The 10 Greatest Songs by The Jam

10. “In the City”

Kids of 1977 received punk-rock bands with the excitement that a conquered city only offers to liberators. “In the City” was the debut single by The Jam, a band designed to compete with Sex Pistols, The Clash, or The Damned.

Just how good was the Jam at being a punk rock band? Sex Pistols would swipe the riff to “In the City” and recycle it. That’s how good!

9. “Man in the Corner Shop”

The “Sound Affects” album was the record that fulfilled the Jam’s early potential. It also captured a restless group unable to fix upon one music genre for too long.

“Man in the Corner Shop” is one of Weller’s best compositions. A song about the reality of the British way of life and the dreams of escaping it, “Man in the Corner Shop” proves that Weller did provide some of the best commentary to early 80s Britain of any songwriter.

8. “The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had to Swallow)”

Not everything is rosy at the top. Weller and his bandmates had reached it by way of hard work and writing inspired songs. But plenty of people joined the ride, hoping to get some of it for themselves.

“The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had to Swallow)” is a heartbreaking song about finding love and finding that your love is after your money, not your heart.

The blue-eyed soul of the song provided The Jam with a hit in 1982. They would release only more single and call it a day soon after. This saddened fans. But at least The Jam went out at the very top, both creatively and commercially.

7. “English Rose”

Paul Weller had to have breathed a sigh of relief the moment that The Jam got really successful. The band’s debut was all about punk-rock angst. But 1978’s “All Mod Cons” was just as much about romantic angst.

The Jam took a chance to release “English Rose.” It was the right call. It helped the group break away from the pack. And I think that it remains one of the band’s best songs.

6. “Down in the Tube Station at Midnight”

Weller, Foxton and Buckler may have been impeccably dressed and built themselves up into one of Britain’s most successful bands. But they were working-class kids. Throughout their career, however, the musicians worked hard to provide the soundtrack to everyday life in the slowly fading empire.

“Down in the Tube Station at Midnight” is an ominous song about life on the dark London streets. There’s nothing fancy about the curry or the cold. Weller’s words get it just right.

5. “Eton Rifles”

Like The Clash, The Jam’s musical proficiency and interests grew at a frightening pace. By the fourth album, 1979’s “Setting Sons,” Weller and co. had managed to create an angry but complex sound that took inspiration from punk-rock as much as from Northern Soul or the 1960s mod bands.

Perfectly dressed, echoing the mods, Weller sings about the rich kids of the powerful attending Eton College. It’s a dry brand of wit lost on many, not least of all former British prime minister and Etonian David Cameron.

4. “Start!”

Paul Weller may have actively worked to become a songwriter on par with Ray Davies, John Lennon or Paul McCartney. But, to his credit, he had plenty of talent with which to work.

“Start!” may take plenty of inspiration from The Beatles’ “Taxman.” But Weller’s vocal delivery and orchestration turn the song into a gem all of its own.

3. “That’s Entertainment”

In 1977, The Jam had plenty of things to complain about. But Weller didn’t quite have all of the words ready just yet. By 1980, he had found a way to express many of these ideas in the biting satire of “That’s Entertainment.”

Powered by an acoustic guitar and Weller’s soul-rock vocals, “That’s Entertainment” is a slice-of-life, kitchen-sink-drama of a song. It’s also one of the best U.K.-released singles of the 1980s.

2. “Town Called Malice”

The simple bass riff that provides the intro or “Town Called Malice” may just be the most famous of its kind. The song captures the band at its very best, with all members contributing.

A song that peaked at number 1 in the U.K., “Town Called Malice,” showed just how far The Jam had come. By 1982, there was arguably no band bigger in the country. Musically, as well, punk-rock was hardly Weller’s sole interest anymore. In fact, you could blame this on the formation of The Style Council just one year later.

But let’s not bother with the details. “Town Called Malice” has it all. It’s a clever critique of life in Britain, contains a great groove and is endlessly enjoyable.

1. “Going Underground”

Not only could, at his best, Paul Weller do no wrong with the studio albums that The Jam put together and released. Weller’s non-album tracks and B-sides were routinely better than most bands’ most famous songs.

Poetic, yet powerful, “Going Underground” is The Jam’s shining achievement. A song about ignoring the evils of the world for the hidden joys of underground culture, the song cemented the group’s reputation as it went straight to number one.

“Going Underground” is one of the greatest rock songs of all time and the pinnacle of one of the most capable and inventive British groups of all time.