Isle Of Wight Festival Flashback: The American Classics

R.E.M., The Killers and Foo Fighters’ Official Top 10 most downloaded songs revealed!

The Isle Of Wight Festival 2014 gets properly underway today with the likes of Lawson, Tom Odell, Rudimental, Calvin Harris and headliners Biffy Clyro taking over the (usually) quiet and serine Seaclose Park.

If you’re not down there already, or haven’t been lucky enough to get tickets, fret not: our friends at Absolute Radio will be broadcasting live from the festival all weekend. And, not only that, they’ll also be broadcasting The Official Isle Of Wight Festival Chart Show tomorrow night (Saturday, June 14), with DJ Mark Crossley bringing you a three-hour show counting down the most downloaded tracks from a whole host of classic acts who’ve graced the festival’s legendary stage over the years.

Today we’re giving you a sneak preview of some of the biggest-selling US acts who’ve appeared at The Isle Of Wight Festival, namely R.E.M., The Killers and Foo Fighters. We like to call them… The American Classics!

R.E.M.

R.E.M. first played the Isle Of Wight Festival in 2005. Georgia’s finest headlined the main stage on the Sunday night, bringing the festival to a suitable close with a Greatest Hits set including many of the songs you’ll see in the chart below.

Everybody Hurts, which featured midway through their initial set, tops R.E.M.’s All-time Official Digital Top 10. It became R.E.M.’s second Top 10 hit in the UK some 12 years prior to their performance, and a good decade before digital downloading began in the UK.

Losing My Religion, which peaked at Number 19 on the Official Singles Chart in 1991, takes second place. Those of you who were at the Isle Of Wight in 2005 will probably remember how it brought their initial set to an anthemic close, before the group retuned for an encore which included Nightswimming and The Great Beyond, Number 7 and Number 9 in their countdown.

1	EVERYBODY HURTS	R.E.M.
2	LOSING MY RELIGION	R.E.M.
3	IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT	R.E.M.
4	SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE	R.E.M.
5	MAN ON THE MOON	R.E.M.
6	THE ONE I LOVE	R.E.M.
7	NIGHTSWIMMING	R.E.M.
8	THE SIDEWINDER SLEEPS TONITE	R.E.M.
9	THE GREAT BEYOND	R.E.M.
10	ORANGE CRUSH	R.E.M.

The Killers

Brandon Flowers and co. were one of the main draws at last year’s festival. The Killers headlined the Saturday night of the Isle Of Wight Festival 2013 alongside The Stone Roses (Friday) and Bon Jovi (Sunday).

The Killers opened proceedings with the sure-fire crowd pleaser that is Mr. Brightside, which was a shrewd more on their part, because it’s also their most downloaded track of all time in the UK. It’s almost like they planned it!

Human, which marked the half-way point of their set last year takes second place in their Official Digital Top10, while set closer When You Were Young is one place behind it at Number 3. Fan faves Somebody Told Me (Number 4) and All These Things That I’ve Done (5) complete the Top 5.

1	MR BRIGHTSIDE	THE KILLERS
2	HUMAN	THE KILLERS
3	WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG	THE KILLERS
4	SOMEBODY TOLD ME	THE KILLERS
5	ALL THESE THINGS THAT I'VE DONE	THE KILLERS
6	READ MY MIND	THE KILLERS
7	SMILE LIKE YOU MEAN IT	THE KILLERS
8	SPACEMAN	THE KILLERS
9	RUNAWAYS	THE KILLERS
10	BONES	THE KILLERS

Foo Fighters

2011 saw Foo Fighters bring the Saturday night of the Isle Of Wight Festival to a storming close. Dave Grohl and co. played a Greatest Hits set featuring 80% of the tracks you can see below.

The Pretender, which peaked at Number 8 on the Official Singles Chart back in 2007, is the Foos’ most downloaded track of all time. It also appeared third in their set at the Isle Of Wight.

Best Of You, which was the start of their encore, is at Number 2, while 1999’s Learn To Fly takes third place. The Foo Fighters Official Digital Top 5 is completed by Times Like These (4) and set closer Everlong (5).

1	THE PRETENDER	FOO FIGHTERS
2	BEST OF YOU	FOO FIGHTERS
3	LEARN TO FLY	FOO FIGHTERS
4	TIMES LIKE THESE	FOO FIGHTERS
5	EVERLONG	FOO FIGHTERS
6	ALL MY LIFE	FOO FIGHTERS
7	ROPE	FOO FIGHTERS
8	LONG ROAD TO RUIN	FOO FIGHTERS
9	MY HERO	FOO FIGHTERS
10	WALK	FOO FIGHTERS

Absolute Radio at the Isle Of Wight Festival

Absolute Radio will be broadcasting live from the Isle of Wight Festival all weekend with exclusive artist interviews and live, uninterrupted stage sets from the star studded line-up. Presenters Pete Donaldson and Sarah Champion will bring you all of the latest backstage gossip every day, taking to the airwaves on the Friday night and all day Saturday and Sunday. DJ Andy Bush will also be on the Island for the first time with a special Saturday and Sunday morning show to tee up Pete and Sarah.

There will be tons of added content and extra coverage for mobile and online too at www.absoluteradio.co.uk with exclusive video interviews, news and more!