Elvis Costello is a bold man.
He took the stage name “Elvis” while The King of Rock and Roll was still alive. Costello also made a name for himself as a provocateur, once famously banned from Saturday Night Live.
But he’s a bold songwriter too. His catchy new wave and power pop songs embody wit and wrath, cynicism, and sarcasm. Some songs are angry and protesting, but they also center on relationships rather than politics. You wouldn’t classify him as a protest singer like Woody Guthrie or Pete Seeger, but he often sang about larger issues of the world with a zoomed-in consciousness.
For example, “Radio Radio,” the song that got him banned from SNL, shares Bruce Springsteen’s idealism and nostalgia with a protest against the BBC’s ban of the Sex Pistols’ “God Save the Queen.”
So to celebrate Costello’s 70th birthday, here are four essential songs from his 47-year-old catalog. Though most of the songs here are obvious choices, the first one might surprise a few listeners. Hopefully, this list will lead you down the worthwhile rabbit hole of exploring more of Costello’s lesser-known but equally outstanding tracks.
And with the way you look
I understand that you were not impressed
“High Fidelity” from Get Happy!! (1980)
This is Costello’s Motown jam with a plot twist. Instead of writing a Detroit-soul love song, Costello’s dark tale follows a couple experiencing different lovers. It’s a story of infidelity, jealousy, and regret. One partner compares sex with another lover as only changing channel, like selecting something different to watch on TV instead of trading intimate moments with strangers. Costello is a master at noir pop. His lyrics read like a mini-novel, and he’s smart enough to keep the characters imperfect and occasionally sketchy—all of it on top of a Supremes-like groove.
“Watching the Detectives” (Single, 1977)
On a coffee bender for nearly 40 hours, Costello stayed up obsessing over The Clash. London’s famous punk and dub band inspired Costello to write “Watching the Detectives.” Over a deep reggae groove, Costello tells the story of a woman filing her nails and watching a detective show on TV. Her partner narrates the story, hoping she’ll turn her attention toward him. Steve Nieve’s staccato organ dots the song and Costello finishes it off with a threatening spy-guitar riff. The single, which predates The Attractions, was later added to Costello’s debut album My Aim Is True.
“Veronica” from Spike (1989)
Costello’s grandmother inspired “Veronica.” It follows an older woman who’s suffering from Alzheimer’s. Not exactly a recipe for hit songwriting. But with a little help from a friend named Paul McCartney, “Veronica” became one of Costello’s most popular songs. Though a Beatle helped, Costello had formed most of it on his own. The woman loses herself inside her mind, but the cruelty of losing one’s mind is brightened by Costello and McCartney’s catchy and upbeat jangly pop.
“(What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” from Armed Forces (1979)
This is one of those cover songs where the coverer defines the track more than its author. Nick Lowe’s song took on another life behind Costello, whose sneering vocal not only questions the failures of ’60s counterculture but also the disappointment of humankind generally. Lowe included Costello’s version as the B-side to his 1978 single “American Squirm.” However, Costello’s U.S. record label added it to his third album Armed Forces, and the track’s popularity surpassed Lowe’s original recording with Brinsley Schwarz from 1974. Costello’s voice seems engineered for irony. Few do it better.
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