The Very Best of The Pogues

One of those obvious ideas that not everyone could’ve pulled off, the Pogues’ meld of Irish traditional music and spitting punk-rock energy led to some of the most striking and startling music of its era. This 21-track collection pulls classics from albums such as Rum, Sodomy and the Lash and If I Should Fall From Grace With God for a jukebox-ready crash course. Alongside tales of drunkenness (“Streams of Whiskey”), the aftermath of war (“The Band Played Waltzing Matilda”), dead-end living (“Dirty Old Town”) and more drunkenness (“A Rainy Night in Soho”) sit jubilant hops like “London Girl” and the bittersweet seasonal favorite “Fairytale of New York” with singer Kirsty MacColl. The Pogues’ attitude, smarts and sound continue to echo through the likes of the Dropkick Murphys, but their Very Best makes clear that the original is hard to beat.