Album · The Housemartins
London 0 Hull 4 by The Housemartins
London 0 Hull 4 is an album by The Housemartins, released in 1986. 2 songs from it have charted on rock radio countdowns, with 31 countdown appearances in total. The biggest is “Happy Hour”, on 30 lists with a best position of #6.
London 0 Hull 4, the Housemartins' debut, came out on Go! Discs in June 1986, and the title is a football score with a punchline: Paul Heaton claimed they were only the fourth best band in Hull, which by his sums left London with none at all. The music is bright, jangling guitar pop with harmonies to spare, Stan Cullimore's guitar chiming, Norman Cook (years before Fatboy Slim) on bass and Hugh Whitaker on drums, but the grins hide a sharp tongue. Heaton was reading his Bible and his Marx in equal measure, and the back sleeve tells you to take Jesus, Marx and hope along with you.
"Flag Day", "Sheep", "Happy Hour" and "Think for a Minute" were the singles, with "Happy Hour" the one that reached the UK top 3, and the CD cheekily promised 16 songs and 17 hits.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs from London 0 Hull 4 on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Happy Hour | 30 | #6 | – | 1986–2025 | |
| 2 | Flag Day | 1 | #10 | – | 1985 |
Only songs that appear on at least one countdown are listed. Release data from MusicBrainz.