We have got the calculator out, double checked and found that these are the 20 most popular posts of 2017 from the Modculture website.
Well, almost. This is the most popular post selection that appeared in 2017. Some posts (like Gavin Henderson’s London Boys article for example) continue to be wildly popular. But this is all about what broke in the last 12 months and as such, a barometer of that year in mod.
Reverse order naturally…
20. Mod Anthems compilation gets a limited edition vinyl issue (pictured above)
A CD box set from 2015 returned on vinyl in 2017 and prove rather popular.
It wasn’t the whole set, Rhino picked out the best 28 tracks and released them on heavyweight vinyl, with artwork from the singles inside. Nice job, all told.
19. Art Gallery Clothing – new range and website
Art Gallery was busy this year, with plenty of new clothes and a new website, with the autumn range in October certainly proving popular.
The discount code on the page probably helped too. I think it’s still good to use.
18. Kickstarter book project: Welsh Mod – Our Story
Have you made any New Year’s resolutions yet? Perhaps backing the book above could be one.
This is an ongoing project that needs your backing to come to fruition. A high-quality, hard-back photographic book of 150 pages plus, documenting the roots and revival of the Mod sub-culture in Wales from the 1960s through to the present day. Want a copy? Back it now.
17. Wooden classic record label crates on eBay
These were huge when they landed back in August.
Wooden crates featuring classic record labels and good for holding your vinyl. Both 7-inch and 12-inch crates are available, as well as plenty of classic labels. Practical and good looking.
16. Copasetic! The Sound of Mod Ska (Trojan)
This only came out in November, but its popularity is because it filled a gap.
A beginner-sized gap. QA celebration of the ska tunes loved by first-generation mods in the early 1960s. 56 of the most popular ska tracks over two discs and a booklet to accompany for under £8.
15. Style Council coloured vinyl reissues
This was certainly the year of the Style Council vinyl reissue.
Limited edition, coloured vinyl reissues of the band’s official album releases. Each was limited to 1,000, some are still available if you missed them.
14. Modernists: Modernism’s Sharpest Cuts vinyl edition (Kent)
Staying on a vinyl tip is this gem of an album from Ace Records.
A 14-track release following the ‘sort of R&B and club soul that could have been danced to by the original mods – if only they had known about it’ path. Three tracks never before released on vinyl too.
13. Vintage vs reproduction – a very modern clothing issue
Great to have Claire Mahoney writing for the site in 2017, with this piece being one of her features.
Can reproduction clothing based on an original 1960s look ever match up to the real deal? That’s the question posed and discussed here with buyers of vintage clothing in 2017.
12. David Brown Automotive brings back the Classic Mini
If you miss the original Mini, then we had good news for you back in April. As long as you had money to burn.
Just 100 of these Minis were being produced, reworking the original design for the modern era. So a vintage look alongside push button start, for example. £75k was the starting price though.
11. Modernist Jukebox: Paul Orwell
You will be seeing a lot more of the Modernist Jukebox series this year, but we kicked off with Paul Orwell.
We asked Paul to pick tunes for an imaginary ‘Modernist Jukebox’, listing the tracks and compiling the end result as a Spotify playlist. It proved popular, which is why we’ll have more in 2018.
10. Solid Bond: An interview with Stone Foundation’s Neil Sheasby
2017 was a huge year for Stone Foundation, so the perfect time to catch up.
A new album, working with Paul Weller, touring and more. Well worth a read.
9. Budget mod clothing: Vintage-style brown cord jacket at Uniqlo
Affordable was a popular theme this year, with Uniqlo coming up trumps on more than one occasion.
But this cord jacket was its most popular item. A classic, Levi’s-style jacket, but without the Levi’s branding. If you could live without that, the price of this version was under £30.
8. Modern-day mods: Owen Harvey talks mod photography
In the middle of 2017, Owen Harvey had an exhibition of his photography at the Subculture Archives in Carnaby Street. We caught up with him around that time.
So if you want to find out about the man and his work, as well as checking out photos of the modern-day mod scene, this is the place to go. The images are both wonderful and striking.
7. Tootal Alternatives: Five 1960s-style mod scarves
The ’Tootal scarf’ has become a description of a style that’s produced by more than just Tootal.
We’ve nothing against Tootal, but if you want a variation on the theme or a cheaper alternative, this is the place to look.
6. Night Comes Down – 60 mod, R&B and freakbeat London nuggets box set
Most popular compilation of 2017? This one by quite some distance.
Hardly surprising really, as it’s a cracker. Three discs, each covering slightly different eras and genres. It isn’t all bona fide mod sounds, but the quality is definitely there over the 87 tracks.
5. Buzz 1 vintage-style electric scooter
Is there such a thing as an eco-friendly mod? Well, probably not, but there might be if the Buzz 1 gains traction.
A scooter based on the classic Vespa, but with electric power to keep it moving. Be interesting to see if this actually lands in numbers this year.
4. Top 10: Cycling tops and shirts for mods
Two cycling-related articles are at the top of the pile this year. The one here is pretty self-explanatory.
We picked out 10 of the best cycling tops with an authentic look. There are plenty to choose from, so the task wasn’t as easy as it sounds. But we’re pleased with the end result.
3. How to do mod on the cheap – without buying cheap brands
Back to the land of affordable.
We resurrected and rewrote this particular piece for 2017, changing links and generally making sure what was here was still applicable. It went down very well.
2. Classic cycling: Diederik Degryse of Magliamo interviewed
Paul Weller’s influence is as strong today as it has ever been, borne out by this top 20 and this particular feature.
Interestingly, we featured the label on our His Knibs site, which is where is was spotted by Paul Weller. We then caught up with owner Diederik Degryse to discuss that and the label’s past and future.
1. In pictures: Brighton Mod Weekender 2017 photographs by Chris Wild
Top of the pile really shouldn’t be any surprise. Brighton.
We are lucky enough to haver Chris Wild taking photos of the Brighton Mod Weekender and sending the images over to feature on the site. All are wonderful and evocative shots of the August Bank Holiday event and always prove popular. The most popular feature by some distance.
Keep reading, as we’ll be kicking off the articles and features for 2018 very soon. But thanks for being with us for the last 12 months, we really do appreciate it.
