Lovers Rock soundtrack: Which songs are featured in Steve McQueen’s Small Axe film?

From ‘Kung Fu Fighting’ to ‘Silly Games’

Lovers Rock, the second instalment of Steve McQueen's Small Axe BBC series, has stunned viewers with its soundtrack.

The 70-minute film, which was introduced alongside a wish from the director himself ("turn the volume up loud") depicts a west London "blues party" in the 1980s, and takes place across the course of one evening.

These parties became popular in black communities due to the racism experienced while on the streets and out clubbing.

One scene in Lovers Rock highlights this: it sees Amarah-Jae St Aubyn's lead character racially harassed by a group of white men while she looks for her friend, who has strayed from the party, further up the road.

The film gets its title from a style of reggae music featuring romantic sound and content. Its through this that Lovers Rock finds its beating heart: one of the year's best soundtracks, which will undoubtedly see usage in Shazam and Spotify surge.

Among the highlights are Carl Douglas’ “Kung Fu fighting”,  an extended a cappella rendition of Janet Kay’s “Silly Games” and The Revolutionaries “Kunta Kinte Dub”, which – at one stage – is rewound and played again.

If you're wondering what songs you heard in the film, look no further: The Independent has compiled the soundtrack for you below.

McQueen's Small Axe series continues on 29 November at 9pm on BBC One. 

Mangrove and Lovers Rock are available to stream on BBC iPlayer now.