Arctic Monkeys, Paul McCartney, and Underworld played the 2012 London Olympics Opening Ceremony

by Bill Pearis

Arctic Monkeys at 2012 London Olympics Opening Ceremony

The 2012 London Olympics are underway, with the wildly ambitious spectacle of the Opening Ceremonies happened last night (7/27), as directed by Danny Boyle, the man who gave us Trainspotting, 28 Days Later and Slumdog Millionaire. And while you can argue whether or not it was successful, epic, dazzling or dumb, you gotta give it up to Boyle for providing what will probably be the best soundtrack an Olympic Opening Ceremony will ever have.

In addition to performers Paul McCartney, The Arctic Monkeys, Dizzee Rascal and Underworld (with help from Two Door Cinema Club’s Alex Trimble), the spectacle featured songs by The Who, The Kinks, Mud, The Rolling Stones, The Sex Pistols‘ “God Save the Queen” (and the Queen was there!), Prodigy, Blur, The Chemical Brothers, Kaiser Chiefs, The Jam, The Specials, Bowie, Happy Mondays,Radiohead, The Verve, and the torch lighting set to Pink Floyd‘s “Eclipse.” It’s hard to imagine an American Olympics (certainly not a Mitt Romney-produced one) having the U.S. equivelents of those used.

Check out the entire 2012 London Olympics Opening Ceremony soundtrack below.

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2012 London Olympics Opening Ceremony Soundtrack (