For a long time now, and for all the right reasons, the name Lostprophets has been anathema. It’s a name that conjures images of unimaginable horror, a deep-seated revulsion that eclipses any artistic legacy the Welsh rock band might once have possessed. The absolutely heinous crimes of their late frontman, Ian Watkins, cast a long, dark shadow, one so profound it effectively erased the band from the cultural conversation of pop culture forever. The music itself – once a vibrant part of the early 2000s rock landscape – was not only forgotten but actively shunned, buried under a collective public disgust.
The band had to be figuratively and literally thrown out of the music industry because of what the late frontman had become. There is zero tolerance for that. Beginning that day, I decided to forget their songs, which had been part of the ‘soundtrack’ of many in my generation. Which is a bit sad because their music was more than just popular hits; it carried meaning, had relevant themes, and displayed the artistry that made Lostprophets a much more compelling rock band than others of their movement in the early 2000s.
Now, my deep appreciation for music compels me to acknowledge the band’s impact on my generation. I can’t ignore or overlook that about them because they consistently released well-put-together songs that captured the feelings, emotions, and – more importantly – the frustrations of youth during those years. I was entering high school when the songs of the Lostprophets became a fixture on local radio stations that played all forms of rock music; they were featured often in music magazines, and their brilliantly made music videos were on regular rotation on all the music channels at the time, both local and foreign.
As I continue to reminisce about those wonderful times, Lostprophets were easily one of the most recognized bands in that era, and people did not care that they were Welsh. Their songs are simply too enjoyable, relatable, and great to make that a factor. Haha. I mean, honestly, who gives a **** where these guys came from? Haha. Hey, the guys appreciated their music, and the girls dug their good looks, and also their music. Haha. So, it brought all of us together.
In fact, in early 2012, the same year I started my writing career here, it was on my to-do list to eventually write about the Lostprophets. I excitedly immediately thought of all the bands I was going to write about, but as I was about to get to the Lostprophets, the career-ending news came in when the criminal acts that their late frontman had committed was discovered, and it was an absolute shocker to all their fans, whose band they once liked all these years had to be avoided like the plague, erased from their memories, and permanently removed from their list of favorite bands. Lostprophets were no more.
As a result, Lostprophets’ music career ended abruptly. They never reformed again, nor did they ever search for a new frontman, and they all collectively stopped making music together, with the majority of the members calling it quits when it came to being in a band. Indeed, it was the right thing to do by the other members of Lostprophets and for the fans to stop everything and move on from them.
However, now that their monster of a late frontman is no more, dead and gone forever, the music has now become gradually more acceptable to be appreciated once more. Well, that is what I hypothesize, and others would surely agree or disagree. But in my case, I am honing in on the songs themselves and figuring out the best way to highlight them in what would be my first and last piece about the defunct Welsh band that once rocked with their brand of tunes that spoke to nationalities from all over the world with their powerful, resonating, and range of themes that only the youth could understand and relate to.
To me, historically, the Lostprophets were the greatest Welsh musical import for decades, when we assumed the late frontman was ‘clean enough,’ normal, and was generally, for the most part, a law-abiding person not committing anything that goes beyond the norm of the usual ‘rock and roll’ lifestyle. Then, everything came to a screeching halt and ended, but what I just said remains true.
Their music remains, no matter what; that is their legacy, which I consider to be an art form, as all songs are, as all great music can be categorized as. I think their greatest songs have finally begun to lift out of that dark, hovering cloud they have found themselves in. Away from the darkness that monster caused, exactly what remains is the art (music) itself.
With that said, I will go forward with this because there is no point in going back and forth, weighing the pros and cons, and delaying this. At the end of the day, for anyone to truly appreciate their musical journey, one must engage in a difficult, tricky, and uncomfortable exercise: to acknowledge the talent of the collective while condemning the actions of the individual. Which finally led me to feel comfortable enough in re-listening to my favorite tracks from the Lostprophets. Re-remembering what those songs meant to me, and to celebrate those songs once more.
It is precisely in that spirit that I present my personal Top 5 songs from Lostprophets, a tribute not to the monster, but to the music – the songs that once meant something to a generation of pre-teens navigating the post-grunge, pre-emo landscape and getting ourselves ready for what the future might hold.
5. ‘Burn Burn’ (from ‘Start Something,’ 2004)
A track built for the arena, ‘Burn Burn,’ encapsulates the band’s transition from the raw, angular aggression of their early work to a more polished, melodic rock sound. The driving riff, courtesy of the tight-knit guitar work of Lee Gaze and Mike Lewis, is pure, unadulterated rock candy. Watkins’ vocals, for all their controversy today, were once a calling card for the band’s infectious energy. Here, he shifts effortlessly between a melodic chorus and a harder, rhythmic verse, a vocal style that would become a trademark. For many, ‘Burn Burn’ was their first taste of a more accessible Lostprophets, a testament to their growing confidence as songwriters. It’s a song that, for a few glorious minutes, makes you forget everything else and want to headbang and be in a mosh pit.
4. ‘Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja’ (from ‘The Fake Sound of Progress,’ 2000)
This was the track that put Lostprophets on the map, a breathless, frenetic shot of adrenaline that perfectly captured the nu-metal zeitgeist. Man, I clearly remember this one being played often on MTV here and abroad. The title, a nod to old-school video games, is an indicator of the band’s playful yet aggressive youthful spirit. It’s a rough-around-the-edges song defined by its jagged, stop-start guitar riffs and a blistering pace that never lets up. The lyrical content, while somewhat esoteric, tapped into a feeling of youthful rebellion and defiance. It’s a pure, unrefined slice of early 2000s rock history, a throwback to a time when baggy jeans and spiky hair ruled the airwaves. It’s a reminder of a time before the facade collapsed, a time when ‘The Fake Sound of Progress’ was still a novelty to be savored.
3. ‘Rooftops’ (from ‘Liberation Transmission,’ 2006)
In many ways, ‘Rooftops’ was the band’s imperial phase distilled into a single. This received heavy radio airplay also from our side of the world. It was pure radio-friendly rock gold, a soaring, stadium-sized anthem with a chorus that was impossible to ignore. The song’s massive, reverb-drenched guitars and propulsive rhythm section provided the perfect backdrop for Watkins’ most melodic performance. Thematically, it was a song about longing and escape, and its emotional core resonated with a massive audience. It’s a testament to the band’s ability to craft a truly universally appealing pop-rock song, one that showcases their evolution from a scrappy nu-metal act to a legitimate mainstream force. This was Lostprophets at their most confident, a band seemingly on the precipice of global superstardom.
2. ‘Wake Up (Make A Move)’ (from ‘Start Something,’ 2004)
This song is the very definition of a hidden gem, a track that perfectly captures the essence of early 2000s rock and the band’s burgeoning melodic side. I was going to select this as my Number 1 track, but ‘Last Train Home’ made me rethink that upon re-listening to all of these songs. The track’s opening-a swirling, almost hypnotic guitar riff-draws you in immediately before erupting into a powerful, punchy chorus. The dynamic shifts between the melodic verses and the heavier choruses are expertly executed, a testament to the band’s tight musicianship, and this early on, as soon as they crossed over to the mainstream scene. Watkins’ lyrics here are less confrontational in nature and more introspective, a reflection of the band’s thematic maturity on the ‘Start Something’ album. It’s a track that rewards repeat listens, a song that holds up remarkably well despite the passage of time. Give it a listen.
1. ‘Last Train Home’ (from ‘Start Something,’ 2004)
This tops my list. Simply put, ‘Last Train Home’ is Lostprophets’ masterpiece, their most enduring and emotionally resonant song. From the moment the melancholic guitar line kicks in, you know you’re in for something special. The track is a masterclass in pacing, structure, and dynamics, building from a quiet, reflective verse to an explosive, cathartic chorus. This is a perfect example of finding that balance. Watkins’ vocals are at their absolute best here, filled with a sense of desperate yearning and vulnerability. The lyrics, a plea for reconciliation and a desire to return to a simpler time, are universal and heartbreakingly relatable. ‘Last Train Home’ is more than just a song; it’s an emotional journey, a powerful piece of music that stands on its own merits, completely detached from the sordid story that would later consume the band, which makes this their most bittersweet track, ending everything on a poignant note.
***
It would be impossible to talk about Lostprophets without acknowledging the horrific legacy of its late frontman. And frankly, we shouldn’t. The truth is, the music has been forever tainted, its memory sullied by the monstrous actions of one man. Yet for those of us who grew up with their sound in the early 2000s, who found a unifying voice in their music before the ugly reality emerged, there is the complex, difficult, and often painful task of a form of reconciliation of the former fans with the now-defunct Welsh band. I believe that these five songs I have selected serve as a testament to the band’s musical prowess, a brief glimpse into a time before the sound turned to silence, and a reminder that even the most beautiful music can be born from the most corrupted source.
Let this sink in or else we will not learn from this: One valuable lesson all of this has taught us is to be careful about the kind of bands we listen to because we never know what the frontman is really like in real life and what his true nature is when nobody is around him, from his family, friends, and bandmates, to discover that he lived a double life of a monster. And that this should serve as the biggest wake-up call that I believe we all have to learn to carry and keep always in mind, moving forward in the world of music.
R.I.P. Lostprophets. /ra