Electric Avenue in Brixton, London, gets its name from being the first electrified shopping area in London. The street was built in the 1880s and now hosts Brixton Market, selling a mix of African, Caribbean, English, Portuguese and Chinese products. It is located just round the corner from Brixton tube station (1972). The elegant Victorian canopies over the pavements survived until the 1980s. The road gave its name to the song by Eddy Grant.
In April 1999, a homemade nail bomb exploded in the market, injuring 48 people, including a security guard who was trying to move disbelieving shoppers and a 14-year-old boy who picked the bomb up and carried it away from the crowds. The bomb was one of three detonated by far-right extremist David Copeland in attacks aimed at London's black, Asian, and gay communities.
"Electric Avenue" is Eddy Grant's US #2 hit of 1983 from the album Killer on the Rampage. It is often sampled in commercials and other media. It is the most popular Eddy Grant song. The song describes the problems in the world as seen by Eddy Grant, and takes its name from Electric Avenue in Brixton, London.
The song was rated #91 in VH1's 100 Greatest One-hit Wonders.
