Pulp‘s 1995 hit single ‘Common People‘ has been voted the ‘greatest Britpop anthem’ by listeners of BBC 6Music.
The poll of more than 30,000 people put The Verve‘s ‘Bittersweet Symphony‘ – which surely was if anything more a sober antidote to the Britpop excess which had preceded it – in second place, while the ‘(What’s The Story) Morning Glory‘ one-two of ‘Wonderwall‘ and ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger‘ from Oasis are next up.
“I’m really pleased ‘Common People’ has won 6 Music’s Favourite Britpop Anthem vote,” 6Music DJ Steve Lamacq remarks. “It is one of the defining records of Britpop because it seemed to embrace the essence of the time so perfectly. It was a big, bold anthem, but with a great narrative. And it seemed to sum up a feeling of ‘us and them’, as if to illustrate how the indie mavericks had taken on the pop stars and for once they’d won.”
Top 10:
1/ Pulp – ‘Common People’
2/ The Verve – ‘Bittersweet Symphony’
3/ Oasis – ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’
4/ Oasis – ‘Wonderwall’
5/ Blur – ‘Parklife’
6/ Suede – ‘Animal Nitrate’
7/ Blur – ‘Girls & Boys’
8/ The Bluetones – ‘Slight Return’
9/ Pulp – ‘Disco 2000’
10/ Ash – ‘Girl From Mars’