My Festive 50 from 1995

1995 was something of a watershed year. Britpop was at its height and it was the year of that silly Blur v Oasis rivalry. I went back to compiling a full top 50 this year, and I’ve taken the effort to type the whole thing out this time (I’m reproducing handwritten lists here). It was actually a good year for music; my top 2 are, I think, two of the great pop songs of the 1990s. One thing I will say about this list is that it shows how much of an influence the DJ Mark Radcliffe had over my choices. A fair number of the artists in it, such as The Cardigans, Edwyn Collins, Tindersticks and Pizzicato 5 are in there because I first heard their music on Radcliffe’s late evening show that was broadcast on Radio 1 in the mid 1990s. John Peel may be cooler, but Mark Radcliffe has probably had more influence over my tastes in music than any other DJ. This may still continue, as Radcliffe is about to take over the Wednesday evening folk show on Radio 2 from Mike Harding. (Even though Harding’s sacking seems to be another recent example of the idiocy of BBC management.)

1. Common People – Pulp
2. Yes – McAlmont & Butler
3. Olympian – Gene
4. Glory Box – Portishead
5. Seal My Fate – Belly
6. Miss Sarajevo – Passengers
7. Carnival – The Cardigans
8. Strange Currencies – R.E.M.
9. If You Could Love Me – Edwyn Collins
10. Anywhere – Dubstar
11. Something Changed – Pulp
12. Fader – Drugstore
13. Beautiful One – The Cardigans
14. High and Dry – Radiohead
15. Puberty – Belly
16. Perfect – Lightning Seeds
17. Pretenders to the Throne – The Beautiful South
18. It’s Lulu – The Boo Radleys
19. I Spy – Pulp
20. The Love You Save – Madder Rose
21. Dream a Little Dream – Terry Hall and Salad
22. Tell Everyone – The Charlatans
23. Hyper Ballad – Bjork
24. Back for Good – Take That
25. Acquiesce – Oasis
26. Hunch – Sleeper
27. Just a Girl – Dubstar
28. Wake Up Boo! – The Boo Radleys
29. History – The Verve
30. Judas My Heart – Belly
31. No More Affairs – Tindersticks
32. Street Spirit – Radiohead
33. Baby Love Child – Pizzicato 5
34. Disco 2000 – Pulp
35. Sick and Tired – The Cardigans
36. What Do I Do Now? – Sleeper
37. Planet Telex – Radiohead
38. ’74 – ’75 – The Connells
39. Wilder – The Boo Radleys
40. Universal Heartbeat – Juliana Hatfield
41. Wonderwall – Oasis
42. Daddy’s Car – The Cardigans
43. Gold – Prince
44. Just Lookin’ – The Charlatans
45. You and Me Song – The Wannadies
46. Untitled and Unsung – Belly
47. This Summer – Squeeze
48. Solitary Party Groover – Drugstore
49. Lucky – Radiohead
50. Sorted for Es and Wizz – Pulp

No. 43 is possibly Prince’s last great moment, so let’s all enjoy that.