Oasis were crowned the Kings of Britpop on Bank Holiday Monday on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds as Britpop Top 50 with Jo Whiley counted down the UK’s 50 best-selling Britpop songs of the 90s.
Using exclusive data from Official Charts Company, Wonderwall by Oasis topped the chart at No. 1 with sales of 1.4 million, followed by Don’t Look Back in Anger by Oasis in second place, with The Verve’s Bitter Sweet Symphony taking the bronze medal.
Jo Whiley says: “This chart has taken me back to the glory days of the Evening Session and a time when Britpop ruled the airwaves. It’s hard to believe it’s been 25 years! Wonderwall has always been a special song to many people so I’m not surprised it’s at Number 1 – it’s an enormous anthem. The whole chart has brought back so many memories of brilliant songs and bands from a very special time in British pop music.”
The Top Ten are:
1. Wonderwall – Oasis (1995)
2. Don’t Look Back in Anger – Oasis (1996)
3. Bitter Sweet Symphony – The Verve (1997)
4. D’You know What I Mean – Oasis (1997)
5. Brimful of Asha– Cornershop (1998)
6. The Drugs Don’t Work– The Verve (1997)
7. Whatever – Oasis (1994)
8. Country House – Blur (1995)
9. Roll with It – Oasis (1995)
10. Some Might Say – Oasis (1995)
The chart, compiled by UK chart guardians and data licensing organisation the Official Charts Company, features some of music’s biggest stars including Pulp, Catatonia and Manic Street Preachers. Made by independent radio production company 7Digital, the programme is now available on BBC Sounds.
The chart is compiled from lifetime UK physical and digital sales of Britpop tracks released in the 1990s. The songs in the Top 50 between them account for 17 million sales to date.
Jeff Smith, Head of Music, Radio 2, says: “BBC Radio 2 plays the best of the best pop music, and our Britpop chart features universally loved, singalong pop hits that really do stand the test of time. So whether you bought Blur, Oasis or both, this is a few hours of music just for you.”
Martin Talbot, Official Charts Company chief executive says: “This specially-compiled Britpop countdown is the perfect way to spend August Bank Holiday – a step back in time to the Official Charts of the ‘90s and an iconic era for British pop music. With Wonderwall emerging victorious on this occasion, that surely makes it 1-1 now in the great Blur V Oasis chart battle…right?”
The Manchester band fronted by the Gallagher brothers dominates the list, making up one quarter of the entries in the Top 50. Oasis were not the only act to have more than one hit in the Top 50 however – Blur prove almost as prolific enjoying seven entries in the rundown, while The Verve, Manic Street Preachers, Pulp, Stereophonics and Kula Shaker tie with a hat-trick of appearances each.
The three hour special will also feature popular tracks that didn’t make the chart, from acts including Echobelly, Elastica, McAlmont & Butler, Skunk Anansie and Sleeper.
The show featured interviews with Louise Wener (Sleeper), 6 Music presenter Stuart Maconie, Andy Ross (Food Records) and Alan McGee (Creation).
Artists including Lars Ulrich (Metallica), Emmy The Great, Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Johnny Marr and Carl Barat (Libertines) introduced their favourite Britpop tracks during the programme.
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