Pulp

Pulp are the great British underdog story of the 1990s. While Oasis and Blur seemed to emerge fully formed, Pulp spent over a decade as Sheffield's best-kept secret before finally gettin' their moment. Jarvis Cocker — lanky, bespectacled, sardonic, deeply romantic — created a sound that was glam, disco, and kitchen-sink drama rolled into one. Their success was the triumph of persistence, wit, and genuine originality. I remember hearin' Common People for the first time and thinkin' — this is it. This song gets it.

The band formed in 78 when Cocker was just 15. Spent years in obscurity. Early albums It (83) and Freaks (87) drew cult appreciation but little else. The breakthrough came gradually. His 'n' Hers (94) was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize and earned 'em their first Top 10 single — Do You Remember the First Time? Wry, conversational, about lost innocence. Announced a major new voice.

Different Class (95) changed everythin'. Released in the white heat of Britpop, it captured the social tensions and romantic frustrations of British life with a precision few songwriters have ever matched. Common People — a scathin' hilarious heartbreaking tale of class tourism — became an anthem. A wealthy art student who wants to 'live like common people' without understandin' the reality of a workin'-class life. Number two in the UK. One of the definin' songs of the decade.

Disco 2000 — a bittersweet story of childhood friendship and unrequited love set to a joyous glam-pop groove. Sorted for E's & Wizz captured the comedown of rave culture with unexpected tenderness. Pulp won the Mercury Prize for Different Class, beatin' out both Oasis and Blur in the same year. A fittin' victory for the outsider band.

This Is Hardcore (98) was darker, challengin' fame, agein', and the pornography of modern culture. Divided fans but has aged remarkably well. We Love Life (01) added folk textures, produced by Scott Walker. Then more hiatus.

Jarvis Cocker became a British cultural icon — his impromptu stage invasion at the 1996 Brit Awards, protestin' Michael Jackson's messianic performance, was a definin' moment of defiance. Pulp's legacy is intelligence, humour, and empathy. They wrote about ordinary people — their desires, disappointments, and small triumphs — with extraordinary grace. In a genre often dominated by laddish bravado, Pulp proved sensitivity and sharp observation were just as powerful. For many, the true heart of Britpop.