5 Timeless British Rock Albums From 1995 Always Worth Revisiting

British rock music had a very good year in 1995.

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While some bands dug into their Britishness with Britpop, others took inspiration from American indie rock.

Thirty years ago, Oasis lost the “Battle of Britpop” to Blur but emerged larger than the narrow hype. Radiohead sprinted from their biggest song and began reinventing the very notion of a rock band by dismantling it. Pulp delivered an anthem and a rebuke, while Spiritualized took vintage sounds to outer space.

Reflecting on this monumental year in British rock history, here are five timeless albums to either revisit or if you’re lucky, experience for the first time.

(What’s the Story) Morning Glory? by Oasis

Oasis had talked about being the world’s biggest band. And their second album helped deliver on the bombastic statements. Following a historic debut with Definitely Maybe, the Manchester band focused on anthems. And Noel Gallagher wrote some of the decade’s biggest: “Wonderwall,” “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” and “Champagne Supernova.” This record broke Oasis worldwide with its endless stream of singles.

The Bends by Radiohead

Determined not to be defined by their breakthrough single “Creep,” Radiohead turned toward experimentalism. From the album opener “Planet Telex” to “My Iron Lung,” things immediately sounded different. Thom Yorke and his band had zero interest in chasing another “Creep” or the nationalist impulses of Britpop. Also, the chordal sophistication of “Just” foreshadowed guitarist Jonny Greenwood’s future life as a film composer.

Different Class by Pulp

With Oasis, Blur, and Suede, Pulp was one of Britpop’s big four. But singer Jarvis Cocker disliked the scene. He told the NME, “Cool Britannia made me throw up.” But he’s also responsible for one of its biggest anthems, “Common People.” In it, Cocker satirizes how some in the upper class spent time traveling like tourists among the lower class: Cause when you’re laid in bed at night / Watching roaches climb the wall / If you called your dad, he could stop it all.  

Pure Phase by Spiritualized

Spiritualized was born from Jason Pierce’s time in Spacemen 3. Though his music makes you feel like you’re floating in space, the elements are rooted and earthy. Pierce isn’t interested in exploring new sounds or musical trends. Instead, he mines jazz, The Velvet Underground, and The Beach Boys, and adapts them with relentless overdubbing and repetition. Describing this music as a Wall of Sound doesn’t do it justice. Beneath all the hazy orchestration, Pierce’s voice emerges like a drifting astronaut, searching for a connection.

The Great Escape by Blur

Blur’s fourth album topped the charts. But it also marked the end of the band’s Britpop phase. They had successfully battled Oasis in the singles chart, with “Country House” becoming Blur’s first No. 1 in the UK, edging out “Roll With It.” However, The Great Escape now exists in the giant shadow of Oasis’ (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? and its working-class anthems. So Blur reinvented and adopted the sound of American indie bands like Pavement. Woo-hoo!

Photo by Mick Hutson/Redferns