Albums Of The '90s
Four- Basildon boys conquered America, indie rock discovered ecstasy and Britpop reigned.
The 20th Century went out with a bang.
Definitely Maybe - Oasis
Picking up where The Stone Roses left off, Definitely Maybe was the sound of provincial dreams becoming reality. "You're the outcast,you're the underclass, but you don't care, cos you're living fast," sang Liam Gallagher on Bring It On Down, articulating the realities of the downtrodden everywhere.
The biggest-selling debut album at that point, it proved that if you sang, "Tonight, I'm a rock 'n' roll star" loud enough, then you really could be.
Hail From: - Burnage, Greater Manchester
Most British Moment: Gallagher's brilliantly untutored drawl - one part John Lennon, one part John Lydon.
See Also: Stereophonics - Word Gets Around
Other albums mentioned
Violator - Depeche Mode
Blue Lines - Massive Attack
Screamadelcia - Primal Scream
Parklife - Blur
Music For The Jilted Generation - Prodigy
Dummy - Portishead
OK Computer - Radiohead
Urban Hymns - The Verve
Different Class - Pulp
Tracks Of The '90s
Enter Britpop, big ballads and - oh yes! Bollywood
Live Forever - Oasis
Noel Gallagher penned this hymn to communality in 1991, a bleak year in John Major's recession - hit Britain, while working alone in a builders yard storeroom.
Live Forever forged a vision of transcendence that was both universal and homegrown: it's key line, "We'll see things they'll never see," was rooted in the great British phenomenon of ecstasy culture.
Most British Moment: The opening line, inspired by Gallagher's childhood memories of waiting around, bored, on his dad's allotment.
Other tracks mentioned
Angels - Robbie Williams
Unfinished Symphany - Massive Attack
Park Life - Blur
Common People - Pulp
Firestarter - The Prodigy
A Design For Life - Manic Street Preachers
Bitter Sweet Symphony - The Verve
Brimfull Of Asha - Cornershop
Born Slippy (Nuxx) - Underworld
Source: Q Magazine
Click here to cast you vote for the Best Ever British Album