Pulp drummer Nick Banks has said when he first heard of the band’s mega-selling hit single, ‘Common People’, he thought it was a “tuneless dirge.”
Banks was asked by BBC 5Live Breakfast yesterday (April 12) if he knew the band had “recorded something special”. He replied: “Not particularly, no. It sounded a bit of tuneless dirge at first, to be honest.”
He then went on to say that he thought Jarvis Cocker’s initial demo recording of the track was a “load of rubbish”. However, he admitted he began to appreciate the song once he heard the whole band record it.
‘Common People’ was crowned the public’s favourite Britpop anthem, according to a listener-voted poll announced on Friday (April 11).
The track, which was released on May 22, 1995 and reached Number Two for the Sheffield band, was announced as the winner on Steve Lamacq’s BBC Radio 6 Music show, after a public vote was conducted to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the defining 90s musical movement.
Elsewhere in the poll, The Verve’s 1997 hit ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ was voted the second most popular track, while Oasis’ ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ reached Number Three.
The full Top 10 is as follows:
1. ‘Common People’ by Pulp
2. ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ by The Verve
3. ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ by Oasis
4. ‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis
5. ‘Parklife’ by Blur
6. ‘Animal Nitrate’ by Suede
7. ‘Girls & Boys’ by Blur
8. ‘Slight Return’ by The Bluetones
9. ‘Disco 2000’ by Pulp
10. ‘Girl From Mars’ by Ash