Richard Ashcroft reveals which songs defined the 90s for him

2 September 2020, 14:43 | Updated: 2 September 2020, 16:41

Richard Ashcroft reveals the biggest challenge of his career to Radio X — Richard Ashcroft reveals his game-changing songs of the 90s. Picture: Jon Mo Photography

The former Verve frontman, whose Bitter Sweet Symphony topped The Radio X Top 100 of the 90s, has looked back at the music that spoke to him most during the decade.

Richard Ashcroft has revealed the songs which he believes defined the 90s.

The Verve's Bitter Sweet Symphony topped Radio X's Top 100 of the 90s countdown on August Bank Holiday Monday this and their former frontman spoke to Radio X's George Godfrey about the decade and what made it so special.

Asked what songs stood out in the 90s to him, Ashcroft replied: "If I think of songs that sort of shifted my mindset I think Higher Than The Sun [from Primal Scream's] Screamadelica comes to my mind."

Primal Scream - Higher Than the Sun (Official Video)

Speaking of Bristolian outfit Massive Attack, and how their 1991 hit - which featured Shara Nelson - influenced his Bitter Sweet track and video, the singer-songwriter added: "Massive Attack records... That to me should be well up there.

"Certainly Unfinished Sympathy was just unbelievable.”

Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy

Speaking of The Verve's iconic Bitter Sweet Symphony single and why it still stands today, Ashcroft mused: "It's a very fresh piece of music".

He added: "It could easily be a soundtrack to what the world's going through right now. It chimes now just as it did back then."

"I wanted to make it totally universal," Ashcroft said of the song itself. "That's the thing about it. You don't write imagining a crowd at a stadium. This was written before any of that. The culture wasn't the same. I honestly believed it was done in a different mindset.

"The people make it an anthem, because they're the ones that sing along to the words."