The 25 best indie tracks of 1996

4 October 2024, 17:51 | Updated: 4 October 2024, 18:24

Radio X takes a look back at the year of Britpop, Firestarter, A Design For Life and Euro '96.

1. Radiohead - Street Spirit (Fade Out): release date 22nd January 1996

   The closing track on Radiohead’s hugely successful 1995 album The Bends, the cinematic Street Spirit (Fade Out) reached Number 5 on the UK singles chart.

   

   Radiohead - Street Spirit (Fade Out)

2. Garbage - Stupid Girl: release date 22nd January 1996

   Shirley Manson and co’s famous track was taken from their 1995 self-titled debut, peaking at Number 4 to become Garbage’s highest-charting single.

   

   Garbage - "Stupid Girl" (Official Music Video)

3. The Bluetones - Slight Return: release date 22nd January 1996

   The Hounslow band landed on something of a miracle with their first single, which peaked at Number 2 on the UK singles chart. Slight Return would appear on the group's debut album Expecting To Fly.

   

   The Bluetones - Slight Return

4. Oasis - Don't Look Back In Anger: released 19th February 1996

   Taken from the Manchester band’s 1995 sophomore album (What’s The Story Morning) Glory?, Don’t Look Back In Anger reached Number 1 when it was released as a single in early '96. However, it has become an enduring anthem for the city and took on a whole new meaning after the tragic Manchester Arena attack in 2017.

   

   Oasis - Don't Look Back In Anger (Official Video)

5. Supergrass - Going Out: release date 26th February 1996

   The first single to be taken from Gaz Coombes and co’s second album In It For The Money, landing a year ahead of the record’s release. Going Out reached a respectable Number 5 on the charts.

   

   Supergrass - Going Out (Official HD Video)

6. Shed Seven - Going For Gold: release date 11th March 1996

   This classic Shed Seven single scored a them a Number 8 on the UK singles chart, giving them their highest-charting hit to date and providing the title for the York band’s greatest hits collection.

   

   Shed Seven - Going For Gold

7. Cast - Walkaway: release date 18th March 1996

   Taken from the Liverpool band’s debut album All Change, Walkaway peaked at Number 9 in the UK singles chart. Main man John Power had found fame as a member of The La's.

   

   Cast - Walkaway

8. The Prodigy - Firestarter: release date 18th March 1996

   This indestructible single scored the electronic outfit their first UK Number 1, introducing their striking frontman Keith Flint to the masses.

   

   The Prodigy - Firestarter (Official Video)

9. Pulp - Something Changed: release date 25th March 1996

   Track seven on Pulp’s Different Class album, the contemplative Something Changed scored Jarvis Cocker and co a number 10 on the UK singles chart.

   

   Pulp - Something Changed

10. Manic Street Preachers - A Design For Life: release date 15th April 1996

    This evocative track was the first new material from the Welsh trio since the disappearance of guitarist and lyricist Richey Edwards. Taken from their Everything Must Go album, A Design For Life peaked at Number 2 on the UK chart.

    

    Manic Street Preachers - A Design for Life (Official Video)

11. Sleeper - Sale Of The Century: release date 22nd April 1996

    The second single from Louise Wener and co's album The It Girl was one of the band's biggest hits, peaking at Number 10 in the Spring of 1996.

    

    Sleeper - Sale Of The Century (Video)

12. Blur - Charmless Man: release date 29th April 1996

    Apparently inspired by some graffiti in a toilet at Grantham station (!), Charmless Man was the fourth and final single to be taken from Blur's album The Great Escape.

    

    Blur - Charmless Man (Official Music Video)

13. Baddiel & Skinner and The Lightning Seeds - Three Lions: release date 20th May 1996

    Frank Skinner and David Baddiel were hosts of the TV show Fantasy Football League and they teamed up with The Lightning Seeds' Ian Broudie to catch some of the Euro '96 fever that was doing the rounds that summer. The single went straight to Number 1 and went back to the top just after England were knocked out of the tournament in the semi-finals by Germany.

    

    Baddiel, Skinner & Lightning Seeds - Three Lions '98 (Official Video)

14. Space - Female Of The Species: release date 27th May 1996

    Shock shock horror horror - this single put the Liverpool band on the map just before the release of their Spiders album, peaking at Number 14 and giving Tommy Scott and co a minor hit in the US too. The track also became famous as the theme tune to the TV comedy drama Cold Feet.

    

    Space - Female Of The Species

15. Ocean Colour Scene - The Day We Caught The Train: release date 3rd June 1996

    The third single from the Brummie band's lanmark album Moseley Shoals is something of a tribute to The Who's Quadrophenia and made Number 4 in the UK.

    

    Ocean Colour Scene - The Day We Caught The Train (Official Video)

16. Longpigs - She Said: release date 10th June 1996

    This Sheffield band was based around singer Crispin Hunt and guitarist Richard Hawley and their debut album The Sun Is Often Out spawned this excellent single. She Said stalled at Number 67 on its first issue in July 1995, but peaked at Number 16 in June 1996.

    

    Longpigs - She Said

17. The Divine Comedy - Something For The Weekend: release date 17th June 1996

    This Northern Irish band were fronted by songwriter Neil Hannon; Something For The Weekend was the first single to be taken from the album Casanova, peaking at Number 14.

    

    The Divine Comedy - Something For The Weekend

18. Ash - Oh Yeah: reelase date 24th June 1996

    Issued as a single after the released of the band's debut album 1977, Oh Yeah was Ash's second Top 10 single, peaking at Number 6 on the UK Singles Chart.

    

    Ash - Oh Yeah (Official HD Video)

19. Kula Shaker - Tattva: release date 24th June 1996

    Crispian Mills's mystical debut single, which was included on the band's first album K. It made Number 4 in the UK charts.

    

    Kula Shaker - Tattva

20. Suede - Trash: release date 29th July 1996

    One of the British band's finest single, Trash was the lead track from the band's third album Coming Up. It was the first Suede single not to be co-written by guitarist Bernard Butler, featuring his replacement Richard Oakes.

    

    Suede - Trash (Official Video)

21. Dodgy - Good Enough: release date 29th July 1996

    A jolly Britpop tune from the Hounslow trio, which was their highest-charting UK hit, peaking at Number 4 in the summer of 1996.

    

    Dodgy - Good Enough

22. The Cardigans - Lovefool: release date 10th August 1996

    This track from the Swedish band's album First Band On The Moon made Number 21 on its initial release in 1996, but after director Baz Luhrmann used the track in his film Romeo + Juliet, Lovefool retruned to the chart a year later, peaking at Number 2.

    

    The Cardigans - Lovefool (Official Music Video)

23. R.E.M. - E-Bow The Letter: release date 19th August 1996

    The first single from the American alt.rock legends' 10th album New Adventrues In Hi-Fi, E-Bow The Letter features Patti Smith on backing vocals.

    

    R.E.M. - E-Bow The Letter (Official HD Music Video) feat. Patti Smith

24. The Charlatans - One To Another: release date 26th August 1996

    The lead single from the Tellin' Stories album made Number 3 in the UK charts, making it their biggest hit in this country.

    

    The Charlatans - One To Another

25. Babybird - You're Gorgeous: release date 30th September 1996

    Babybird was based around songwriter Stephen Jones, and this classic Britpop-era single was included on the album Ugly Beautiful in October 1996. It remains the band's highest charting single, peaking at Number 3.

    

    Babybird - You're Gorgeous (Official 4k Video)